Hoi An

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We are in Hoi-An not DaNang but its close.

We were awoken at 6 to get ready for the trip to Hoi An. We ate breakfast outside and then went to our coach. The journey is going to take us 4 hours. After leaving Hue we travel across mainly agricultural countryside and make our way up the pass over the mountain range with spectacular views over the coastline. Hui described some of the sights we saw, one was a bus which is the express bus, the drivers helper was almost hanging out of the door. Hui said the bus is jokingly known as the flying Coffin. Stopping to take pictures we crossed the main highway as we didn't go through the tunnel. so glad or we would not have seen the pretty fishing village or the surf on the coast.
We stopped for " the best coffee in Vietnam" which it was not but the young cafe owner seemed enthused with the cocktail of flora he served up. We walked past the cafe cum shop and saw the views of DaNang, it was a bit cloudy but you could just see the town and you could see the beaches.Next stop was Da Nang, an upmarket town with wide boulevards next to the sea. Here we visited a museum dedicated to the Cham people who inhabited the area centuries before. A short drive to the next attraction which was a temple and cave at the end of a steep climb up 150 steps to the summit. This area is known as the marble mountains and is well known for the local handicrafts made from the said stone. One of our group Mal bought a bargain marble Buddha for only one dollar only to be informed by our guide that at that price it was made from plastic. Half an hour later we were in Hoi An a delightful small town that had a medieval area that is now recognised by UNESCO as a heritage site. First stop was lunch, the food in Vietnam is outstanding, we had wanton flower balls, pancakes, spring rolls and noodles in a great cafe, all very fresh and so inexpensive.After checking in to our hotel we made off for a tour of the old town and this was a real festival for the eyes. Well preserved architecture, a fusion of Chinese, Japanese, French and Vietnamese with tons of shops and stalls selling a complete range of goodies. In the evening the paper lanterns in the streets are lit creating a very colourful atmosphere. After a supper in Mango Mango, an eclectic mix of east meets west fusion food we strolled back to our hotel , a 40minute walk away feeling encouraged by what we had seen this day in central Vietnam.This is a brief version written by Steve mainly well at least it's not long enough to fall asleep....zz..zzz

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Photos

Joey at Saigon Morin
This is Joey and we bought him for Joeseph and he decided he wants to see places too