Hoi An

On the 23rd we flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang (1 hr 10 min) then bused to Hoi An (1 hr). From 34 degrees and blazing sun in Ho Chi Minh City to 25 and rain in Da Nang was sort of welcomed. But rain is in the forecast now for the duration of the trip. We’re told that the heavy rain and the length it’s forecasted for is hugely uncharacteristic for this time of year. 

Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an Ancient Village dating from the 15th century. It was the premier sailing commerce centre in SE Asia until Da Nang took over after the Hoi An harbour silted up. The Old Town is a mixture of French, Chinese and Japanese architecture with many “Designated” buildings and houses that cannot be changed unless structurally unsound. The houses are still lived in. 


The Japanese Bridge, constructed in 1593 is covered and has a Taoist temple on it. Unfortunately it is now under construction, so we couldn’t.t go on it.

Lanterns are huge here. People drop them in the river or send them up in the air to memorialize deceased souls. 


When in Hoi An….. so I made a Chinese New Year’s Lantern. Took me 2.5 hours. Luckily it folds fairly flat.


Vietnamese use a variety of noodles and there are regional variations. 


Yesterday I had Cao Lau Special - a meal that long ago was only served to royalty. It’s stir-fried mixed seafood, Tra Que (a local village) vegetables and herbs, crispy croutons which I drizzled with a homemade sauce. It was very good, not wow. Also a passion fruit juice. I’ve always struggled with chopsticks. They now don’t fight me!




Comments

  1. SEJanuary 24, 2024 at 8:52 PM

    What a picturesque village! Very pretty. Love your lantern Jamie. That’s not something you could make at the Old Post Office makerspace.
    Hope the rain doesn’t dampen your spirit of adventure.
    Steph

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2024 at 11:51 PM

    It's rainy (& foggy) here too this morning and 5 degrees. Thanks for your travel narration & pictures which brighten my day. Love, LOU

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 25, 2024 at 1:07 AM

    Must have been fun to do some ‘crafting’ in such interesting surroundings. - JO

    ReplyDelete

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