February 14, 2019
My first day in Hoi An was remarkable and I even met some new friends from the Netherlands and the UK. For Valentine’s Day, we decided to bike around rural Hoi An and visit one of the beaches. This was my third time in a bike in 15 years, with the second time being the free bike tour on my first day in Hoi An. It was a bit of a rough start getting the hang of it again, but the effort was well worth it. We saw so many beautiful farms, animals, and mountains, and the beach is as a perfect way to treat ourselves. Once at the beach, we swam and relaxed by the water. We also treated ourselves to fresh coconuts and Cao Lau, a specialty noodle dish in Hoi An.
On the way back to the old town, Liz (from the UK) navigated us through some off-the-beaten-path dirt roads. It was well worth it because we discovered a small restaurant in the middle of a pond as well as a hidden cove for Vietnamese daytime party boats (very reminiscent of Texan Spring Break on Lake Austin).
I felt pretty accomplished today after getting back on a bike and swimming in one of the prettiest beaches I’ve seen yet. We also had a few adventures along the way (crossing Vietnamese traffic, having to break rusty bike locks, seeing cows and puppies mingling, getting lost in back roads, etc) which only made the trip that much more memorable.
Adventuring Gracefully 