Foillsichte: 21.11.2017
In the morning chat with the hotel boss of my accommodation in Hue, due to the worst rain, I actually decided to extend another night in Hue and booked a night's "extension". 2 hours later, I received a call that my room was accidentally double booked and therefore I had to move out (or at least move to a partner hotel).
Since I had to pack my things anyway, I understood it as the call of destiny and therefore set off on my way further south! It was already pouring at the beginning and it didn't get any better for me... to top it all off, my phone holder broke as I was leaving🙈
Wrapped in my rain poncho, I started and after 10 minutes it was clear that I was screwed... my socks and shoes were completely soaked, the fanny pack of my rain poncho was full of water (but held up well) and it was almost impossible to keep my eyes open while driving!😑 So I took shelter at the next gas station, put on another rain jacket under the poncho and put on sunglasses!😎 It didn't make things any drier, but at least I could drive! It was intense, it was pouring buckets and sometimes the road was flooded over two lanes... plus trucks and buses throwing the soup directly in my face😀 The only good thing - the rain this time kept the dust on the ground and I didn't have to bring water to drink, I just had to stick out my tongue!😛
My route also took me over the Hai-Van-Pass, one of the most beautiful roads in Vietnam. On the right side there are mountains and on the left side there is the sea!... well, when I was driving the Hai-Van-Pass, there was fog on the right side, fog on the left side, and rain pouring down from above into my face!💦💦😬
But it was a spectacle nonetheless, all you could see was fog! After I passed the summit, there was a brief moment when the light shone through the fog and clouds and I could see the city of Da Nang. 25 minutes later I had reached Da Nang!💪
Normally, Da Nang is also a worth seeing destination with many beaches. But since the weather wasn't really suitable for the beach, I continued right away and arrived in Hoi An after an hour.
Here in Hoi An, the rain has already caused damage and some (few) streets are already under water. But the city is absolutely worth seeing and quite idyllic, many colorful lamps, many small cafes and shops and good food👌 I will definitely stay here for another day tomorrow and then, despite the weather, continue heading south!💪 Especially in central Vietnam, it's currently the rainy season, the south seems to be better. I'm reconsidering my further travel plans at the moment (especially often when it's raining😀)! Maybe I'll pick up the pace towards the south a bit... I would really like to see a bit of sun again!🙏
Update:
I left Hoi An and raced to Quang Ngai with some rain and a lot of wind... My good rain poncho from Rossmann didn't survive and is completely torn up🙈 Plus, once again, I forgot something when checking out... this time it was the room key from Hoi An, which I still had in my pocket😀 When I called the boss, he said I could keep the key as a souvenir!... Great, it's also a great Christmas present for the whole family😄👍
But Quang Ngai is only supposed to serve as an intermediate stop for one night, there's actually nothing going on here... after that, I'm heading to Quy Nhon!
Update:
I started towards Quy Nonh this morning (~160km), after 5 minutes I was soaking wet again... I'm really getting fed up with it😑
My expectation was actually a relaxed drive through idyllic landscapes and to beautiful beaches... FUCK THAT!! There's no sign of the sun, instead it's raining all day!😒
Anyway... I arrived in Quy Nonh and found a decent guesthouse. After I complained to the guesthouse's owner family, they came up with their hotline to the Quy Nonh bus station and one thing led to another, so tomorrow I will take the night bus to Ho Chi Minh City (with my scooter as "luggage"). It will cost me 20€ including the scooter and it's dry in the south. I already have a rough plan for the south, but for now, I just want to arrive in dry weather...😜 See you soon!✌️