Strangers in a cab
The lady at the info desk at Danang airport draws an “x” for me on the map where the bus stop is, beside the park. It’s 1km away and I can walk there she says. Catch the yellow bus to Hoi An…it comes often.
So I start walking with my big backpack. It’s hot and there are few people walking outside at all. A Xe Om driver follows me, trying to get me to ride on his bike. No thanks…I’ll just walk. Except it’s hot…really hot and after walking to the end of the street and with no park or bus stop in sight, I start to think catching a cab to Danang and getting the bus from the city centre might be a better idea. A van taxi pulls up…
“How much to Danang bus stop?” I ask.
He tries to convince me to take his cab all the way to Hoi An for about 450,000 dong. No thanks, I say…I hop into the van and tell him to just go to Danang.
“We pick up two more people, and together go to Hoi An?” he suggets.
Not a bad idea…except the only other two people on the road I see are two nuns. He pulls up, they’re not interested.
Intent on going to Hoi An, my cabbie reverses around the round-about and pulls up next to two Asian backpackers. This may work.
He gets out and I roll down my window. “Are you guys going to Hoi An?” I ask. Yes…we are going to take the bus. They had been given the same map and directions by the girl at the info desk. They are keen, and one of them starts to haggle with the driver…score!! “Tree hundred ninety for all tree” one of the guys says. Ahh…Singlish…I bet they’re from Singapore. The driver agrees and I move to the front seat to make room for them.
Kelvin and Zhenyi are indeed from Singapore. They are both 21 and about to start university soon after finishing their 2 year mandatory army service. So the girls in Singapore get a 2 year head start with university.
The drive to Danang is quiet…barely any cars on the road, compared to the craziness that is HCM. On our left we see many resorts and on our right are some golf courses.
At Hoi An, we part ways and wish each other luck.
