In Danang I cracked it and did what I always think I'll do and then talk myself out of - book into an expensive hotel and hang around in a bathrobe for a day! But to begin at the beginning. I caught the train from Hue to Danang. Its the third time now I've done this journey and I love it every time. The train goes over the Hai Van Pass along and above coastline untouched by any sort of development - not even a beach hut. It was raining which added to the magic! I'm such a sucker for a view.
We rolled into Danang earlier than expected and I got lost looking for my accommodation. Now why I decided to book into a private room in a hostel (the only one in Danang no less) is beyond me. I stayed in some great ones in Bangkok but the hostel scene is small in Vietnam. And I paid upfront for 2 nights. And the reason? Yet another food tour run by the owners of the hostel. The room was crappy but the food tour amazing and totally worth doing. We went to four places and tried Danang's specialities. First was bun thit nong - noodles and grilled pork which is eaten all over and some fantastic beef in lot leaves. Next was the place where I tried the most 'new to me' dishes. Mi Quang, another noodle dish and particular to the region. Its pretty good stuff. I tried steamed fermented pork sausage - quite sour and not to my taste. Nor was the corn drink we also tried (essentially a corn milkshake in a bottle) but I was glad I did. My list of odd things eaten had expanded on this trip! But the best was for next - banh xeo. Again banh xeo is found all over but this very famous restaurant has a secret weapon - the dipping sauce. To make, take a rice paper sheet, add a bit of pancake, add greens, then grilled pork - roll and dip. Taste sensation! Desert was a chunky fruit salad drink which included avocado in the melange. So back to the hostel and an earlyish night. Though I was in a hostel I didn't really meet anyone - I've been finding travellers here to be an unfriendly bunch, too busy buried in their electronic devices to have an actual conversation. Or maybe I'm old and uncool. My journal writing certainly raises eyebrows!
And this is the point at which I cracked it. The bed. More specifically the matress. The floor, hell, a concrete slab would have been more comfortable. And I made the mistake when checking out to mention this to the owner (in my bumbling, can't tell a lie way) so it was no surprise I did not get a refund for the unstayed night (but annoying). So I headed to the riverfront to an upmarket hotel and got a room in the 13th floor with a view of the Dragon Bridge. And the afore mentioned bathrobe time took place.
I did manage to visit two museums in Danang. The most famous the the Cham Museum which is widely known and advertised. So with high expectations I paid my 40,000 dong and headed in. Worst. Museum. Ever. And I've seen some doozies in the region but at least they had charm. This was just contemptable. Priceless artifacts concreted into the walls and whitewashed badly, open air, very little interpretation and an air of neglect. Awful.
Sigh!
Less visited is the Museum of Danang. A little neglected to be sure but at least some attempt as labeling and interpretation was made. Though I wasn't sure whether to laugh or be shocked by the use of craft shop googly eyes on mounted specimens...
Makes him look friendly doesn't it?
So I didn't really jive on Danang but I didn't get to the beach, or out of the city. I really just wandered. And when half the streets are being dug up to lay cable it colours your perspective somewhat. Next and final stop - Ho Chi Minh City.
Corn drink - not traditional, part of Danang's ongoing sense of invention when it come to food apparently. Appeared a couple of years ago. Will not be revisiting.
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