A little R and R on China Beach

After a lazy day in Hoi An yesterday, I figured it perhaps was time for me to make the trek to the famous China Beach where many American soldiers were sent for some R and R, during the war.  I can see why!  The beach is wide and beautiful and the South China Sea is cool and refreshing.  With the sun shining, it is understandable why American GIs would want to hang there.  

The beach is about five kilometers from Hoi An, perfect for a morning excursion before spending just A little more time in "the city".  Fueled bay need to do a little exercise I decided to rent a bike, a regular bike, and head out there.  Able to make only minimal adjustments, this bike was certainly not my Felt tribike from home. But at $1.50 for the day the price was right.  Much like the nonexistent traffic rules for motorbikes, bikes are on their own too, and without helmets to protect you!

One thing I have been noticing but became so clear to me today is how often the Vietnamese use their horns.  The blow them incessantly.  You hear them waking up in the morning until you go to sleep.  They want you to know: that they are behind you, they are closer to you, you should move to the side, or the other side, they are passing you, they want to give you a ride, there are cars coming behind you, there is a car in front of you. This horn blowing doesn't happen just once.  The same car can blow its horn ten times at you.  As a naturally jumpy person, horns always make me tense! But I guess with no traffic rules, you have to have some sort of order!

After at few more hours in town, I will be getting one bus for a seventeen hour journey south to one for the nations best beaches, Mui Ne.  Let's hope it is worth it, because this one was pretty spectacular!