Hoi An

Hoi An is a quiet, colonial coastal town and UNESCO heritage site in southern Vietnam. Though I am not a fan of the show nor have I ever really watched it other than when it was randomly on the TV, apparently the latest season of "The Bachelor" had an episode where they were in Hoi An.. My mom informed me of this after her research when I told her we were heading there. It is way less "Panama City Beach" than Nha Trang, for those of you who grew up in the southern US and know what I mean. The buildings in the ancient town are all a pale yellow shade, worn by the sun and time. Hoi An was once a bustling port town, influenced at different times in its history by the Japanese, Chinese, and French. The architecture represents all three, which makes it an interesting place to visit. We LOVED it there... we originally booked 2 nights at our homestay and ended up staying 5.. Here's why:

It is very easy to get around Hoi An, its walkable and there are not motorbikes on the verge of ending your life at every turn. Our homestay, called "Nature's Homestay" ($16 a night with breakfast included!) rented bikes for free, which made it easy to access the beautiful beach just 5 KM away. The first day we were there, we just walked to the beach from our place, but we were so tired from the bus journey and the beaming sun that we basically walked there, checked it out, and walked back. The walk to the beach is dotted with rice paddies, shops, and restaurants... Where I had the best veggie pho I've ever had. Unlike other places we have been, there was not the constant harassment for a tuktuk or motorbike ride, and the walk and ride to the nearby beach were both quite pleasant.

Some cool local fishing boats.. I'd probably end up in the water if I attempted to set sail in one of these.

 Cao Dai beach....looooovely

 Our room at "Natures Homestay".. the nicest family hosted us, delish breakfast, and easy access to the beach, the historic town, and a nice running route nearby.. Plus enough room to do yoga. Can't say enough good things about this place!

Hoi An Ancient Town.. If you want a suit made for cheap, or a dress, or a copy of anything you could think of, there are tons of tailors here to fix you right up. Unfortunately, we didn't have anything made because we a. didn't want to carry it. b. didn't want to ship it, and c. didn't really want to spend the money. But you can get ready-made clothes super cheap an I bought some of the most comfortable pants I've ever had for just over $2. I wish I had bought more! The only annoying thing is that there are people trying to get you to "go to my shop" and buy a suit or clothes... They see westerners and think we are made of money! They are sorely mistaken! But, after a "no thank you" they leave you alone..

Unless they don't recognize you and go through the whole song and dance again as you walk through the town... I guess that we all look alike too ;) (our guide in Cu Chi tunnels said "all westerners look alike", so I am going by his perception.)

Some photos of the quiet, peaceful city... It was SO nice here.. You could buy a tourist ticket and visit 5 of the historic sights over 3 days for only $6. We did them all in one day, and spent our other days in Hoi An walking around, exploring, hanging at the beach, and kicking the cold we'd picked up. The slow pace of life here was perfect.

Japanese Covered bridge, which represents the friendship between Japan and Vietnam

Lanterns are everywhere here... and people make them by hand. Weaving, silks, and lanternmaking are three major exports of Hoi An and you can find little souvenirs to take home all over the place.

Inside a Pagoda, a pretty cool dragon fountain.

 Lots of Chinese infuence! These assembly halls are all over the town.

 Cool bells inside the Hoi An Museum of History and Culture

 Seeing chickens roaming the town is not a novelty in Vietnam..even in the big cities.

 This is a poster on the outside of the school... The schools here look like so much fun, and the kids always seem happy when you hear them through the windows (no air conditioing) and when they are PLAYING OUTSIDE like kids should be able to... I could totally teach here in SE Asia, I think.. especially since they have the food pyramid outside.. They have their priorities right here. :)

An offering inside a temple

Some cool spiral-y incense inside a temple.

We had a really good time in Hoi An. It was cheap, the food was great, the people were super friendly, and it wasn't too touristy and commercial. We really enjoyed just chilling out and not worrying about tours or getting from one place to another. We decided to fly from Danang to Hanoi rather than endure another grueling 18 hour bus ride, and Danang seemed to be another nice place to visit.. a big city that didn't seem to be too mental like HCMC. And it also has a pretty beach. :) We departed Hoi An and took a cab to the Danang airport, and boarded our flight to Hanoi with anticipation for a crazy busy capital city.. And we were right! Hanoi is next up.. Just rearranging the letters for the quiet town of Hoi An and you get a very different place!