Heading up to Hue - along the Hai Van Pass

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23rd feb - Sunday




Really enjoyed our time in Hoi An, but ready for our next destination - Hue. We have chosen to travel by train, the journey will take us through the now famous Hai Van Pass, which hugs the coast. The weather today is wet and misty, so we are not expecting great views, sadly. The only seats we were able to book were on the left hand side of the carriage as the best ones were already booked when we enquired. But nevertheless, we will enjoy the experience.

The road network to Da Nang railway station were some of the best roads we have seen in Vietnam and thus we have arrived at the Station two hours too early, we seem to be making a habit of idling away our time at these places.



From the brief glimpse we have had of Da Nang it is a sprawling hotchpotch of large holiday resort complexes and modern tower blocks, not very appealing to us. The shore line is quite stunning however, and there are some interesting rock formations, with pagodas built into the rock faces.



Our train journey exceeded all expectations, from having a 4-berth compartment to ourselves, complete with pillows, sheets and duvets, and a single corridor outside affording fantastic views throughout the three hour trip, all for the sum of £4 each.



There was an amazing moment that we failed to capture on camera, when two huge water Buffalo were swimming vigorously along a river, pure magic.



Short five minute taxi ride to our hotel where we received a warm welcome, with cold towels, chilled smoothie drinks and a platter of fruits, passion fruit, pineapple slices, mango and slivers of orange, together with our choice of teas or coffee, complimentary. An excellent start to our Hue adventure.



Armed with a map we spend three hours happily strolling along the Perfume River, acquainting ourselves with our surroundings. Thankfully, the perfume river had no smell, which is a pleasant change to the normal odours we have come to associate with most rivers so far.



7pm, we decide to find a highly acclaimed Indian Restaurant, just for a change. Very satisfied, we stroll back to our room, ready to face a busy sightseeing day tomorrow.



Tip of the Day: Keep your camera at the ready or you may miss a great shot.

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Comments

[Dave Townsend]

Hi there you lovely pair !
Hi both, Cy and I have just got back from a lovely 2 weeks in Peyia - Mary gave me your blog link while out there but I have only just got to have a look at it . What an adventure you are having ! And recording it all in a blog is just such a good idea - a great record and a great way to share - nice one ! Enough from me for now - have a really great time and stay safe. We will be sharing your adventures by reading your tales - and we will be back to Peyia in April when maybe we can hear some of your stories first hand. Every good wish Dave & Cyra xx

[kevlin]

Hello to you both. We did spot you out walking with the group last week. Yes, we Re having a ball and finding the quirky stuff that hopefully makes interesting reading. It will be great to read it all when we get back, as sometimes you can't quite believe its happening as you live it day by day. Hope to see you soon.