'Cos we're worth it . . .

. . . as the annoying woman's advert says (yeah, too much daytime TV in Retirement Land). Here we be, sitting by a pool at Cua Dai Beach a mere 5 kms from Hoi An. Temperature in the mid 20s and I've gone a bright crimson all over. After all the sojourning and culturing, with their attendant swollen feet and knees, it's good to chill out at the seaside on a balmy January morning. Our hotel is the Hoi An Beach Resort, a cut above the medium-priced fare we've been enjoying. The resort is across the beach road from the sands themselves but backs onto an extensive river network. All the TripAdvisor forums, therefore, recommended an upgraded room with a river view. And Lo! a splurge of valuable pension income later, here we be. Swimming pool in the morning; a walk along soft sands lunchtime; and Bacardi and Cokes on our balcony overlooking the river this afternoon. Am I annoying anyone yet?

Our last night in Hue saw us a again in the DMZ. This time, however, it's gravitational field (which, I must emphasise, is of truly Jovian proportions) captured all the single guys on our river trip earlier that day. So, being incredibly convivial (and not a little drunk) we opted to join them: Melissa, a Jewish North London girl who is a Blue Badge Tourist Guide in Central London: Paul, a retired Ontarian Canadian who left his wife and dog at home to tour the Far East on a strict budget for 5 months; the delightful Jenny (real name unpronounceable apparently), a Chinese girl who lives just outside Hong Kong and speaks excellent English; and a peripatetic Dutchman called Jan (yes, really!). Turns out we were all travelling to Hoi An the next day by various means (except Jan, being true to his adjective) so our resident Tour Guide suggested we meet up in a bar there. We got the 1050 train to Da Nang (which was an hour and a half late) for about £2.50 and collared a taxi (metered this time) to take us the 30 kms the rest of the way to Hoi An. Still cost us £18 but felt more honest than my earlier experience. We duly met up with everyone at the funky "Before 'N Now Bar" in Hoi An, after cadging a free shuttle from the Beach Resort (I thought we could walk into town when I'd planned this but, no way! Too far!). There, the canny Jenny told us she'd caught an earlier train, came across a fellow countrywoman who was living here and caught a bus from Da Nang to Hoi An negotiated for a measly US Dollar. Damn those clever Chinese! Proves you can do all this a lot cheaper than we've been doing it! 'Twas a good night, though. Picture an eclectic mix of travellers comparing notes about everything from Religion to Politics to The Economy all in a spirit of curiosity and good humour. A rare experience.

Tonight, methinks a couple of beers in the cheap bars surrounding these big resorts and a meal in one of the many "Seafood Restaurants" lining up along the beach. Ahhh!