Hue - Hai Van Pass - Hoi An

Friday, 16.2.2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Today is Vietnamese New Year. Despite yesterday being Vietnamese New Year's Eve on the calendar, the city was relatively quiet. Not as loud as in our country with fireworks everywhere. I slept well. When we left after a good breakfast at 7:30 AM, it was very foggy and the roads were empty due to the holiday. We rode on small country roads. The ancestral temples are interesting here, which were built in all sizes and shapes, often by Vietnamese who worked abroad and have more money. There are also a lot of graves. Sometimes it's cemeteries, sometimes isolated graves, but what is admirable is the opulence of the graves. The wealthier the person, the more elaborate and extravagant the grave. Poor people have grass graves without tombstones and decorations.

Loc also shows us how mushrooms are grown here. Rice straw is formed into a block and kept moist. Then spores are added, which grow into mushrooms in small, well-insulated and warm straw huts. We cycle 50 km in the morning and take a break every 25 km. We get back on the bus at a lagoon on the South China Sea and look for a restaurant. Many shops and restaurants are closed today due to the holiday. We may also be able to organize a picnic. But we find a great restaurant offering noodles with seafood. I have been having ginger tea since the beginning of the trip. It often doesn't cost anything. Now we continue with the bikes. The last 25 km for today. The highlight of the trip, crossing the Hai Van Pass, is ahead of us. 10 km up, then 10 km down, gradient: 8%. Here's some information about the pass from Wikipedia: "The Hai Van- or Cloud Pass (Vietnamese, Đèo Hải Vân, French, Col des Nuages) is the natural border and divider between North and South Vietnam. It is about 20 km long, reaches a height of 496 meters, and crosses the outskirts of the Annam Mountains, which extend to the sea. From the highest point, there is a panoramic view of the ocean, Đà Nẵng, and the Son Tra Peninsula. However, the pass is often shrouded in clouds.

The National Route 1 runs over the pass. Since 2005, the extremely important transportation link has been relieved by the 6.3 km long Hai Van Tunnel. The Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City railway line also crosses the pass." Because of the holiday, it is quite busy up here. We also go up to the viewpoint, but true to its name, the Cloud Pass lives up to it and we see: nothing. At least not in one direction. Towards Da Nang, the clouds break and we see the beautiful bay. We are treated royally again by our team at the top. Then it goes downhill again and then onto the bus. We pass through the city Da Nang, which is situated at a beautiful bay, by the mountains. It is a prosperous city that is doing very well economically. There are no street vendors, and the police are not corrupt, Loc explains to us. He also adds that Vietnam can export a lot of seafood because of its 3,200 m long coastline. Along the bay towards Hoi An, one fancy hotel follows another.

Our rooms on the fifth floor of the Like Hotel in Hoi An are exceptionally beautiful. Spacious, with sloping roofs, great amenities, balconies, and a huge bamboo bed.

Contents