The Gem That Is Hoi An

It is early morning in Hoi An and I am not sure what woke me up this morning. The sounds of the fishing nets hitting the water on the Thu Bon River or the hushed voices of the women who gather early each morning to work in the rice fields and tend their gardens. All I know is that I am excited to run to the balcony window and watch the life that is Hoi An.

When we were ready to leave Saigon were able to get a flight to Da Nang for almost the same cost as the bus. We opted to go this way so we could spend a little more time in this area. Tom's brother was here in the late 1960's and our friend Khoa and his family lived in this area when he was young. We were excited to be in this part of Vietnam.

After the fun  filled days and nights of Saigon we looked forward to spending some time in this area. It is slightly to the West  of China Beach and is a beautiful seaside town. We feel as if we have stepped back in time as we explore this town that sits on the Thu Bon River. It was a  renowned international trading post as far back as the 17th century. The architecture has an Chinese, Japanese, and European flare. Sometimes it feels as if I am walking the streets of Venice. It is a gem of a place.

The food is exquisite. The best we have had in Vietnam so far. The riverside cafes are quaint and the families who run them are a delight. We pick up a couple of bicycles and ride through out the town and countryside. It is easy to acclimate and in no time at all we have our favorite spots. They have a home made draft beer which is excellent and for ten cents a glass you just can't beat it.

Hoi An is infamous for it's tailors so today Tom was fitted for a new suit, two new shirts, and a handmade pair of leather shoes for the price of a pair of slacks and shirt from home. The lovely ladies at Trang Tri took very good care of him and I know he enjoyed this experience immensely.

Tomorrow we will tour part of the Ho Chi Minh trail on a motorcycle. We will visit the historical site of My Son and the area known as marble mountain in Da Nang. We have decided to hire a couple of young men to travel with us as our guides as our GPS is struggling here in Vietnam. We are enjoying this area more than we could have imagined and find ourselves enjoying His exquisite favor in all these things.