4th March: Hoi An, Vietnam

One other bonus is that our new accommodation includes breakfast, which means that we don’t have to worry about finding that in any of our remaining places. We went down to find a table out in the beautifully shaded garden amongst the orchids and were served noodles and tofu. I’m not a particular fan of this for breakfast, but this home-cooked meal was delicious, and I wolfed it down! Some fresh banana juice and a plate of watermelon and pineapple went perfectly too.

Walking into town, we were stopped a few times by people trying to get us to come to their tailors. Hoi An is full of these and I was considering getting a suit made if the price and quality is right, but definitely not from a random person on the street! The back streets of Hoi An are gorgeous with faded yellow buildings sat behind trees with lanterns hanging from their limbs. We passed a gorgeous temple which a local woman told us was for women (there’s one for men just up the road).

A little nearer the old town, we stopped for coffee on the veranda of a quiet little café. Kaja had a ginger and honey tea whilst sketching. I finally got around to trying coconut coffee whilst writing. It was amazing! Basically, a creamy coconut smoothie with sweet coffee stirred through it. Whilst we were sat out front an Irish-Australian couple spotted Kaja drawing and we had a lovely chat. He showed us his sketches from their trip and they recommended lots of places to check out.

The old town here is gorgeous, even if obviously tourist-focussed these days. The aesthetic of pale-yellow buildings continues along narrow streets, with lanterns strung between them. Tailors seem to be the dominant business type here. The old town is full of tour groups but there are lovely quiet spots away from the buildings which have been deemed the main ‘attractions’.

As was always our plan in Hoi An, we stopped often for drinks and snacks in quiet corners. For lunch, we found a spot overlooking the roof tops to enjoy com ga (‘chicken’ rice), my quang (a local noodle dish with a little soup, veggies, and various proteins), sweet watermelon juice, and refreshing lime soda. In a reversal of our usual fortunes, Kaja seems to have become the tastier option for mosquitos and, unfortunately, picked up quite a few bites.

We continued our strolling in the warm and humid afternoon air.

As dusk approached, the heat of the day finally began to dissipate, and we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset from the bridge between the mainland and Cam Nam. Tourist boats plied their trade up and down river, whilst a rowing team practiced in their traditional boat carrying impressive speed. Our walk back along the river was tranquil and gorgeous as the bougainvillea were vibrant in the afterglow of sunset. For a final snack, we took a banh mi to eat in the room. It was a great first day in peaceful Hoi An.