We spent a bit of time in Hoi An, Vietnam 休闲小城“会安”

---

On Feb 23 evening, we took the overnight bus from Nha Trang. On Feb 24 morning, we reached Hoi An. Hoi An is a UNESCO site, an ancient city by the river. The impression is that it is like LiJiang in Yunnan, China.

When the bought the open bus ticket in Saigon, the two bus tickets included one free hotel night in Hoi An.

When the bus reached Hoi An and stopped at that one particular hotel, we took advantage of our free night. The hotel is very nice, and would have cost us $20 for the night. We are happy to have "saved" another $20.

We rested a little and walked around town. There are many narrow streets. Many "Unesco" sites require admissions. They are mostly Chinese temples or Chinese houses. I guess they would be great for people who would visit Vietnam and not China, for it will give them a good glimpse of some of the Chinese culture and architecture.

Hoi An is also famous for its custom made clothes. A lot of people come here to have their suits and dresses made. We did not make new clothes for ourselves.

In the evening, we tried some of Hoi An's famous foods (White Rose, Pancakes, Cau Lau).

On Feb 25, we moved to a guesthouse that costs less. We rented a motorbike to move our bags, and then drove north. Our first destination was "Marble Mountain", but we cannot find it. So, we drove on. We reached the next city Danang, about 30 kilometers away. We were very impressed with Danang, it is right by the ocean, as well as a river. It is clean, with wide roads.

We found the "Museum of Cham Sculpture" and went in for a visit. The museum housed some of the sculpture found in some of the ruins. The Cham culture is very much influenced by the Hindu culture.

On Feb 26, we joined a tour to go to My Son, a UNESCO site with Cham towers and ruins. After visiting Angkor Wat in Cambodia as well as Suthothai in Thailand, this My Son site seems very (comparatively) unimpressive. We did have to pay admission of about $4 (high in Asia, but comparatively cheaper than China).

After visiting My Son, the tour included a boat ride back to Hoi An. It is a lively boat ride, and a light lunch (Fried Rice) is included.

The boat took us to Cam Kim Island, and we visited a factory where they make wood furniture (with sculptures) and individual wood sculptures.

We came back to Hoi An, at around 2:30 pm and watched the market activity by the river.

We found the vendors here in Hoi An market quite aggressive.

We walked across the bridge to Cam Kim Island, to look for the "Light House Cafe", recommended by a friend. We found it, but the owner Hans was resting, so we did not get a chance to meet him. The cafe is a beautifully furnished house and very pleasant. It is right by the river and the owner offered free boat ride from the Hoi An boat dock to his place.

On Feb 27, we took the bus to Hue, a city about 150 KM north of Hoi An.

---