A Quiet Morning In Danang

This story has been sitting in my draft folder for almost a year. Half-written and passed over for a condensed version of this adventure, this timeline caught my eye tonight. I'm engrossed in preparations for my third annual trip to Danang, and at two weeks before my go-day, feeling a bit stressed about what I might be forgetting. Memories of this sunrise slow me down and remind me that, one way or another, I'll make it to the other side of the planet and everything really will be okay. 

* * * * *

4:00 am  First alarm went off. Groaned.

4:10 am. Second and final alarm sounded. Groaned again. Got up and pulled myself together. 

4:30 am. Met up with my posse, helmets on and ready to ride. Our bikes purred through the freakishly quiet streets of Danang under dark night skies. 

4:40 am. We turned west and then north, crossing the Han River, passing through the still-sleeping town of Son Tra, and edging along the perimeter of the mountainous peninsula north of the city. 

4:50 am. Passed an assortment of joggers, cyclists, and walkers who were taking their morning exercise. The first hints of daylight were gathering in the eastern skies. 

5:00 am. Pulled off the road at an ideal viewpoint. While we hadn't reached the easternmost point on the peninsula, we had a fantastic watery view of the predawn skies. 

5:05 am. Clouds gathered and threatened to diminish our view. Distracted myself by taking a few shots of predawn fishing boats. 

5:10 am. Still waiting. Took photos of flowers.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the sun burst through the hazy clouds on the horizon and flooded the day with light. And in that instant, a quiet morning in Danang came alive.