8-13 Februry - Hoi An, central Vietnam
Hoi An is a charming port town, dating back several centuries when it was a trading post for Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and other vessels. From the 17th to the 19th century it was one of SE Asia's major ports....hard to imagine today - its such a quaint little place, but the olde worlde atmosphere is well preserved.
Luckily, Hoi An was unaffected by the US war hence many old buildings remain - the old town is UNESCO World Heritage listed.
Motor traffic is banned from the streets during the day - surprisingly (for a country where idiocy underpins the Highway Code) the policy is rigorously enforced - I saw a truncheon wielding "policeman" trying the take the ignition keys from a woman who persisted in trying to negotiate the barrier to get to her market stall!
Arrived on the bus from Hue just in time for the annual lantern festival (first full moon after the lunar new year) - very colourful.
Hoi An is the place to go for good value, quality tailor made clothing - suits, shirts, dresses made in 24-48 hours. Its also great for souvenirs with many art and craft shops, clothing stores etc. Most eye catching were exquisite hand-embroidered Vietnamese scenes - the better ones take months to make and retail for several thousand US dollars. Lovely mementoes if you have the money, and a place to display them at home.
All in all, Hoi An was a top stop - a great place to recuperate from the Hanoi experience, with some nice day trips to local attractions such as the Marble Mountains and My Son, which is Vietnam's equivalent of Angkor Wat (see future blog entries!).
Click here for some photos!
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/scuba50/HoiAn?feat=directlink
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