Old Chinese and French houses

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  Hoi An, Danang and My Son, Vietnam
Monday, June 5, 2006

In this entry:

Eva and I take in the old world charms of Hoi An, a town with very old traditional Chinese houses (from the wealthy Chinese merchants who traded with Vietnam and eventually built houses here) which exist side-by-side with French colonial architecture. Two ages and two cultures come together... clash! (but no longer)

We had a unique experience renting a motorbike here. We passed a hotel advertising motorbike rentals. We met the hotel clerk and enquired about their rate. The clerk leaves the front desk and asks us to come outside with her. We think she's showing us her bike. Instead, she takes us next door, to the neighbor's house. It's a family in the middle of dinner. We apologize for interrupting them but the papa (who is not wearing a shirt) is very excited to see us and shakes my hand and brings us out to the front yard

01 on the train - Adam is always careful....

. He goes into the back and wheels out a beautiful, brand new motorcycle. The pajama-clad mama has come out front to see us, and her little kid starts playing with Eva. We ask the papa "How much?" in Vietnamese.

"$3.00, pick up tomorrow morning and return at the end of the day," the hotel clerk translates for us.

"Can we pay $4.00 and take it now?" I ask. He agreed.

We hand the guy $4.00 and offer a copy of our passport to him for some kind of security, but he shook his head and smiled. "Just bring it back." Amazing.

The next day we took a side trip to the city of Danang where we eat some very bad pizza whose photos we do not share with you for fear of offending. Lastly we visit the ancient Champa ruins of My Son-- sort of the poor man's Vietnamese Angkor Wat, in a way. (Well, actually it's nothing like that, but it's late and I'm in need of a metaphor)

Enjoy the photos.

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02 Along the way - farmer	02 Along the way - green field	03 arrival - 01 first meal	03 arrival - 02 the lady...
04 Old town - street 01	04 Old town - street 02	04 Old town - street 04 woman	04 Old town - street vendor
05 Old Chinese house - 01 outiside	05 Old Chinese house - 02 inside	06 restaurant - 01 outside	06 restaurant - 02 inside
06 restaurant - 03 food - white roses	07 Chinese congregation 01 outside	07 Chinese congregation 02 outside	07 Chinese congregation 03 outside
07 Chinese congregation 04- 01 outside	07 Chinese congregation 04- 02 inside	07 Chinese congregation 04- 03 Old man's house	08 French colony building 01
08 market - Adam doesn't fit	08 market - Begger.....	08 market - Eggs....	08 market - moving stand
08 market - Veggies....	08 market video	09 Adam teaches English 01	10 Adam with students
12 it's quiet in this old city	14 My son - 00 entrance	14 My son - 01 getting there	14 My son - 01 getting there with Policeman
14 My son - 02 this is it ?	14 My son - 03 this is it ?	14 My son - man performance	14 My son- woman performance
16 go for a ride and find the monkey in the cage!	16 go for a ride in the country yard!	17 Tomb	18 Sail away
19 Marble Mountain - 01 Big Buddha	19 Marble Mountain - 02 temple made of ceramics	19 Marble Mountain - 03 close up	19 Marble Mountain - 04 cave temple - 01 entrance
19 Marble Mountain - 04 cave temple - 02 inside	19 Marble Mountain - 04 cave temple - 03 Buddha	19 Marble Mountain - 05 tower	19 Marble Mountain - 06 the view
19 Marble Mountain - 07 rewarding sunset

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