In Hoi An now..

12 Oct 2006,

The bus to Hoi An was scheduled to arrive at hotel 7.30. I got up early, with my stuff packed the night before, I was just ready to go. Had some breakfast (they were actually not ready and was preparing the food), bread, banana pancakes and coffee. The receptionist was still there eating her Bun Bo Hue ☺.

I finished before long and just took a short walk in front of the hotel. People were having breakfast also, and I bought a small plastic bag of soya bean milk hehehehe not as sweet as my mom used to make, but nice…
The bus came just when I was in the bathroom, luckily I have finished with my ritual and hopped in the bus, leaving Hue to Hoi An. On the way we stopped at 2 places to take a break. The second stop was at the marble mountain and there were so many people selling little things made from marble. I don’t think they were hand made, though. Well, maybe some of them are, but other bigger things, statue of Kwan Im, Kwan Kong and the lions are just too perfect and all of them too identical..

Hoi An now. Arriving at 12 o’clock, this time I have someone already to pick me up, flashing his card with my name written on it. The guy took me to the hotel on his motorbike. It was a short trip. I’m staying in the Thien Thanh Hotel (www.hoianthienthanhotel.com), US$18/night, and it was a really beautiful hotel. The breakfast is had in the back of the hotel, on a terrace with view of green pond.











After checking in, I booked the tour for tomorrow to My Son (US$5 with bus and boat), and booked the plane ticket to Saigon. I changed my mind to take the train as the plane cost a just little bit more than the train. I took a short walk to the old town to have a little glimpse on what’s this town like. Well, it seemed that it’s better than Huè, people are friendlier and it’s less touristy.

I went to a little restaurant in the old town and tried the Hoi An specialities, the Cao Lau (thick noodle) and also a little dish called the white rose.
It’s similar to ha kau (dim sum) but instead of a shrimp inside, this one has a piece of steamed chopped shrimp. It was good also. One problem is that here in restaurant is too expensive, 15.000 for the cao lau and 25.000 for the white rose. In a restaurant that was recommended by the hotel’s receptionist, the white rose cost only 15.000 and it was more delicious. Anyway, it’s fine.

Then I rented the bicycle from the hotel (10.000Dong) and just strolled along the old town with sun setting down, beautiful...
On the way I bumped into Douglas, Jacklyn and Allan from the Halong Bay trip. Douglas stayed in this spooky, ethnic, old, antique chinese house and has the 2nd storey all for himself. It was actually interesting though, when you open your window, you have a view of the market right in front of it..

It was dark already when I passed the street and lantern sellers were making their items in the house with all the lanterns for sale turned on......