A crooked path to tranquility

On Thursday, we were heading to Dong Hoi to bask on the beach. We were offered the choice of a taxi or the local shuttle bus. The local shuttle bus a fair amount cheaper while offering similar transit time. We decided to tank the plunge.

We left the hotel on motorbike taxi to the bus stop. On the way, our host at the hotel said, oh, btw, this bus takes the kids home from school so it will be very busy. Oh well, it would be an adventure.

The bus was a bit late, and we were getting pensive about it. However, it showed and we jumped on. The bus was not crowded. It stopped every few hundred meters to pick up passengers or cargo. It eventually picked up the school children, but the bus wasn’t too crowded and they quickly jumped off. The bus driver even dropped us off at our hostel.

We walked into the hostel and had pause. There was a dilapidated pool table on one side, with some beach chairs that had seen better days. Oh, and the hammock had a rusty nail in it. We immediately decided to leave, but knew it was best to spend one night. We love hot springs, and there was a hot springs nearby so that seemed like a good choice.

The beach itself was lovely. The area had been hit by a typhoon last year, and you could tell. But it was a wide beach with heavy surf and beautiful sand. We took several walks, and then enjoyed their happy hour with other travelers. The one nice thing about going on the budget route is that you generally get good conversation with others. We had a lively discussion with some backpackers from Ireland, Switzerland and Germany.

After talking to fellow travelers over cocktails, we adjourned to bed. Actually, I am not sure the bed should be called a bed. Duck tape wrapped around springs seems more appropriate. We hardly slept a wink, and then in the morning we got on a very crowded minibus ride to near the hot springs. The bus ride was exceptionally unpleasant. I am not that big, but I am a lot bigger than the Vietnamese. And the seat was just too small for me. The bus let us off about 10 miles from the hot springs, and we jetted away on two motorbike taxis. Nothing quite reminds you are in Asia like a motorbike taxi through villages.

When checking into Alba Thanh Tan hot springs, we discover that there is a summer camp being hosted right outside our hotel room. There was a mixture of thumping base and children screaming. We were feeling jinxed, and down. We went to the front desk and told them we needed to leave. The manager intervened and upgraded us to the Japanese hot springs resort next door still with the Alba branding. The service in Vietnam is generally fantastic. Sometimes a bit bizarre but fantastic. There are about 3 or 4 employees, maybe more, per guest. They constantly check on you during your stay. We don’t have access to everything at the posher resort but it is much more tranquil to say the least.

While we could still hear the shrill calls of middle school children and the karaoke that accompanies large gatherings of Vietnamese, it was much quieter. The hot springs were quite serene, all done in a Japanese theme.

We had our first great night of sleep in Vietnam. No dogs barking, no cars, no nothing other than the frogs at night and the birds in the morning. Today we chill here before trying our luck at another beach, this one is a boutique hotel on the beach so our hopes are higher.