The town that took our breath away!

Hoi An is a one of the most beautiful cities we have ever seen...and not just in south east Asia. A small city that has a great deal of trade history, Hoi An is now recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Starting as early as the 1st century, this seaside city has been one of south east Asia's most important ports. Both spices and silk trades were controlled out from Hoi An, making the area very wealthy. It stayed that way until the 18th century, when the Tey Son rebellion led to a turn of events that would see the trade industry wane drastically. Eventually trade bacame popular again, but the city of Da Nang (about and hour's bus ride north) became the new trade center.

The lack of trade and outsiders going to Hoi An after that helped the town remain almost untouched from the 18th century. Recently, there has been a boom in tourists coming to enjoy the beauty of this town.

Hand tailored clothing and shoes can be bought on every street. Colorful scarves, lanterns, blankets, even silk sleeping bags contribute to the almost overwhelming charm of this place. If traveling on a budget, it is a good idea to leave the wallet back in the hotel when you go out for a walk....temptation is everywhere you look!

There are many sites to be seen. Temples, museums, crafts, silk factories, old homes, musical performances, and, of course, the lanterns. 

Seeing the town at night was another treat. The lanterns would be lit, causing a colorful glow to fill the streets.

Pictured below is the famous Japanese Covered Bridge. It is a symbol of Hoi An. Much of the town has been influenced by both Japanese and Chinese culture.  

A bamboo frame bike....Colin was ready to pedal away on these!

These coils are actually incense burning in one of the temples we visited. The coil burns for one month!

The bronze sculpture pictured above is the first Kansas Jayhawk.

We were lucky enough to attend a small performance. There was singing, dancing, story telling, and incredible
musical talent. There was even a bingo game...and I won a smal pink lantern!

We were shown how silk is made and how to tell if what you are buying is real silk or fake. Hint: take a lighter with you. If the burnt silk smells like burnt hair, you've got the real deal. It should also make ash when burnt.

Our last day and a half was a preview into what this country looks like during rainy season. We were caught out in one of the heaviest rains I have been in. At least the weather is still warm, so being sopping wet wasn't so bad for a short while. And it made the town seem even more beautiful.

If you ever find yourself in this part of the world, visiting Hoi An for a few days is an absolute must! By far the most picturesque town we have been in so far.

Wait! This isn't soup! ...oh well.

We took a incredibly scenic train ride from the town of Hoi An to Hue. Hue is the cultural and spiritual center of Vietnam. It was also the capital of the country until 1945. The city of Hue was very vulnerable during the war, as it's central location meant it was very close to the dividing line between north and south. The city was bombed heavily and many of the ancient sites were destroyed. Despite it's painful history, Hue is a vibrant city filled with friendly, welcoming people, who are proud of their unique home. Along with the religious and cultural importance that this city holds, Hue is also famous for it's food. Indeed, many of the residence in Hue that we have chatted with, proudly and confidently state that Hue produces the food with the best quality and taste in all of Vietnam.

Well, with these claims, we had to find out for ourselves. Colin and I had met an Australian couple, Georgia and Simon, a few days earlier on our way to Hoi An. We rode a unexpectedly long ride on a bus together and bonded over stories of Australia, New Zealand, Canada (where they live now), and the emptiness of our stomachs. We had all just gotten off a night train and had had no chance to eat breakfast before we were rather intensely waved onto a bus headed for Hoi An. We exhanged information so we could perhaps grab a meal out later. It worked out great - we ended up arriving in this culinary capital the same day. Simon and Georgia were planning on going to a restaraunt called "The Hanh." Colin and I gladly accepted their kind invitation to join them.            

              

The Hanh is a very popular restarunt in Hue. It has very high ratings on travel sites like tripadvisor, but it is charmingly humble in it's appearance. Located on a quiet street filled with other food stands and hole-in-the-wall diners, the main room is filled with tables and chairs - some plastic, some metal, some wood - and a host of friendly waiters. We all ordered their famous meal - a 5 course dinner. Each item was a Vietnamese, if not specifically Hue, classic.

Foodies would have loved this place. It was delicious food that made us feel like we were getting a truly local experience.

Streamed rice cakes with shrimp served with sweet chilli fish sauce.

Nem Lui - the chef's specialty. Pork grilled on lemon grass sticks served with vegatables and peanut sauce and wrapped in rice paper.

Soft rice paper filled with beef and vegetables served with a spicy fish sauce.

Fried spring rolls filled with meat, mushrooms, carrots, and a host of delicious seasonings!

A rice pancake with pork and shrimp.  Like eating a rice hard shell taco. :) 

Our most memerable moment of the night was perhaps concerning the bowl of "soup" pictured above. Our waiter brought this to us, along with 3 other small bowls. He spooned a bit into my bowl and said, "Soup." Soup wasn't on the menu, so we were delighted at this extra treat. We all enjoyed our soups and commented on the unique and strong flavours. It really was quite good! It was only at the end of the night that we realized that this "soup" was actually a sauce that was meant to accompany some of the dishes we were served. Yes, we had happily served ourselves bowls of sauce and slurped them down with the tiny sauce spoons we had been given. It may have looked pretty funny to any of the locals who happened to glance at our table, but, hey, we ended up having 6 courses instead of 5! 

We bid farewell to our new friends and made it back to our hotel to see the firework show that the city put on that evening in rememberance of the war. Between the flavours of the meal we had enjoyed and the beauty of the night, Hue is shaping up to be a favorite.

Floating Markets Of the Mekong Delta

Colin and I made our way from the Vietnam border at Ha Tien to the city of Can Tho. Can Tho is the largest city in the Mekong Delta region and has many activities and sights to offer it's visitors. One of the most popular things to do is a tour of the floating markets.

We decided to splurge a little and bought a tour through our guest house. We could have found a cheaper option, but decided to go the easy route for a few more dollars and not have deal with the hassel of doing it independently. 

Our tour was just the two of us and our boat driver - a swell guy who introduced himself to us as Hon. Hon met us outside our hostel at 5:30am and off we went!

After following the Mekong for the past six weeks, it was a fitting farewell to the mighty river. The early start meant we got to see the sunrise one last time over the water.

Our first stop was at the Cai Rang Floating Market. It is the biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta. We saw a myriad of fruits and vegetables being sold and were  fascinated by the variety of shapes, sizes, and colors of the boats.

Most of the boats had long bamboo poles sticking up into the air, advertizing what goods were for sale. The boat pictured above was selling onions, pumpkins, and garlic.

Hon was kind enough to buy and cut a pineapple for us. What a guy!

Next we took in the Phong Dien Market. This one was much smaller and there were very few motorized boats. The majority were row boats. Again, there was fresh produce and friendly vendors. This time we were given a fresh, ripe mango to sample.

Next we turned off the main water way into a narrow canal. It was nice to see such a quiet, remote area so near a large city. Farmers, fishermen, people washing clothes, and children playing in the water were just a few of the sights to which we were treated. Colin was especially excited about the numerous mudskippers we saw, flopping back and forth on the muddy banks. As we moved along, we were suprised at how many different canals we saw shooting off in many direction. Props to the drivers that navigate this maze!

Due to the high amount of rubbish that is found in the Mekong, we occasionally had to stop so Hon could remove the plastic bag or piece of rope that has wrapped itself around the propeller.

After a few hours on the boat, it was great to get out and stretch our legs. We were dropped off on shore and instructed to meet the boat further down the canal. The path was surrounded by fruit trees of all kinds: coconut, mango, papaya, jack fruit (my new favorite), apples, and bananas.

Our driver was waiting for us at a lovely, scenic restaurant. There we order the fresh fish direct from the river and enjoyed perhaps the best meal we have had in southeast Asia.

After relaxing for a while and admiring the beautiful gardern, we loaded the boat and headed back to the city.

Our tour was about 7 hours long with a very early start, which left us plenty of time to explore other parts of Can Tho. This trip is a delight to the senses....delicious food, beautiful sights, hectic markets, and peaceful resting spots. Well worth it!