Day 64 1016 days to go. Distance: Tues 136km, Wed zilch yay,today 54km total 3634km. It’s 9.05pm Thursday 2/2/2012 Danang. I firstly want to wish my big sister the bestest of birthdays (3/2/2012). They are celebrating in style with a smoking hot beach party with raspberries to Munich’s expected -17 degrees. I love it!!!!! I am good and happy and have had the most special of days with old and new friends in Hoi An. A highlight was Ruby’s naming ceremony today held on the beach in full dress before we headed. Friends Meg and Sandy are holidaying in Hoi An with Peter and Leslie. Leslie is a celebrant so she performed the beautiful ceremony to welcome Ruby Red Dress to the next stage of our safe tripping. Rube loved it as we all did. Thank you Leslie. We have new friends and inspiring memories from our time. I am warm and smiling thinking now of the connection and fun we’ve shared. The location was incredible right on Cua Dai Beach 5km from Hoi An. I was totally spoilt staying at the Swiss Bell Hotel Golden Sands Resort and Spa. It sounds luxurious and it was. Talk about doing it tough!!!! The food and surroundings were exquisite but most of all the company was truly special. I can only rave about these folk. I know from the bottom of my heart how fortunate I am to have such dear friends. 24 hours earlier I arrived quite exhausted and left today energized and smiling. What a gift and how lucky do we feel right now (xxxx oooo from me xxxx oooo from Rubes). Meg and Sandy brought with them our care package from home. My parents and partner put together the best parcel of treats and necessities. The chocolate didn’t make it through the first night yum mint Lindt. Mum and Dad put together a photo album of my family which I have shown off and they generously listened to all my goo’s and gaa’s over my family. All the essentials have found a place amongst the kit so we’re all topped up and so good to go into the next stage. Xxxxxx After playing with the gear Wednesday we headed into Hoi An to enjoy the last of the lanterns decorating the town. The heritage listed place was showing off and was a visual treat to walk and sponge the atmosphere. It caters well for the tourist after a cultural and shopping blended experience. The guys have ridden bicycles and water buffalo through the rice fields, paddled in rub-a-tub-tub boats, did cooking classes, visited My Son, bought tailored clothes and shoes, had massages and indulged in lots of pampering. It was very cool to share some of the shopping, atmosphere, eating and dam fine company space with them yay. On seeing my very hairy legs meg was keen to have me sample ‘threading’. The woman manipulate a cotton thread in a away to remove the hair from the roots. I have a patch on my shin that will never quite be the same. They got their legs eyebrows and facial hair done and can quite frankly shove the experience up the proverbial. Owa ill keep my hairy bits thanks. They even do a brazilian. Can you imagine? I also got to skype each morning with my partner which was a perfect way to start the days. I have to share one story with you. As you know I arrived with a bit of a grrr frown factor from the accumulation of days and Ks. I got an email from my middle sister following my last grizzly post. She shared with me a story that I will always remember. It goes something like…… A wise man is sitting at the border of a new country and two men approach him for advice on what they can hope to expect. The wise man asked the first man of his experience in the last country. The first man told his stories of special open time shared with the people and the wise man explained he would likely experience more of the same in the next country. The second man winged about his time shared with the people and the wise man explained he would likely experience more of the same. How can this be? We so get what we give in return. I know this to be true exclamation exclamation and set off tomorrow relieved that I get this important measage. This afternoon was great. We rode the China Beach Road to Danang. We passed five marble outcrops called marble mountain mined obviously for its marble. The outcrops are as bold as our glasshouse mountains at home and looked impressive against the afternoon sky. China breach is a series of beaches that stretch 30kms to Danang. They end in a cove and mountainous Cape Da Nang. I cycled part way up to where there is a monastery and 40m high towering buddhist statue and shrines. It was really beautiful with gardens of bon sai and statues. Everything was carved white marble so you can imagine the effect of the afternoon light. Rube and I enjoyed the decent back towards Danang and headed across the huge suspension bridge that connects the peninsular with the city. We stopped and enjyed the view from the top before following the beachside road that will eventually lead us back to the highway tomorrow. It was time to find a place to stay and found a Nga Nhi a few streets in for $10 pretty good for Danang. There’s a cafe across the street with wifi so I can send my sister an email for her birthday and upload this post in the morn. Tomorrows up and over the Hai Van Pass to Lang Co (44km). Apparently its one of Vietnam’s most spectacular stretches of road and I can’t wait. I’ve got 17 more days in Vietnam and I’m really looking forward to it. Talk soon x
shecyclesolo 