Part 69: Da Nang....
Now this was much more like it. If only we had this very same bus from Hanoi to Hue.
I sat back in the fully reclined seat, legs extended out, watching cartoons on the wide screen TV just above the drivers head - texting my brother in the UK on wifi, who was tracking my moving location all the while by satellite. He was actually giving me a running commentary of what lay ahead on the roads; oh the marvels of modern technology!
This whilst I was downloading live DJ mixes to listen to through my headphones as well.
The first stretch of the journey south was straight forward highways but that soon gave way for much nicer landscapes.
There were coastlines to my left and the famous views in between Hue and Da Nang - one of the most beautiful roads in Vietnam near the Hai Van pass (or ocean cloud pass) renowned for its spectacular scenery of mountains, bays and islands and is considered amongst the best coastal roads in the world, as It crosses the Truong Son mountain range, making for some stunning vistas of the South China Sea.
And if it wasn't enough there were rice terraces, and iron bridges over huge rivers to marvel at en route.
All this was made even better by the driver steadily cruising without the usual white knuckle overtaking as the roads snaked upwards through the mountains.
I cant actually recall not ever wanting a journey to end before - but this was a time that I could have happily stayed on this bus all the way to Ho Chi Minh city, no problem at all. The skies were clear and the roads were calm; this bus trip was really something else.
Led down almost horizontal at the front with huge wide windows either side of me, plus the drivers windscreen too, gave me the most amazing panoramic view of the route. It really felt like I was flying.
Around the half way point the bus stopped for food at a small road side cafe and even then I didn't want to get off; thats how comfy it was - but I decided to get off in the end for some fresh air.
Several other busses heading south also stopped and the small cafe very quickly got really busy and was full of people queuing for food.
I decided to go for a short walk along the road spotting 3 adorable young girls no older than my nieces, waving and smiling at me - so I quickly took a pic to capture the moment. The parents didn't seem to mind to much as they too were giggling and smiling at me, before I decided to head back to the bus just in case I missed it.
The last stretch of the journey was no less spectacular and right along the coast line as we approached Da Nang. This is exactly what I was hoping for - blue skies, coastlines with mountainous backdrops, and finally not a rain cloud in site.
Driving through the busy center nearing our drop off point I wondered what this emerging city of 700,000 people had to offer. It's the 4th largest in Vietnam and until recently, received some bad press. Most backpackers opt for the more obvious and commercial Hoi An, 35km south, and that was pretty evident with a distinct lack of tourists around.
However some developers believe Vietnam’s central coast has the makings of Asia’s next beachfront resort destination. You could clearly make out that there were plenty of new international hotels along the stretch of prime coastline, but central Da Nang appeared slightly under-developed, where streets were still the faded typical homes from the French colonial era. We were dropped off on a busy street quite some distance from our hostel - there was a massive temptation to jump in any one of the many cabs nearby that would have inevitably ripped us off, but we decided to walk. Even if it was scorching hot in the middle of the afternoon and more than 3 km away.
I immediately started perspiring, carrying my heavy backpack - luckily I was easily distracted by the hundreds of mopeds and scooters on the road, taking my mind off the heat for a while. Not quite as frenetic as Hanoi but almost as challenging in regards to crossing the road, even though we were more confident this time round.
After around an hour or more, and getting lost several times; we finally found 'Funtastic' hostel. Newly opened and claiming to be Da Nang's only international hostel, it seemed a logical choice to book.
Based on what I'd seen so far, and Leon the owners warm welcome - this was definitely a happening establishment. It was quirky and clean with a cool looking common room complete with giant bean bags, play station, movie library and cool sci-fi books, plus Leon's wife, Summer happened to be a food blogger for the New York Times, wasting no time at all in introducing her self, then recommended several 'must have' local food dishes and eateries - trust me this was one hip hostel.
We instantly settled and felt almost like we had been staying here for weeks - it just had that kind of vibe, reflecting both Leon's and Summers personality.
Three hours later after discussing Vietnamese cuisine, life, travel and Starwars sub plots - me and Jack popped out for food, armed with a huge list from Leon's wife of delicious local dishes to sample.
One being a traditional Mi Quang dish of this region.
It was only a short walk till we reached the small local cafe, that according to Summer, was the best place in the whole of Da Nang for this particular dish - and since she was a food writer for the New York times, who was I to argue.
When we got there, it was more akin to a kitchen with tables and chairs than an actual restaurant, full of Vietnamese families and young kids; this place was perfect!
The people seemed a little shy at first, but a young girl of no more than 6 years old soon broke the ice as she appeared to take a liking to me for some reason!
It was so heart warming to see her face, especially when she noticed my tattoos, and tried to rub them off with her hands, then speaking with the cutest Vietnamese voice you could possibly imagine, which of course I could not understand.
This little girl had the rest of the locals in stitches when she tried to lead me away by the hand to show her friends - talk about adorable. After all the excitement died down we ordered the dish. Mi quang originated from Quang Nam province in central Vietnam, and according to Summer, was created during tough times when food was very scarce here. People made the most out of whatever ingredients they had at home using various left overs.
Basically it was a fragrant broth with shrimp, pork belly, vegetables, thick noodles and quail eggs.
This really was a special dish and every bit as delicious as we expected it to be - doing our best to eat it with chop sticks in one hand and spoon in the other, just like the locals.
After once more being led around the establishment by this adorable little girl, whilst she introduced me to her family and other laughing locals one by one, it was time to head off back to the hostel.
Leon and Summer, along with other guests were still deep in discussion.
He continued to speak passionately about the region, giving us even more of an insight and places to visit. Its always best to reserve judgement on destinations until you get there; in contrast to some online forums Da Nang certainly had plenty to offer, and I couldn't wait to take a closer look....