Day 73 - Hoi An to Hue Then Hue to Saigon

Initially, I planned to stay longer in Hoi An but due to the longer time I spent in Hue, I had to get back on the bike and head back to Hue so I could catch the evening train to Ho Chi Minh City.

On the way back, I stopped at Marble Mountain for a visit and to take pictures. The first time I drove past it, I thought it was relatively small and not worth the visit. I realized how wrong I was when I entered one of the caves with hidden temples and statues inside.

Marble Mountain is definitely worth a visit for the caves alone, you feel like Indiana Jones exploring some lost and hidden temples like this. Especially if it's raining as was the case today.
You also get great views of the surrounding landscape from the top of the mountain itself.

Since I had to get my train at 19:20 in the evening, the drive back to Hue was a bit faster then on the way to Hoi An. This did not stop me from not taking the right turn and ending up a bit off the planned route at first bjt it meant I could check out another sight near Danang.

Crossing over the Hai Van pass was again a fantastic experience, both the drive and also the views without fog this time round.

After the Hai Van pass, it was time for a quick lunch by the lake before continuing on to Hue where the train to Saigon ended up being 2 hours late. This means I will arrive tomorrow late afternoon in Ho Chi Minh so will have a bit less time there for photography.

Day 72 - After the Storm in Hoi An

After the road trip yesterday, I woke up to some heavy rain in the morning but this quickly passed. The day remained a bit cloudy but it was still nice for a walk around the old part of Hoi An.

The clean up operations after the recent storm were in full swing everywhere, people tried to clean up the fallen branches, damaged signs and clean the streets from the mud.

After lunch we decided ti get back on the bike and check out the beach to see the sea and if there is any nice bar open for a coffee.

On the way to the beach and on the roads right next to the sea the signs of the storm were clearly to see with more damage to the buildings and trees visible.

Since I am not a beach person on a great day, much less on a cloudy day after a storm has passed through, I did not stay long at the beach so headed back to take more pictures around the old town.

In the evening people were selling candles to have float down the river in Hoi An but there was still too much debris floating in the river after the storm to make this an appealing option.

Day 71 - Road Trip to Hoi An

It was a beautiful and sunny morning with just a bit of wind and it was not too humid either. The prefect weather to get on a Xe May (bike or scooter in Vietnamese) and go for a drive the 100 and something km to Hoi An.

At first I let my friend drive as I did not know my way around Hue well enough but after getting out of the city, I went behind the wheel…handle bars for the remaining drive.

Riding on a motorbike or scooter is truly the best way to experience Vietnam and once you understand how the traffic system (or lack of a system) works you can enjoy the ride. It was my first time riding a scooter as I am more a car person but I really enjoyed it.

While the initial road out of Hue is full of trucks, busses, cars and other bikes, if you take the right turn you get to an amazing temple on a lake in between the mountains without many people around.

Once you arrive at the junction for the Hai Van pass, the main traffic goes for the tunnel and you have a beautiful ride through the mountains with almost no traffic and nobody around.

The road trip was amazing, we could take our time and enjoy the scenery, take pictures and in general drive only as fast as needed to get to Hoi An by the evening. 

Alone the smells of incense, burning fires, the plants around you and of course the exhaust of other cars in the first and last part of the journey make this very memorable.

I had a great time and have to thank my friend for coming along with me to Hoi An and letting me drive the bike all the way.

Once we arrived at the hotel after dark and checked in, we went out for a walk and dinner in Hoi An, this time without half the old town being flooded but with damage from the storm that just passed through.

Tomorrow will be spent in Hoi An with little to no driving as it's been a long day on the bike today.