Da Nang and the Dragon Bridge

Our days in Da Nang were some of the more enjoyable ones we've had in Vietnam.

The Da Nang leg of our trip started with the news that we had already missed our train from Hue to Da Nang because we thought the departure was 3:30 in the afternoon, when instead it was 3:30 in the morning.  Thankfully the staff at the hotel in Hue was able to find all six of us seats on a double-decker sleeper bus, and we headed out.

We decided to head out to a well-reviewed Indian restaurant, which was the first time in Vietnam we had eaten any type of food other than American or Vietnamese.  The owner of the restaurant told us there are only 50 Indian citizens in Da Nang, a city of 1 million.  But we didn't mind -- the food was excellent.

After dinner we walked around Da Nang a little and we delighted to discover that the Da Nang Dragon Bridge was near our hotel.  The bridge is just architectural whimsy, but so fun.  It changes colors and even breathes fire at 9 pm on the weekends.  But it wasn't just the bridge.  The whole of downtown had a color and energy that seems lacking in Hanoi.  Maybe it is the fact that it is cleaner, or less crowded, or even a little cooler since it is on the sea.  Whatever reason, we really enjoyed Da Nang.