It was already crazy hot and humid the morning I left Phong Nha to head to Hoi An on the coast. I stopped about every hour to find a sliver of shade and a cold bottle of water just to cool down slightly. I would then immediately sweat but the breeze against the sweat felt nice when I hopped back on the bike. Unfortunately, it only lasted a minute until I was dry and suffering again.
The temps hovered around 41C in Phong Nha and only slightly cooler once I reached the coast. Once I reached the coast however, the breeze no longer felt like a hair dryer. It wasn’t the cool ocean breeze I had hoped for but it was at least tolerable.
Hoi An is a little coastal city with a lot of charm and personality. The colorful streets are busy with tourists and almost as many Vietnamese women eager to lure you away to go see their wares in a corner of the local market. It was nice to ditch the bike and wander the streets by foot.
I think I sampled all of the signature local dishes and also some local beer. Despite this city being very touristy, I did like it. It was only crowded in the small downtown area and the rivers through the middle gave the city some additional character.