Da Nang My Khe Beach walk — blue letters at night, a swim by day, 15 minutes back

There and back

From OceanSight in Pham Van Dong, My Khe Beach was about 1 minute by Grab. The question was never the way there but the way back. After a swim you walk still wet, and drying off on the way it took about 15 minutes to reach the stay at an easy pace. Those 15 minutes were what decided the conditions of this 7-night stay.

I went to My Khe twice like this. On the night of August 23 I sat on the sand; on the 24th I went out to swim. The same beach, but night and day felt like different places.

Night of August 23, on the sand

Night My Khe reached the ears first. As the sound of the waves came closer, the lights only receded. I took a table on the sand with a bottle of 1664 Blanc and a simple snack, and picked a seat where the waves were louder than the conversation.

The night promenade

Leaving the beach, the blue block letters of DANANG BEACH came first. At night the only moving things were blurred figures walking. Palms stood in rows under green light along the promenade, and beyond the sidewalk only distant hotel lights showed. I stopped in front of the letters and the lighting.

Daytime swim, August 24

The next day I went out to get in the water. Green parasols over beach chairs on the sand, calm waves, a cloudy sky. The August sea in Da Nang tends to be gentle by day. After a dip I sat on the sand and dried in no time.

The letters by day

On the way back I passed the big red DA NANG BEACH sculpture. The blue letters of the night and the red letters of the day stood on the same sand. Two faces of one beach, seen across two days.

Walking home

I walked back toward the stay, drying as I went. Follow the beach road and the room door opens before the towel dries. This day showed the rhythm of the whole trip as it was. From the beach to the desk, 15 minutes on foot.