Hoi An!

We spent the night in a 4-person berth compartment that we shared with a Canadian expat named Simon who now lives in Indonesia.  It was odd but interesting at the same time to be sleeping in the same small space as a stranger!  After a 14-hour journey in which we crossed the former border between North and South Viet Nam, we arrived in Da Nang, where we hired a cab to drive us to the ancient town of Hoi An. Michael had arranged for us to stay in a lovely 9-room hotel, Earth Villa, owned and run by a local family of  four generations. 

Our three days in Hoi An were a whirlwind of local color and adventure:

*bicycling to the beautiful beach in the morning and again at sunset

*maneuvering our way through the busy marketplace in Old Town

*watching a traditional Vietnamese music and dance performance and having "Mother" show us how to use the pottery wheel at the cultural center

*eating local foods such as pho and cao lau at tiny cafes and nice restaurants with tablecloths, on boats and sitting on little plastic chairs at small tables (see photo), which are seen everywhere in Viet Nam

*visiting traditional homes, assembly halls and temples dating back 200 or more years

*crossing the covered Japanese bridge and delighting in the vibrant glow of lanterns in the evenings

*after spending several hot and sweaty afternoons out and about as we attempted to see all there is to see, finally learning what the local people know:  the afternoon really is best spent at the pool or enjoying a lazy siesta!

*learning that riding on the back of a motorcycle can be a fun alternative to taxi cabs!

As sad as we were to leave our much loved Earth Villa, it was time to again board the night train for our next destination...