Three days ago, after pedaling bicycles a few miles back to our beach cottage in 95 degree heat, Nicole and I couldn't figure out where the strange smell was coming from. We opened the refrigerator and freezer, sniffed the waste basket, and checked the bathroom. Something was off but we couldn't figure out where. I went to the bedroom to change my clothes and, after a quick smell test of the shorts I'd been wearing for three days straight without a shower, yelled to Nicole that I had found where the stink was coming from...me!

Not since a mountain biking/camping trip I took in college where I didn't shower for a week have I smelled that bad.

And so it is that, after shorter stays in Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Phong Nha, Nicole and I are officially beach bumming it!

For the past week we've been staying near the town of Hoi An in an Airbnb on An Bang beach. It's a two minute walk to a sandy beach that stretches as far as we can see (the only difference between this and a Hawaii-type beach is that it is a little dirty with random bits of rubbish here and there). If we don't want to sit on towels, there are beach chairs and umbrellas available for rent which are free as long as we order something to eat from the attendant. Based on this, our days typically involve, waking up and making coffee and oatmeal in our apartment, then heading to the beach each afternoon where we order green coconuts with a straw to drink and a shared fried rice to eat. All in, that totals to approximately $7 for the day not including dinner which we grab at a local place.

And now that I've learned that ocean swimming cannot substitute for regular showering or changing clothes, we have settled into the beach bum life quite nicely. :)

Like this post? Want to read more about Travis and Nicole's travel adventures? Check out Our Overview And Observations From Travelling For Two Months Through Vietnam.

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