Dead people
In the morning, before taking the bus to Hoi An, I drove around the countryside visiting some of the tombs of the nine Nguyen emperors, the last to rule Vietnam. Several are quite impressive and quite dilapidated. Some ask for sizable entry fees, but the drive around the countryside, with its rice paddies, streams and villages, is also enjoyable.
At what is said to be the prettiest of the tombs, the tomb of Minh Manh, some 12km out of town, I sat down at the small coffee shop and order a coffee. Expecting a traditional Vietnamese drip coffee, I actually end up with hot water being poured over the contents of a Nescafe sachet. The troupe of south east Asian tourists next to me are all munching on ice cream cones, all throwing the paper wrappers carelessly on the floor. Afterwards, the proprietress picked up every scrap, one by one.