Monday, February 25, 2013
Day 17: Hoi An
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Activities:
Hoi An was originally a Cham port town, but has been influenced down the centuries by a myriad of traders from various cultures. There is a distinctly Chinese appearance with pagodas and assembly halls scattered along the small streets. Hoi An was once a bustling port in centuries gone by, before the river silted up. Today it is a delightful backwater town with an air of liveliness about it. The tranquillity and charm of Hoi An, coupled with its low tiled houses, makes it one of the most delightful places to visit in Vietnam.
*****
Today, our group has opted for a bicycle ride through the countryside and a boat ride back to Hoi An, lunch at Miss Ly's, afternoon shopping and lounging by the pool.
We gathered at 9:00 am and mounted our single gear touring bikes. Our first task was to get out of the city! Holy crap! You cannot imagine the chaos of driving or riding a cycle here. Generally there is a right and left hand side of the street, but with so many vehicles, people, vendors, stalls half way into the roads, cows, and potholes, every one weaves in and out, around. Why haven't we got a video game for this? We could have practiced before wheeling ourselves into the mix. What an experience.
We wove our way out to some quieter paths on top of levies between rice paddies, shrimp ponds and farm fields. The sights of farmers, fisherman, and celebrants of good fortune were rich and plentiful. Once we had mad it out of the city, we thought the cycling would be easier, but not so. The rain the day before made for some muddy, rutty riding. I got a flat tire and rode on the rim for quite a while before I got a replacement bike. One of our group who shall remain nameless skid over the side of the levy and into the rice paddies. I thought she was taking a short cut when I saw her screaming down the levy bank.
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| Joyce is determined to go swimming in Hoi An |
Fortunately, J was not injured. But she got mighty wet and her camera met its death in a rice paddy.
Despite a few exciting and memorable moments, we enjoyed our ride on the bikes and our ferry ride back to Hoi An where we returned Miss Lys for lunch and then dispersed for own afternoon and evening activities. We are going out for dinner in a liltle while, then it's time to pack as we leave for Hanoi tomorrow morning.
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