Hoi An

Caught the bus to Hoi An. There is no train station. Journey took 4 odd hours. Grabbed a coffee, orientated ourselves and set off towards our hotel, The Golden Dragon. About 1.7 km. A pleasant 30 minute stroll.
Nice enough, clean room, good shower, free use of bikes, breakfast included. A tad expensive at £20 a night. Stayed 2 nights (had a bit of a fly problem in the dinning area. Suspected they came from the kitchen, confirmed by Yvonne!!) then moved to a very nice home stay, much closer to the old city. Better breakfast, big room, nice family and 1/2 the price. No flies!!

If you want to come to Vietnam, and only have a couple of weeks, then we defiantly recommend you spend a week at Hoi An. It is located on the central coast, and used to be a major trading port (long since silted up). Once you get into the old city traffic is virtually nonexistent, cars and motor bikes are banned.
Mike and Yvonne can testify to the relief of not looking constantly for the assassin on a motor cycle.

I'm afraid that the average Asian coupled with any motorised two or four wheeled vehicle is destined to provoke a major rant by Mike.

Back to Hoi An. There are influences from China, Japan, Dutch, and Indians. It has a 'Japanese Bridge', the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist temple attached to one side. The buildings have been preserved. All wood framed with tiled roofs. Lots and lots of lantern's hanging from the eves, and across the roads.

Normally you pay to enter. Its not expensive, and one ticket can last up to a week. The money goes to help preserve the town. As it was Tet the fee was wavered FOR ALL (please note Hue).

Also has a very nice beach which one can cycle to. Yvonne and Mike had a very nice swim in the sea, followed by a lunch of clams with lemon grass. Had to walk about a km to get away from the noisy bit!!

Next day went on a cooking course. Held in a fishing village. Went to a local outdoor market to buy the ingredients. Then by boat to just outside the village. Transferred into 'round' bamboo boats, which we then paddled through the sea palm cultivations, and into the village.
Prepared two dishes and ate them, yum, yum.

Looked to moving up to Da Nang, 30 km up the coast to catch a train to Nha Trang, but no go. All full for days!! Forced to use a sleeper bus. An 11 hour journey.
Tell you about that in the next post!!!

Leave you with some photographs of, afternoon drinks, lantins, cooking, rowing and round boats, relaxing in the sea, Japanese bridge, and the old docks.