Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi Van Pass summit. Photo: Hurl Everstone

Our guidebook says it's only 4 kilometer (2.5 miles) from Danang to My Khe Beach (better known as "China Beach" to GIs during the war) but our map's directions are a bit obtuse, and soon we're lost and heading down some rather narrow local alley. Even though we find a local fishing beach, it's not the right beach, and we're getting funny looks down these narrow alleyways, which, while stunning in their splendor, all begin to look the same. Finally, a backtrack stop for refreshing nuoc mia (sugarcane juice) with a beatific, beautiful old woman who does not speak English, nor read it, but who previously had, in fact, pointed us in the proper direction, affords us the break we need when her granddaughter shows up and tells us "My Khe Beach: five minutes that way" (same way old woman had pointed) and she playfully scolds me. Mac and I ride to My Khe in silence, get a huge dorm room to ourselves for $8, sling the mosquito nets over the post beds, and fall fast asleep. Riding over Hai Van Pass feels like days ago.

"Look for the giant white Buddha on your left..." Photo: Hurl Everstone

Hoi An is just a short 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from My Khe Beach. It is the old cultural center of Vietnam, and the Old Quarter features some original Vietnamese architecture, as well as French-colonial influences--thatched roofs, beautiful blue shutters against pale yellow walls, many wonderful art-galleries and restaurants. Over 200 tailors/clothes shops line the streets and vie for your business as well. Custom stuff, or exact copies of anything you want or need, usually goes for about $7. But the real attraction here, in addition to being a mellow town 180 degrees from the madness of Saigon, is the food and the beer! "Bia Hoi" is a delicious homemade beer, served in kegs, very smooth, cool and refreshing, and yesterday we found a local restaurant proudly displaying their chrome keg on the sidewalk thusly: "Fresh beer! 3,000 vnd/glass." Obviously, we were sold, for let me remind you that $1 U.S. = 15,000 Vietnamese dong, so we're talking 20 cents per beer! The food, too, is excellent. Cao Lau is a thick, chewy flat noodle in broth, with bean sprouts, greens, crisp croutons and slices of pork. Fried squid in chili sauce with onion and garlic. Fresh shrimp spring rolls....We hit this café three separate times yesterday. Today, I'm certain we will go back for more.

Mmmm, beer. Photo: Hurl Everstone

Yesterday, we took a half-hour boat ride along the Mekong River with an old woman as our guide in her authentic, old wooden river boat, a very low, flat number, all handmade and rustic, for $1. And this sanguine, beautiful old woman, in her pointy hat expertly navigating us among fishing boats and bamboo stalks, her grandson running along the coast crying for her because he missed her, and she calling to him in assured, Vietnamese tones. It all makes me feel so humble, sad and happy, all at the same time, and very much wanting to convey to these people the gratitude and genuine honor it is to have a glimpse into their culture. We have both remarked that we have not seen anyone here who looks unhappy. The people have this innate sense of pride which is very evident, and rightly so. America, so slovenly in comparison, almost makes me sick to my stomach.

With one month to go, our itinerary as of now will take us back down the coast to Saigon, through the Mekong Delta, through lower Cambodia to Sihanoukville, then a short boat hop back into Thailand and up the coast to Bangkok. The next few days will feature multiple 120-kilometer (75-mile) days, back-to-back-to-back. We are just now finding our riding legs, but when we come across places like Hoi An, it is very difficult to immediately press on. After the desolation of Cambodia, the lushness of Vietnam is quite a stark contrast.