Wow. Gorgeous. Charming. Friendly. Energetic. Got to get me a job here… Hoi An was a major international seaport during the 16th and 17th centuries, and the foreign influences are obvious to this day. The serious shipping business has moved north to Da Nang and Hat Phong leaving a relaxed seaside township full of character and atmosphere. The heart of the city is the Old Town, which is full of narrow lanes and old Chinese styled shophouses which have been l...

A day of mixed emotions Today was a day of mixed emotions but one of the most enjoyable days so far. We kicked off with a visit to the 315 year old Thien An pagoda. The resident monks shared some time with us explaining the history of the pagoda, its traditions and the ensemble of monks' tombs chronologically built over the centuries. Plenty of old stuff to see and photograph. Our next stop was to the tiny hamlet of My Lai in the Son My village - the sc...

Kids, kids and more kids The morning was dry and perfect for a good pedal along the coastline. A mostly flat day with rural 'glimpses'. We were riding into one town just a bit before lunch when we met a young family who live between the main north-south rail line and Highway One. Just to explain. Their front door was literally on the edge of Highway One. Their back door was 4 or 5 metres from the railway tracks. They were sandwiched smack-bang in the middl...

Mud and grime makes me smile Today's adventure was much the same as yesterday but inland along the train line with a packed lunch in an 'off-the-beaten-track' café. Nothing much happens out this way. It rained from the minute we got up until the minute we went to bed. The highlight of the day was helping a local lad get his motor bike out of the mud in the main street - a task made a little more difficult because of the trailer on the back of the motor bi...

A ride along the coast Today's ride kicked off from our motel at the very southern end of Nha Trang beach. We cycled 5 or 6 kilometres along the promenade before climbing our way up into the hills that overlook the northern coastline. The ascent gave us a great workout and the summit provided fantastic views over the ocean for as far as the eye could see. We enjoyed a long, gradual descent on the other side that led us through a dozen tiny fishing villages tha...