Hoi An, and back to Da Nang

A small bakery near our homestay in Hoi An. I like how the lady's hair frosting wraps around the cake above! The taro (left) and pandan (right) buns were delicious. 

We took the public bus back to Danang. This time, no one yelled at us for only paying the standard fare. It was a pretty chill ride back to the city, where we stalked the Dragon Bridge on Sunday night. Danangers were lining up on the bridge at around 8:30 pm, waiting for the fire and water show to begin. Street vendors were also out on the bridge. It was a festive waiting atmosphere. 

We knew the dragon was supposed to "breathe fire", and someone had mentioned that on some nights the dragon also shoots water. We got to see both! After the spurts of fire accompanied by collective crowd "Oooohs", there was a pause and then water sprayed anyone who was standing a bit too close. What a super fun spectacle. I laughed and laughed.

John Oliver on "This Week Tonight" recently talked about US infrastructure, and how little attention we Americans seem to give it...*this* new bridge is serious infrastructure! Art + whimsy + transportation

 Back on the Reunification Express--this trip from Danang to Hue is mentioned on Seat 61 and in guidebooks as being one of the great trips by train. The line follows the coast, and we saw beautiful bays and mountains.

At times the train seemed to be hanging in mid air with the ocean almost directly below.