We found the sun

Hoi An is a beach destination in Central Vietnam, and is around a 14 hour train journey from Hanoi. Because of our recent journeys we decided to cheat and take the plane (1 hour). More expensive, but sounded much more appealing, but as Tash's sister says we are 'flash packing' after all.

On arriving in Danang (the gateway city for Hoi An) we were instantly hit with the heat (in the same way it does on a summer holiday). We also joked about how long we would have to wait for our bags. They were already on the belt so there was a massive improvement to our first experiences when we got to Vietnam, the airport seemed much nicer too. We then took a taxi to the bus station to then get the hour bus journey to Hoi An.

The first thing that struck me was how completely opposite this place is from Hanoi. People seem more friendlier (one of the bus drivers was helping people on to the bus, the streets were a lot cleaner (and no restaurants spilling out onto the paths and road) and those who had plastic chairs had upgraded them to the model with a back rest!).

I didn't know this at the time but we were dropped off by the bus a long distance from where we should have been or there was another stop (everyone else got off). Conveniently there were motorbikes on hand to offer you a lift for the rest of the journey, it looked a achievable walk away so we decided on that option. Turns out it was a 30 minute walk, not the best with a big bag and the sun beating down on you.

Because it was the day of the birth of myself (I'm the year of the buffalo by the way) we checked into a recently built spa hotel. We made a great impression arriving with our red faces and sweaty selves but were quickly offered cold face towels and a welcome drink. The hotel is amazing and probably 1/5 of the price we would pay back home.

Today I also sampled a new fruit 'Rambutan'. It's spikey on the outside, on the inside it looks like a pickled onion, has the texture of a grape and tastes like lychee. How disappointed I will be to go back home and to find an empty Rambutan shelf in Tescos. Perhaps I will bring back some seeds, erect a greenhouse and be the first uk Rambutan producer. So far my ideas for 'Andys Enterprises' seem a bit ambitious but I will soon be in Peckam with my 3 wheeled yellow van.

We walked around the old market town which is a protected Unesco site, they don't let motorbikes pass through the streets at certain times. It feels very peaceful at times but is a hawkers paradise. I have already been collected about buying a suit, I thought I was being clever to tell the man I would come and find him later only to bump into him a hour later near his shop.

Back at the hotel I heard a knock at the door and was greeted by two ladies from the hotel holding a cake an singing happy birthday to me (tash had arranged this with them).

I found some good reviews on a restaurant named 'the secret garden'. You take a walk down a small street to arrive at the restaurant, I've taken some pictures to avoid my poor explanation as to how it looks. We sampled some White Rose, which is a dumping shaped like a flower with some crispy shallot (it's ok but doesn't beat the Hong Kong dumplings filled with goodness), some pork, chilli and shallot stuffed squid (great) and some coconut curry (also great). They had some live guitar and occasionally someone singing, coincidently it was someone else's birthday so they sang to them through the P.A. system so technically I was sang to twice in one day! We then made our way back to our hotel to sample my cake. Not bad for my first Vietnamese birthday!

Temple count: 46

Noodle count: 9

Hours travelled: 52

Times I have been sung Happy Birthday: 2