Two Sore Backs

The weather in South Vietnam was warming up and looking a bit daunting. 37 Celsius plus humidity is no picnic. Da Nang, which is in central Vietnam, was a good transition from the cold of Hanoi.

Our hotel was solidly in the tourist area, so our exploring on the first evening and following morning focused on the beach area. It was nice to walk by the ocean again.

Da Nang is just south of what was the demilitarized zone, or “DMZ”, during the Vietnam war. It was the party place where US military came for R&R. 

The beach strip is full of huge bar/restaurants – a real party spot. But we did manage to find a good coffee shop.

With only two nights here before moving on to Hoi An, we decided to arrange a food tour. We always find these tours the best way to see the authentic side of a city and learn more about its culture.

It was a long walk to the meeting place – we earned our tour!  The route took us across the Han River bridge to the older, less touristy part of town. Very cool bridge that works like a turntable to allow large boats to pass.

Looking downriver from our meeting point you can see the Dragon Bridge which is pretty impressive. 

I love looking at bridges and new architecture in the cities we visit. They’re a great reminder that the world does not revolve around New York/Toronto.

We met up with our guide, Anh Nguyen, who took us into the back streets of Da Nang. The first stop was a roadside kitchen that specializes in steamed rice…dumplings? They were smooth and creamy, topped with spicy and savoury sauces, powders and crackers – delicious.

Next up was Banh Mi. We had three types: one on larger baguettes with pate, meats and veggies; one on a very small baguette with pate only; and one that I honestly forget – just veg?  Apologies to the vegetarians!.

The second stop was for Bun Bo – noodle soup. This is a Hue specialty, with broth that is richer and more flavourful than Pho from North Vietnam. Kind of in between Pho and Ramen. So good.

The next day, we were off to Hoi An.