An Bang Beach

After a long, exhausting, fun day full of exploring the ancient town of Hoi An, Anny, Pinky, and I took a taxi ten minutes away to An Bang Beach. It was evening, and the sky was so clear that we could see the buildings of Da Nang across the bay.

Hoi An is only about twenty minutes outside of Da Nang, so I shouldn't have been surprised that I could see the city from the beach. The little historical town feels so different from one of Vietnam's largest cities, though, and I had forgotten how close we actually were! On a hill, far out on a peninsula jutting away from the city, we could see a tiny white statue - the Lady Buddha - very far away and looking over the sea.

There were a lot of people out enjoying the evening on An Bang Beach, Vietnamese and foreigners alike, but it never felt crowded. The beach was nice and wide, with a large area of fine white sand for walking.

I can't believe it, but I forgot to pack my swimsuit! I thought I had been so careful packing, and I remember trying to decide which one to bring, but I guess in the rush of leaving Bangkok, I just never put it in my suitcase.

Too bad - the water looked so inviting, especially after such a long, hot, sunny day. We will be heading south to another beach town soon, though. Maybe I'll have to buy one. It's no fun to be at the beach and not be able to get into the sea.

The girls were taking their time taking lots of photos, so naturally I stood in one spot and buried my feet in the wet sand. I mean, who wouldn't?

It was growing dark, and we were growing hungry! We've been missing one thing during our few weeks on Vietnam's central coast: seafood. At the nearby Purple Lantern Restaurant, we ordered a big plate of cashew shrimp and delicious grilled squid.