It was time for us to move on again. We seem to be moving quickly at the minute. Always on the go! This time we were heading for Hoi An.
We checked into a party hostel. The room was fine, the bathroom had a bath but there was no chance I would use it. Oh and we were sharing our room.... with a few little cockroaches and a gecko.
Once we dropped the bags we headed down to the bar to see what was going on. As we walked to the dining room we met a group of people we had spent the day with tubing in Vang Vieng. If that was anything to go by then the next few days would probably be a bit of a blur! We had a catch up with them and all decided to head out together.
We walked, and walked, and walked... I seem to be saying that a lot, but I've never walked so much! We walked all the way to the Ancient town on the river. There are many impressive buildings, all crammed together as is so common in Vietnam. It is mixed bag of Vietnamese, French, Japanese and Chinese cultures, its confused identity takes influence from so many eras, but at the same time it is a beautiful place. During the day you can walk the streets with the endless stalls and vendors, visit the little museums of Trade Ceramic and Culture, and admire the tiny Japanese Covered Bridge from the 1700's. at night time you can enjoy a drink and some delicious food by the river, set a floating lantern down the river, or enjoy a little boat trip. The town is covered in coloured lanterns and traditionally designed lamps. But again, as with any place on the travelling route, there are many bars desperate to get you in, with touts outside pushing ridiculous drinks offers and blaring music. Don't get me wrong we spent a few nights down here and had a ball, but it's easy to miss the essence of Hoi An's Ancient town if you allow yourself to get carried away with the party scene.
We took a trip to a beach while in Hoi An. The friends we met had suggested it. Named 'Hidden Beach', its tucked away down a narrow dirt track off a large main road. There ended up being a group of about 10 of us, and we had a brilliant day. We chatted, swapped stories and recommendations, listened to music, swam and drank all day until the sun went down. The beach was busier than the one we had been to in Da Nang but still so relaxed and not over crowded.
Unfortunately I had another disaster... this time I developed a rash... all over the inside of my arms. It was red, blotchy and itchy and I had no idea what had caused it. The next morning I woke up with a swollen face and the rash on my neck. Brilliant. Maybe Vietnam isn't my kind of place!
The next few days were spent as part of the group we had been to the beach with. We wandered the Ancient Town, relaxed at the beach, and ate some amazing food!! We visited 2 restaurants that were incredible. One was Indian, we ate so much food we could of popped... and it cost £6 per person! The other was a place called Vy's Kitchen. We had booked a table for 14 people and when we arrived it looked like the place wasn't big enough to hold 14 .. they led us through the front of the restaurant and we looked like we were heading into the kitchen before the place opened up into a huge market style area. It was huge. We ordered a local style pork dish and a duck dish and I can't explain how delicious they were!
After a few party days in Hoi An it was time to move, again! This time we weren't planning on getting a bus, or flying.. we had rented a 135cc scooter to get us the 160km to Hue. I was being brave and putting my life in the husband's hands. Probably a bad idea but we will see what the journey brings.
