Delightful Hoi An

December 04, 2015

Delightful Hoi An

We head on to Hoi An from Hue. On the way we stop at a high point above Da Nang, where there are still a few remnants of the Vietnam War (Pill boxes, etc.). We make a quick stop at China Beach in Da Nanag - China Beach was a favorite R and R spot during the Vietnam War for American troops - and Da Nang was the site of a major US airbase. We dip our toes in the South China Sea and then head on into Hoi An. Hoi An is a much smaller town that is known for its shopping, tailor made clothes, and its quaintness. That summarizes our time here for the most part. We did the most shopping of our trip here with Donna picking up several dresses for about 6 or 7 US dollars each, I got 2 "Vietnamese style" shirts, which I wore for most of the rest of the trip (noticeably cooler), and very surprisingly I buy a custom made suit for the whopping price of $125. I'm not sure what came over me - although I literally did not own a suit, only a sport coat - before this purchase. I guess this will be my wedding and funeral attire for the rest of my life. About half of the group did a bike ride through town and through the countryside - very much fun! Amber declared that "I was positively a hazard" said in her delightful Australian accent (I was buzzing around on my bike taking pictures). Our last night about half of us took a local Vietnamese cooking class which was a great time too. We ate what we made - all quite yummy - even the food I made!