da nang on a budget – chaos, coconut water, and random street food

woke up this morning to the sound of a motorbike yelling into the distance. my hostel room is next to a van that plays mariachi music 24/7. it’s not a thriller, it’s just life in da nang. i just checked and it’s 23°c right now, which is weird because i thought it’d be hotter. turns out high humidity makes everything feel like a sweaty sack. i like it. i hate it. i’m still here.

so i’m a budget student. that means i’m basically a trained professional at finding free things. like this coconut water stand. the guy there doesn’t measure it. he just gives you a cup and says ‘drink this or leave.’ i left. i didn’t like that vibe. but the next day, i came back and paid 5k vnd. now i’m obsessed.

there’s this market downtown. i heard from a drunk guy at a bar that it’s haunted. or was it a tour guide? maybe both. i asked a local old lady and she said no. but she also gave me a rice cake. it tasted like regret. maybe that’s part of the deal.

i bought a dress at a thrift store for 10k vnd. it’sfrom the 80s. i don’t care. it has a hole in the sleeve. perfect. i paired it with sneakers i found in a trash can. they’re waterproof. that’s a win.

my friends say i’m a walking disaster. they’re right. yesterday i agreed to show someone how to run a marathon. i told them i’d do it. i have no idea what a marathon is. but i ran for 10 minutes and then collapsed into a puddle. the puddle was delicious.

if you get bored, hanoi is just a short bus ride away, or maybe hoi an if you’re feeling chaotic. i don’t know. i picked up a skateboard at a thrift shop. it’s broken. i don’t care. i rolled down a hill and screamed. it felt like freedom.

someone told me that the best pho here is at a place called ‘the ghost eatery.’ i didn’t believe them. until i went. it’s run by a guy who wears a sheet. he whispers the order. i said ‘pho,’ he said ‘only if you can dance.’ i danced badly. he gave it to me. it was the best pho. ever.

i tried to find a yoga class. there’s one in a park. but the instructor was a man in a banana costume. he kept humming nursery rhymes. it was… spiritual? i’m not sure. but my back feels better. or maybe i’m just dehydrated. probably both.

i saw a street artist painting a banana peel sculpture. it was ugly. but he charged me 200k vnd for a portrait. i hate it. i still posted it on instagram with a caption that says ‘banana dreams.’

the weather here is so humid it’s like someone soaked the entire city in a drum of water. i tried to take a photo of a boat and it looked like a snake. not the good kind. i uploaded it to unsplash. the link is here:

. it’s probably not good. i don’t care.

another photo: three boats on water. same issue.

. and this one is white and blue. it’s daytime. i think it’s real. or is it?

. the photographer might be a spy.

i checked tripadvisor for budget hostels. this one is rated 3 stars. it’s called ‘the shadow den.’ some reviews say it’s haunted. others say it’s just a really loud hostel. i’m going there tonight. i’ll let you know.

yelp says the best street food is at this place. no name. just a cart selling bbq pork. the owner doesn’t smile. he just glares. i ordered everything. it was good. i left 5 stars. i’re a liar.

a local told me that the bus schedule changed overnight. i asked 10 people. 9 said it’s fine. 1 said it’s a disaster. i took a bus. it came 2 hours late. the driver was a ghost. or maybe just tired. i don’t know. i paid with my last 10k vnd. it was worth it.

if you need coffee, there’s a place where they serve 10 different types. i tried all. i vomited. but the owner gave me a free cup. he said ‘it’s for the chaos.’ i took it. i’m still recovering.

i heard that there’s a secret jazz club in an old warehouse. no one knows where. i asked a taxi driver. he said ‘find a rat and follow it.’ i found a rat. it led me to a bar. no jazz. just a guy playing a harmonica. i asked him to play 'happy birthday' to me. he played ‘ylicia?’ and left.

i’m leaving da nang tomorrow. i have no plans. just going to hanoi. if you’re here, catch me at the airport. i might be late. or early. i don’t know. i’ll text you.

. it’s probably not useful. i just copied it from a blog.

tags: travel da nang human vibe messy

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