Hoi An - Seaside and Small Town Charm

We were planning to gear up for the 15 hour overnight sleeper bus trip from the north to the central coast of Vietnam, but after reading most of the reviews, with the ongoing theme being "The Bus Ride from Hell", well, you can guess that we chose to fly.

Thank goodness, is all I can say.  Money may not be able to buy you everything, but a little can go a long way in keeping mother sane!  Happy wife, happy life?  This time round the answer is yes!

We arrived into Hoi An at a very civilized hour and were driven to our beautiful Moon Homestay Guesthouse.  This family home is beautiful and our host Moon is charming and kind.  She also has a sewing business and you can guess that it didn't take long for me to browse through all her beautiful silks.  Siggggghhhhhh!  Trying to balance the reality of what I would actually wear back home with the sheer pleasure of imagining custom made clothes.
It doesn't help that at this point in our travels, I am very tired of my ever damp feeling wilted clothes.

Yes, I did give in to the lure of fabric and color.

And whatever little picture I drew.... Moon created....

Pretty nooks to sit and relax in at Moon Homestay

Our bedroom balcony... So lovely!

Some facts about Hoi An:
- situated on the Thu Bon River
- was an international trading port as far back as the 17th century which left influences from China, Japan and Europe in its architecture and cuisine
- the old town is a Unesco World Heritage Site
- has amazing beaches on the South China Sea with Cua Dai Beach running for over 30 km all the way to the legendary China Beach (and only 5km away by bike, it was a must destination)
- Hoi An's biggest trade for tourists is tailor-made clothing with more than 200 tailor shops in town
- fact is, I did go shopping......

Some impressions:
- laid back, easy to navigate with extremely friendly locals
- going out of town on bike for only a km or two and you find yourself in the Vietnamese countryside, far from the tourist hordes
- the architecture is charming in the old quarter; evening entertainment in the square consists of live folk music combined with a strange local version of bingo - you had to be there.
- the myriad of coloured lanterns lining the street at night is simply divine and cheery at the same time....  I'm almost ready to redecorate I like it so much!!
- the slower pace and smaller size just makes everything more comfortable  and less stressful
- the paths and back roads through communities and expanses of bright green rice fields makes you breathe deeply and almost instantly feel more restful
- the food is so good and so inexpensive

My favorite way to get around..... Biking through the never ending rice fields.