Today we were excited to experience our first full day in Hoi An, and interested to see what else this beautiful city had to offer.
The day started with a 7 o’ clock wake up call, shortly followed by a lovely buffet breakfast in the Belle Maison Hotel. We were offered a selection of fruits, pastries and hot foods from Vietnamese cuisine, but it was nice to be reunited with the Western food we all know and love. It wasn’t long before we had hopped on our bikes and begun our journey towards the sea on this sunny day Hoi An had delivered. Hai and Qien had a long bike ride planned on which we got to experience the densely populated area which drew a contrast with the Mekong Delta bike rides. This was the first time we got to experience riding through busy traffic alongside other road vehicles. It was tough to get through the intersections as there were cars and motorbikes coming from left, right and centre, heading in every direction at the same time.
After the lengthy bike ride filled with beautiful views and a couple of stops, we had arrived at the desired destination. The beach we visited was formerly referred to by Americans during the War, as ‘China Beach’ as it was on the South China Sea. The local people never refer to the beach as ‘China Beach’. They call it a local name. They also call the controversial sea the ‘Eastern Sea.’ A three hour beach experience included some well deserved relaxing time after the village build, and also a delicious meal on the seaside, which we all enjoyed.
It was time to head back to the hotel where we were rewarded with a one hour long pool session, before we headed back out again to visit the streets of Hoi An. For us to experience the change from the atmosphere in the afternoon, to the atmosphere at night was fascinating as we got so see the streets come to life at night. People were coming out of their houses and into the different stores and restaurants where they were treated with a nice meal and some shopping, where we put our ‘bartering’ skills to the test. Hoi An’s culture is noticeably different to Ho Chi Minh’s, this is because of the French influence on this city during colonial times. The French architecture has been well preserved, such as French Windows, narrow laneways and roof tiles, which give the town its rich character. Once again, we visited the Silk Road tailor, where we were greeted by Twi the shop owner, to address the first round of fittings, where some were happier than others. Tomorrow we will finalise the fittings, and receive the final product. Our day concluded with some free time to socialise and shop, before heading back to the hotel for a good night’s rest.
We hope all is well at home – Carlin and Chloe 🙂
