Day 10 — Khâm Duc to Hoi An

It didn't. The gear, that is, that is, didn't dry out. I was able to wring a bit more moisture out of the gloves, though, before stowing them and donning my second pair. It's time to do laundry, anyway, and that will be one of my first orders of business in Hoi An.

Since out until after I got there last night, I got my first look at Khâm Duc on my way out of town. It is a very small town, about equal to two or three U.S. city blocks. Climbing the hill immediately north of town a piglet ran in front of my bike and I again thought that one of the differences between city like country life in Viêt Nam is that in the country a pig or piglet is more likely to run across the street in front of you than a dog.

It was, after yesterday's rain and almost 300 km, a relatively easy day's ride... I stopped a few time to take in the sights

and just took my time... while waiting for my body heat to warm up my damp/wet gear and dry it out a bit. I even took the trouble to compose the above shot with the bike facing southbound (I'm headed north). The next shot is just a random snap of the countryside... Definitely NOT Olympia ;-)

A fully-loaded truck wallowing down from a pass...

An example of the use of aluminum in structural design. They are hand-molded to the proper size and rigidity...
An actual highway marker--you can't miss this one!

A pineapple plantation worker from whom I bought two fresh-from-the-field pineapples for US$1

One of the first things I saw as I rode into Hoi An...

I'm back to sea level...

Compared to the past 10 days, this was one of the most uneventful... though I did score a nice room at the Cúa Đai Hotel with breakfast included. I'll be here at least two nights...

Today's route map, a bit convoluted, is here.