I had decided to follow the coast as close as possible on my 1700 km return trip to Saigon from Hanoi, having already covered the entire western side of the country - the Ho Chi Minh Road - on my way up a month earlier. The hospital had kept me longer than expected due to some administrative issues regarding my insurance, so I only got away in the afternoon. Ninh Bin - about 3 hours drive from Hanoi - would be the first stop after my newfound freedom! It’s a lovely little city in the Red River Delta, and very popular with backpackers. The main attraction is the Bich Dong Pagoda close to the city, which I spent some time. Popular with newlyweds, who like to be photographed at the iconic entrance to the pagoda. After a night in Ninh Binh I continued my journey south, to Vinh. Before leaving the hospital, the doctor had warned me that the following 2-3 days would be extremely hot and humid - 40+ degrees and a humidity close to 90%. The instructed me to drink copious amounts of the electrolyte mix they had given me. The weather turned out to be exactly as forecast. I made sure to book at a homestay with airconditioned rooms! It was absolute bliss to throw myself on the bed, with the aircon on full blast, after an exhausting day in the saddle. After two days the temperature had dropped by more than 10 degrees, to a very pleasant 29-30 degrees, and I really enjoyed traveling on the bike again under those conditions. From Vinh, I followed the coast to Dong Hoi, which turned out to be an absolute little gem of a place. I had checked in to the most perfect accommodation, Dolphin Homestay, run by the sweetest little Vietnamese lady and her husband. They just couldn’t do enough for me - brought me a steady stream of cold bottled water, and delicious watermelon and pineapple. I also found a little eating place in Dong Hoi, called Treehuggers Restaurant. I ate some delicious pancakes at the restaurant, and was well on my way to gaining some weight again. My next destination would be the imperial city of Hué, but before getting there, I decided to take a little detour and visit the Vinh Muc tunnels. It is an impressive system of tunnels and trenches, and tells the story of a small village - Vinh Muc - that literally went underground, in response to unrelenting American bombing. The tunnels are built in three levels and are more than 2 kilometers long. More than 90 families moved underground, and continued to live their lives and work while bombs were falling all around them. The tunnels are in the DMZ area (Demilitarized Zone). A really sobering experience for me, as I climbed through the tunnel system with bent back, as I was unable to stand up straight anywhere. Hué is another favored top destination for foreign tourists and locals, with the big attraction being the citadel, or imperial city. It’s the capital of the Nguyen Emperors and still gives a taste of the glories of imperial Vietnam, despite the fact that many of the finest buildings were destroyed during the American War. Hué itself is a charming city, located on the Perfume River. It’s a great mix of new modern buildings and the crumbling 19th century walls of the citadel. I spent 3 hours walking around the tranquil gardens and buildings of the citadel. A lot of restoration is taking place, and not all buildings are open for viewing. The temples, theater, residences, libraries and so forth are in great condition and open for anyone to wander around. Everywhere you see gardeners attending to the grounds. I was fascinated by the many bonsai trees and gardens. I seem to be having a real knack for choosing “great value for money” places to stay. Hué was no exception, as the lady at Sunny A hotel decided to upgrade me to a room at the top 5th floor. I decided to stay two nights at the Sunny. About 100 meters from the hotel, I found a cozy little restaurant called Nina’s. One should not visit Hué without trying their famous dish, Ba Gai Hue beef noodle soup. It was outstanding at Nina’s, and when I discovered that I could also get a HuDa beer, produced by the Danish Carlsberg brewery, my joy was complete. I had two fantastic days in this charming city, but would now move on down the coast to Hoi An.