Hoi An, Marble Mountains & China Beachs
Trip Start
Nov 05, 2002
1
11
69
Trip End
Aug 13, 2003
Hoi An,
Vietnam
Saturday, December 21, 2002
I made it back to Vietnam, as part of another trip, in September 2005. Check out the entry for Hoi An here. As an entry it's a lot better than this crap. Honest.
************************************** Update - September 2005 ************************************
Hello Again!
We're still in Vietnam, this time in a small place called Hoi An. It's on the coast about mid country, 500 miles north of Saigon. We're making our way down Vietnam before eventually crossing into Cambodia early in the New Year. Just out the road from here is China Beach. You oldies may remember (I don't!!) years ago there was a TV show of the same name? Well it was based on that beach. We spent some time yesterday morning and I'm still feeling the effects of the sunburn. Should be OK in a few days. It's Bairbres fault anyway cause she says I have to get rid of my farmer's tan! For those not in the know a farmers tan is the Irish tan lines on the neck, upper arms and legs...... the typical sun lines us Irish get after a week in Ibiza! We're heading further south
this evening to a place called Nah Trang. It's a beach side town and that's where we'll stay for 5-6 days for Christmas. We'll be getting our Santa Christmas hats and new bottle of sun cream later before we head and then it's just a matter of finding a bit of turkey before Wednesday.
I have probably said this before but Vietnam is such a beautiful place. Definitely the highlight of my trip so far. We got the bus from Hue to Hoi An a few days ago and we went through some of the most stunning scenery I have ever seen. It's hard to believe such a lovely country has such a war torn past. Thankfully all that is behind them now and the place seems all the better for it. The people certainty act as if a war has just ended! So nice and hospitable. They always have a smile on their face and it's such a joy to communicate with them. Seemingly the people of Cambodia, another war torn country in recent years, are even nicer so I'm looking forward to that. Even nicer than the people however is the food. I've yet to have a bad meal. Seafood runs the show here and if you're a seafood fan, like myself, then this place is the place to go. Bairbre doesn't like seafood but the options other than seafood are equally gorgeous so that keeps her happy. Last night we went to a restaurant where you sit down and state your preference for seafood or vegetarian. No menu, nothing. Then the food is brought to your table, you're told what it is and are shown what way to eat it and then its dig in time. I had squid for the first time and it was gorgeous. Things like that will never be forgotten and is the reason we went away.
Hoi An (where we are at present) is a lovely place, the sort of place we'd probably stay in for a few days if we didn't have to move on. The specialty of the area is custom made tailored clothing. Yesterday Bairbre got measured for a dress and a traditional Vietnamese suit and I got measured for a suit. All For 60 Euro (30 for the suit, 10 for the dress and 20 for the traditional Vietnamese suit). You go in, pick your suit from a catalogue, select your fabric, get measured and come back the next day for collection! Simple. Puts Louie Copeland to shame I tell ya! We'll be going into the tailor when we leave here to try them on so that should be good. I'm not looking forward to carting the suit around however as my bags are big enough as they are but hey, for that price we couldn't pass up the opportunity to get something made.
Not really a lot else to say. Still having a ball and still trying not to kill each other in the process. Seems to be working well so far! Not home sick yet and rest assured that if I were I wouldn't say.
Well that's it for now. Happy Christmas to all. I'll be mailing in the New Year, if not before then.
Till then
Dave
