As mentioned in my previous post, I spent the night in a Nha Nghi. Nha Nghi means guesthouse in Vietnamese, and stands for cheap, comfortable and generally good quality accommodation. And they are everywhere in Vietnam. Most of them are cosy, family-run businesses, but some of them have a seedy side, and a bit of a tarnished image! In the urban areas some operate as love-hotels, and can be rented on an hourly basis. The vast majority, however, are run as proper guesthouses. I paid $8 for the night, for a room with wi-fi, hot water in the shower and airconditioned. I will certainly be looking out for Nha Nghis again - avoiding the ones with the flashing hearts in the windows and the bright neon lights!

Driving along beautiful green rice paddies on a narrow road in the mountains, the road suddenly merged into a 7 lane concrete highway, straight as an arrow and with no trees on either side. It was probably 3-4 kilometers long. I had read about landing-strips various places in Vietnam, built by the Americans. This must have been one of them.

On the subject of roads. In rural areas you will often see half of one lane being used for drying various produce like rice and corn. I saw one guy on a motorcycle with a rake attached to the back, driving back and forth on a long stretch of rice that had been spread out on the road. Even if it narrows the lane, I have not once seen a car or truck driving onto the "spread". It would just take one mad driver in a big truck to destroy hundreds of kilos!

Every nook and cranny suitable for growing rice, seem to be utilized. No wonder, when you consider that each Vietnamese consumes 100kg of rice each year. Multiply that with a population of 100 million and you reach a huge number.

The rental agreement for the Honda requires me to change oil every 1000km at my own cost. The engine only takes one liter of oil. The service can be done at one of the 5 Style Motorbikes branches, or any Honda main dealer. I was way past 1000km already and decided to take a long day in the saddle to get to Style's branch in Hoi An. A rather weary biker reached Hoi An after 500 km, as it was getting dark. As the light faded I found a family homestay on the outskirts of this lovely seaside resort.

I turned up at Style Motorbikes unannounced the next morning just after eight, and asked when they could do the oil change. Right away, the manager said. Go next door to the restaurant and get yourself a cup of coffee or some breakfast. Come back in 45 minutes and the bike will be ready for you! Not knowing when Style could do the work, I had already booked another night in a homestay in Hoi An. The quick service meant that I now had a whole day available for sightseeing. The total cost for the oil change - including oil - came to VD 150.000 equal to $6,50. Incredible!!

I decided to drive 50 km to a UNESCO World Heritage site called Mÿ Sōn - an ancient temple complex built from the 4th to the 13th century. They were discovered in 1885 by the French. Mÿ Sōn was a most important Hindu sanctuary at the time. The setting of the temple is quite dramatic, in a narrow valley with dense jungle all around and a river running through it. Quite a few foreigners - especially French speaking - were visiting the site. Thankfully, no peddlers were pushing souvenirs in your face, insisting you buy. I certainly wouldn't describe the place as a tourist trap, and well worth a visit.

Tomorrow I should reach the Ho Chi Minh Road - not to be confused with the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which runs mainly in Laos, and is harder to navigate.