Sunday 6th April
I was up at 07.00, packed my bag and got ready to leave the hotel for the aiport, and my flight north to Danang. I was also saying goodbye to Maria and was sad to leave her behind as we had had a lot of fun over the previous couple of weeks. Everything had worked out really well, and we were both pleased with what we had done with our time together. Maria was due to fly back to London later that evening but not before she spent the day lazing around the hotel pool, making the most of what she had paid for.
I took a taxi to the airport, checked in and waited for my flight that took off at 10.30. It took about an hour to get to Danang and the whole flight went smoothly. My final destination was not Danang, but Hoi An, a town about 30km south of the airport. I ended up sharing a taxi with a couple from New Zealand – Doug & Thu – and they seemed like nice people (we agreed to try and meet up when we were both in Hanoi the following week).
I found a good room for $12 per night at the 'Dai Long Hotel', good value and in a good location. I did some laundry, had a snooze and showered before heading out for some food later in the afternoon. It seemed like a town with a lot of appeal, and it wasn't surprising that the old streets and buildings had been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Another reason for its popularity is the many shops which create tailor-made clothes and shoes at very low prices.
After dinner, the skies opened and I walked through the rain on the way back to the hotel. I watched the football (Middlesborough versus United, a 1-1 draw which was a big blow to Uniteds title hopes) and turned in for the night not long after it finished. Maria had texted to say that she was stuck in Saigon and that she would miss her connecting flight to London from Bangkok, so not the best end to her holiday, poor girl!
