2015-02-10 Hoi An Viet Nam

A full day in Hoi An, an amazing place and a must for anyone traveling to this part of the world. It’s charm sucks you in and envelops you.
The agenda called for a morning bicycle ride through the neighboring villages. Some rode on bicycles that were rented for “The Tour de Vietnam” as we called it, others, like the three of us preferred to hire a rickshaw bicycle and ride in luxury, permitting the taking of pictures more easily. So all 21 of us plus the Guide LUC and the tour operator Zoe ant the bicycle owner all traipsed off through the rice
Paddies and into the villages. It was truly an unforgettable experience. We went into the house of a local man to see how they lived and found his wife died of cancer a few months ago and his daughter was still asleep in bed – we woke her, but she was amazing and smiled. Here the pictures will tell more than words. The bomb craters filled with water, the burials in the paddy fields, the livestock, the construction of houses from solid concrete to poles covered with palm fronds was sensory overload in the best of terms.
We then took the coach to Hoi An town proper as we are staying at a beach resort a few miles out of town.
The 20 minute drive into town was filled with Marion’s Beatle songs, but once we got there, we encountered an absolutely charming town by a river. The next few hours we walked around the town stopping at shops, street vendors, open market, watching fishermen, and in general soaking up the beauty and charm of the village. We then stopped at a Chinese temple which was covered in gold and truly amazing. Again pictures will tell the story. Next we were off to a fascinating shop that demonstrate the whole process of silk from work to dress or scarf. In the place they have silk worms that have to be fed every 3 hours to the pupa stage where they spin the cocoon, next to boiling the cocoon prior to the moth being born and breaking the fibers. Next to the creation of the fibers, weaving and finished product. They will make any clothes you like within a day. By this time we were all famished so off to lunch at a local restaurant. Here, as the chef had studied in Milan, we were treated to a Western meal of Chicken pameggiano!!!
We were supposed to then go on a 1 1/2 hour boat ride back to the hotel, but all felt it best to return by coach and have the afternoon to swim and relax. A Vietnamese dinner in town should be fun as lanterns and a street market are supposedly there to add to the natural charm. It is an amazing time to come to Viet Nam as it is just before New Year 2105 (we are still in 2014 here) which takes place based on lunar month, on Feb 19. I say that as all over people are setting up altars, signs of Happy New Year are everywhere, all the special Fruits, flowers and vegetables are everywhere. The other reason it’s a great time as it is still unspoiled, people are industrious and friendly and the history, natural beauty and Charm may fade into the past as time flows by and the country prospers.
Again I will post the pictures separately, so as to avoid loosing this written information.