Hoi An (part 3 of 5 – travels in Vietnam)
After a taxing 14-hour bus ride from Nah Trang, I arrived in Hoi An on Friday morning around 8am. I knew I wouldn’t have much time here as my flight left out of Hanoi (about 400 km to the north) the following Monday – i.e. in 3 days. I decided to only spend the day in Hoi An, and scheduled myself to fly into Hanoi that night. After taking a 3 hour nap in a nearby hotel I set out for a walk around what many consider to be "the most enchanting place in Vietnam". The pictures below capture the sights:

Hoi An is built around the shore of the Tho Bon river, and was one of Southeast Asia's major international ports for the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The international influence is still strongly evident all around, and architecture was fortunately spared from the American bombings.


Another view


...and one more. There are many friendly ladies in boats that kindly offer to take you on simple boat rides-- one of them can be seen below. Hoi An is a nice change from the hectic scene of Saigon and Hanoi -- the locals operate at a completely different pace, and don't pester the 'farang' (i.e. foreigners, which I actually learned from my professor today is derived from the Thai's reference to the numerous French traveleres in the 19th century -- I'm not sure how I feel about being called a Frenchie!) as much.


Simply called the 'Japanese Covered Bridge', this tourist attraction was originally built in 1593, and has been upgraded numerous times since. It was originally built by the Japanese to connect with the nearby Chinese quarters, and was later modified by the French. The solid construction was supposedly intended to keep it standing through earthquakes, and I guess it worked.

A calm, peaceful view of the city streets. After dodging numerous motorbikes is Saigon, sidestepping a bicycle in Hoi An was no problem! ..and a welcomed pleasure :)

Lunch -- Stuffed octupus -- one of the best meals I had while n Vietnam.

Hoi An is known for its silk, and its quick tailors. I have avoided buying many things while traveling as my bags are already filled to the top, but I couldn't resist myself after seeing this orange and blue beauty hanging in the window. Being a somewhat ridiculous Broncos fan, it was calling my name! I tried it on initially and it was a little big, so the lady below was kind enough to alter it perfectly in a mere 3 hours -- great service!

My day had quickly come to an end and I was off to the airport to catch my flight to Hanoi. After 2 grueling bus rides, I decided I could splurge the $50 and fly to Hanoi, and avoid the 20 hour bus ride. The rice fields below were part of the view on the way to the airport, and are common throughout Vietnam.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this little kid at the airport. She (or he?) was entertaining a number of the waiting passengers, me included.