'R & R'

Day 56: Hue (VN) – Hoi An (VN). “My God, this country's beautiful”, I exclaimed as we drove south from Hue towards the sleepy town of Hoi An. On previous travels, Karen and I have been fortunate enough to experience some of the most beautiful coastal drives on the planet: Big Sur, Kalbarri, the Cape & Kerry to name but a few. But after today, there was a new contender on the block: Vietnam's Highway number 1; a scenic , if at times hair raising, trip through some of the most stunning coastal and mountainous region in the country.

Notching up transport mode number 30, the local sleeper bus provided us with an elevated position to view the scenery: On our right hand side, still lagoons, buffalo herders, tiny villages and striking mountain ranges rising up into the afternoon mist, on our left; rugged coastline, golden beaches and the blue expanse of the South China Sea.

Relishing the opportunity to get sand between our toes, we took a stroll along the deserted My Khe beech to the south of the Danang. During the Vietnam war this 20 mile stretch of golden sands became known as 'China Beach' – an Edenic respite from the hell of combat where thousands of American G. I.'s spent their leave. Years later, millions of television viewers tuned in to the acclaimed 1980s television drama with the same name depicting the famed U.S. Army R. and R. base.

Today, their were no G. I.'s and there were no army bases. It was just Karen and me, a lady selling sea-shells, the sand and the sea. This was our Rest and Relaxation.

Day 56: Total Mileage to Date: 12,512: Number of Time Zones: 10; Number of Countries Visited: 9; Number of Transport Modes Used: 30, Maximum Temperature Encountered: +26C, Minimum Temperature Encountered: -32C.