Over the pass

Wednesday, September 07, 2016
Hoi An, Vietnam
This is my third go at writing this blog, Travelpod is very quirky and things get lost easily plus there seems to be no way to set the autosave for every minute, anyway here goes. It is my birthday today and the Canary Hotel put on a special breakfast for me including a cake with Mr Leslie and the date written on it. They also set their computer to sing Happy Birthday on a loop with the name left as a gap. Nice thought and very touching of the young ladies who run the place. 
My hire car arrived and we were off, "We stop for manicure" the driver sai, no we go straight to Hoi An, "We go over Hai Van Pass", no just go straight to Hoi An . "We stop at Marble Mountain", no just keep straight ahead through the tunnel not over Hai Van Pass just straight to Hoi An. Well with that settled we drive on until we get to the foot of the very high mountain, "We go to Hai Van Pass" he says again, OK OK we go to Hai Van Pass. So we head up the twisty and very steep road and I notice very little car traffic but many petrol tankers coming the other way. I asked why they don't use the tunnel, " Oh too dangerous to go in tunnel", so they use this road with as many switchbacks as a Tour De France alpine finish, fair enough. 
We get to the top of the climb (between 8 and 10% according to the signs) and though I've been there before it's changed a lot, a little community of shops has sprung up and the place is crawling with young tourists. The concrete blockhouses built by the French and the Americans are covered with young people on the roofs. After a quick coffee we head towards Da Nang and only one more "We go to Lan Co beach", No we go straight to Hoi An and we did. 
Every time I go through Da Nang I'm amazed at how much money is being thrown at the luxury resorts being built, surely tourism will reach a point of surfeit before long.
I ring My Le and the first thing she says is why didnt you use my car, then, do not go to house come to shop I will explain then. So we go to the shop after some brilliant driving directions by me (I actually know this town now) and find Ziggy, Nick and My Le eating whelks. Thats what Nick called them but he's Welsh so he would . You have to extract them from a shell with a toothpick and dip them in spicy soy sauce, not too bad when you get the hang of it. Then I'm off on the My Le train, down to the haircut man for a trim (I needed it badly) and an ear clean then back to the shop where Na the country cousin turned up to do my feet and fingernails (I needed that badly too). Na was covered with bruises and scratches so I asked what happened, "Motorbike" was the reply, yes but where did it happen, "Hoi An" , ok in Hoi An thats a bit broad, where in Hoi An, "On the road" oh sweet jesus, on the road on a scooter in Hoi An, Sherlock would get to the bottom of this, which road My Le? "the road past our place". Oh well that'll do I suppose.
So Na did my nails and I remembered a phrase "how much" Bao nieu, which is handy and the inflection is up in the middle for both words which I remembered too so I tried it and Na looked up with a surprised look and said "how much", yes at last I'd done it. It was all that practice saying Hue which goes up at the end except its "Way". 
Tonight we are going out to Xanh for my birthday bash and farewell to Ziggy. I'm staying at An Huy hotel near My Le's shop until tomorrow when Ziggy leaves.
Other Entries

Comments

llpitt2000@yahoo.com.au
2016-09-07

Happy birthday!

horse99
2016-09-07

Well h bday Old chap wish I were there,
I,m in b,rat right now ,just bought a new gorgeous Huawei gr3 phone which I am doing this on right now,whole new ball game from the six year old Samsung .
Well cheers mate.

kim&riley
2016-09-07

Happy Birthday! Glad you have been spoilt for your birthday! Cake looks very flash! Have u gone off spring rolls? You never mention them anymore..

margandtrev@bigpond.com.au
2016-09-08

Happy Birthday, Les.
A day late- terrific photos- you appear to be getting the royal treatment over there!

2025-02-11

Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank