We arrived in the charming town of Hoi An--a nice break from the heaviness of the preceding days. As we wandered around this little town, we felt transported back in time. We walked through old town, still today closed to all but foot traffic. And we enjoyed a sumptious dinner by the river--undoubtedly the best meal we had in Vietnam.
It was a wonderful day and we decided to rent some motorbikes the next morning to explore the area around China Beach and the Marble Mountains. As I motored down the road, it occurred to me that riding a motorcylce in Vietnam might not be the smartest idea. Darn, I hate it when I'm right...the next thing I knew, I was on the ground--the result of a stuck throttle. An hour later, I arrived at the international clinic in Danag--bruised and sore, but tremendously lucky. So much for relaxation in Hoi An!
The next day we toured a bit of Danang and made our way to China Beach. The boys climbed the Marble Mountains, while I kept my gimpy self firmly at sea level. One of the locals kept me company, regaling me with stories. I discovered, with a bit of amusement, that one of the caves on the mountain had served as a Viet Cong hospital during the war--amusing because from the mountain one can clearly see the very closely situated U.S. air base. Check out the pictures of this gorgeous area in the "China Beach" gallery.
