Hoi An

Right now I am sitting by a riverside cafe in hoi an, eating chips and mango salsa, the night breeze is gently blowing and people are strolling home from work.

We flew in on Saturday from nha trang. The plane this time turned out to be a prop plane. When we got on, I turned to Manuel and asked him if we would be safe. He said well, I'm not sure, all I can tell you is that I've never seen this kind of plane before, but I'm pretty sure it's Russian. Not reassuring! The flight itself was relatively smooth, though there was a distinct possibility of crashing off the runway as we landed!

On our way to hoi an, we stopped at china beach.....you know the one, with Dana delaney and all. Gorgeous beach with huge waves!

Hoi An is a traditional riverside village in central Vietnam. It was named a world heritage site. It sort of reminds me of Rockport or gloucester in it's sort of touristy yet traditional feel. It floods every year, though this year was one of the worst. The waters were about eight feet deep in some places.

This morning was a quick tour of the town, ending with a performance of traditional Vietnamese song and dance. It was really gorgeous, I wish it went on even longer! The rest of the afternoon was a free day to wander the town. I bought some presents for folks back home and had a shirt and two sheath dresses made. I had a fitting this afternoon and already they looked gorgeous. Though you are supposed to bargain, I find it much harder than in Thailand. Often times the merchants won't drop their price for us, even when we walk away.

Tonight is a full moon and the streets of the old quarter are closed to motorbikes while the townspeople perform traditional arts and games. It should be beautiful!
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