Set my alarm for 7:30am. I'm still ill but double the dosage of Imodium and anti sickness pills. Thinh, the smiling monk driver turns up after my breakfast of a bread roll. The only food I can get down me. We have a second driver Tuic and we pick up a cheery London girl called Emma. Just glad to be making the journey, we are on powerful Honda bikes and make our way out of the city. We pass fish farms on the outskirts and eventually break to a large lake. We pull in to see an old fishing village at work. The men go fishing at 2am whilst the woman repair the nets in the baking heat. A hard life with tiny boats to sleep on. The children don't go to school as they are needed to help out with the family life. We pass fields and water buffalo and make a small stop up the hill. A sleepy little pitstop with a nice view down to the fields below. Feeling the heat the 2 pale folk load up with suncream. The storm from Hanoi had help to reduce the heat but its now back with force. Thinh and Emma get back on their bike whilst me and my silent driver strap my day bag back down and make our way to the elephant waterfall along a winding, narrow road encased by trees. With my illness, Emma and Thinh, turn out to be a ray of sunshine. We walk along a short forest trail and exit at the falls. There is an elephant statue and beautiful clear waters with a row of shaded huts to eat and escape the hot sun. Emma and I go for a swim whilst our bags are watched. Thinh, kindly takes photos and we jump off the rocks and relax and chat in the waters.(LT) Her plan was the same as mine spend one day in Hue and get out. A shame really as its the old capital, but too many touts. There is not much industry in Hue and during the Vietnam war it was a love for the King Ho Chi Minh that gave purpose to the south fighting in the conflict, but Hue suffered a lot of damage and is still recovering. The King eventually exiled to France when independence was declared. Chatting we lose track of time and after an hour or so, pack up and go. Thinh is all smiles, feeling happy that others are happy, asking for a few photos to add to his instagram collection. His memories. We head along a river path and enter the base of the Hai Van Pass. We stop to take photos at a vantage point above Lankor Beach. A lovely view and a beach that is used by the locals. The road winds up into the mountains and the coastline is spectacular. I try to take photos on my phone and film on my camera. The road curves round the mountain, a clear blue sky magnifying the colours. The green of the forest, snippets of yellow sand far below and the blue inviting ocean. There is now a tunnel through the mountain which eliminates a slow experience for truck drivers. We stop at the top of the Hai van pass for a beer. Hell I'm not driving and my spirits are lifting. With the cool air provided by the bikes you forget how hot it is. We have both caught the sun, Emma's shoulders looking quite red. I get my P20 factor 50 out. It hasn't been used in awhile. No requirement for it in Sapa or Hanoi.
Emma tries her hand at bartering but is too generous. She has not had Craig's bartering training. There is an old military base here which was used by the Vietnamese to burrow down to American encampments and shows the injinuity of the people. There is a great view of the pass on one side and Denang on the other. Emma and I ask some Korean tourists to take a few photos. They love a photo or 5. The drive down to Denang is just as fun. Tuic overtakes Thinh and Emma and I get a great video of it. Once down in Denang, it is the 3rd largest city and full of businesses and banks. We stop at the beach for photos and it's almost like an eastern Benidorm. I do a sanity check before getting back on the bike realising I have dropped my phone. Tuic spots it in the sand and I quickly grab it. With little food eaten, only adrenaline and great company is keeping me going. Thinh takes us to a small restaurant and we eat Me Quang chicken noodles. Less broth, but with an egg in it. A large plate of fresh veg, cress, lettuce and mint to add in. First proper meal I have had in days and it's delicious. A relaxing breeze from the sea blowing in through the empty window. Shadowing the restaurant is Marble Mountain. Thinh walks us to the base of the stairs, paying the local price for the ticket and tells us to meet him back where we ate. Looking at the stairs, I can see why. I did notice an elevator, but reaching heaven isn't supposed to be easy. The meal keeping me functioning, we reach a white Buddha and a temple with chanting coming out. I know nothing about this site, but there is a peacefulness to it that can be felt from the beginning. I poke my head into the small temple, a monk using a bamboo tube to louden and echo his chant. We check a map of the site realising it's bigger than we thought, with several caves, a viewpoint and shrines. We push each other on stopping at a small stall for water and a cold cloth wipe(LT). A small circular cave has been burrowed out with a small shrine in it. This leads us to a large crack in another cave where we stop to take photos. The 3rd cave is what blows me away. A large dark entrance opens to my favourite place of worship of all time. Sure Angkor Wat is impressive, but this is a place of worship nature has provided. A hole at the top of the cave shines light into the temple. Around the site are small buildings with a large Buddha placed into the rock. I wasn't expecting this. We make our way to the Heaven Cave and whilst nice, not as memorable as what we have just seen. The 2 of us are knackered but both glad we explored the site. We decide to take the lift back down but are too busy chatting and somehow miss it. Back with Thinh we cool off with a drink and he gets us to write in his book about our day. His smile is infectious and an incredible character. Thinh was the man who showed the Lonely Planet the pass and has been contacted again. He proudly shows us his name in the book as well as all the text messages he received from one of the writers.
We head to the bikes, Thinh checking I have my phone and make our way to Hoi An. We were supposed to get there for 3pm but it is now after 5pm. A patient soul who at no point has hurried us, but looked after us(LT). A lot to be learned from this man. We head along the beach front, the sun low in the sky in the final part of the journey to Hoi An.
We stop off at a tailors but not in the mood for clothes shopping just now. The lady has a Next catalogue and anything can me made. We make a sharp exit. Emma and I arrange to meet for dinner. Turns out her hotel is about 100 metres away from where Thinh drops me off. I get a photo with our new friends and sadly say my farewell.
Learning about Vietnam and Buddhism was priceless(LT). I meet up with Emma and we go for dinner, eating the best spring rolls to date. Lataced outsides, we add morning glory and I get pork noodle soup and Emma goes for a salad with hot tomato based chicken. Thinh had told us that spring rolls come from Hue so gutted I was ill there. Each region of Vietnam has its own interpretation with Hanoi having some of the worst food due to Chinese influence. We go to May Viva or Funkey Monkey as the flier says. We drink cocktails and smoke a shisha by the canal. The waiter brings us for free one of my favourite dishes in Vietnam, pork porridge. Almost like a pork broth porridge, but so rich in flavour. From what I read later it's usually made with chicken (Cháo Gà Xé Phay). I only ever tried this dish at Mama's in Sapa. The bar is closed but he lets us stay. Table littered with cocktail glasses, we stumble back to our hotels, Emma's navigation skills proving better than mine, with a little help from the locals. Today is one of those days full of little things and a day to remember.