Get up after a cleaner accidentally rings my doorbell. Didn't realize I had one. Another huge breakfast but they seem to remember what I ate and double the fruit. 2 baguettes, croissants and buns. They test a yogurt on me.
I meet Emma and we hire mopeds from the rental shop next to my place. Only 100000 dong (£3). Pick up a few litres of petrol at the end of the road for just over a quid. The better beach is called An Bang and around 6km away. According to Emma's guidebook. Cau Lau beach has a lot of development going on, as well as many touts. Emma pops back to stick trainers on and the staff gives her a bottle of freezing cold water (LT). With the storm in Hanoi a few days ago the temperature had dipped, but the last few days it had been slowly building and today we can feel it's full strength. Coated in Suncream we set off. A nice easy drive to the beach passing paddy fields on the way. A little old lady flags us down and tells us we need to park our bikes. She tags them with the same number and we only pay once. She is laughing heartedly as we walk off still wearing our helmets. After locking them under the seat of the bike, this cheery soul is still laughing.
The beach is a stones throw away, restaurants lined along the white sands. A lady stops us to offer sunbeds. We ask how much and she says free. Only rule is we eat lunch at their place which sounds like a fair trade. The sand is baking as I am lured to the water. Cooling off and watching the beach and the islands in the distance this feels like an actual beach holiday. I can see the charm of Hoi An. A pretty and historical town with some incredible tailors paired up with a beach life.
We pop to our restaurant for lunch, Emma getting a Papaya salad loaded with fresh fish including prawns and squid. I try the Vietnamese version of sweet and sour and both are tasty.
As the day wears on, at around 4pm music starts to play gently from speakers. This signals the locals are coming and they start decending in their masses. The beach becomes packed and chairs and small tables are layed out for them. Lots of life jackets being worn and a barrier in the distance signalling deeper water. Life guards appear and sail out in funny round basin boats, almost punting through the water. I do find it incredible the lack of swimming skills in this region of the world. We watch the spectacle for awhile before heading back at sunset, taking some Kodak moments along the way.
We get a little lost on the way back, not sure how as it was a left and then a straight road but funny stopping locals for directions with my trusty little map given by the hotel.
A recommendation for dinner is tried. A place called Bale Well tucked down a side street and easily missed. A street cafe with no menu. More and more food is piled onto the table. Spring rolls, rice pancakes, morning glory, fresh salad, another bowl of vegetables, a huge plate of pork skewers and a plate of pork satay. A lovely dipping sauce and a chili sauce dip.
A plate of wrapped omelettes with fresh prawns inside. Bewildered, the waitress picks up 2 of the rice pancake wraps, puts in some of the cress/cucumber/mint morning glory, adds in some of the veg including carrots and cabbage, puts a skewer of meat in, wraps and pulls out the stick. Emma is handed the wrap but before she can eat it the woman grabs her hand as if teaching a child what to do and dunks it in the sauce. The same process is repeated for me and we have to laugh. The food is some of the best I have tried in Vietnam and a banquet to remember(LT). She again repeats the process with the omelettes which have prawns embedded in them and watershoots lying loose. This goes into a rice wrap with veg and meat added. After only a few we are both full with a mountain of food in front of us. Having a few beers each, chatting and resting, we do a good job an the feast but impossible to finish. I am speechless when a mango desert is brought to us. I try to say no, but it is forced on me with enthusiasm. Very refreshing and understand why now. The owner comes over with a warm smile and hands us 2 wrapped wet napkins. He unwraps mine and instead of handing it to me he washes my face, neck and chest with it. All done with sincerity and we both laugh at this. This mammoth meal cost less than £10 (280000 dong). We hug the smiling owner goodbye and a meal I will never forget. Good company and food is a great way to spend an evening (LT). We are out a bit later tonight and the lights are slowly going off around 10pm. We find a boat with a guitarist and sit with a gin and tonic loaded with ice. After our huge meal there is no air and we are both feeling the heat as our bodies digest a weeks worth of food. We head back to the Bob Marley bar (Man Nguyen bar) sitting at the front watching the world go by. A cherry shisha pipe and a few of the happy hour cocktails whilst Bob sings his hits. Not complaining but the only music they have. We sit chatting, Emma always good company and then a slightly earlier night is had. Last night my gates were locked and I had to scale the fence but tonight I am treated to a slight gap as I head to my bed.