Atmospheric lantern town
Trip Start
Nov 24, 2010
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72
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Trip End
Sep 23, 2011
Hoi An, Vietnam
Saturday, June 11, 2011
We found a hotel for the night and set out to explore the area and grab a bite to eat.
The first thing we have noticed is that the locals already seem friendlier than previous places we have been to in Vietnam.
Apart from Halong Bay, we have been disappointed with Vietnam so far but after strolling through the streets of Hoi An, this has changed. The old town has so much atmosphere you could reach out and touch it.The wooden fronted old style buildings are all lit up by beautiful lanterns & interspersed with small temples. As you reach the riverfront the scene gets even better. Quaint bars and restaurants line the waterside and the river glitters with floating lanterns that people release hoping their wish is carried away to a realm where they come true. We took a walk along the bridge and watched as more big bright silk lanterns swayed in the warm evening breeze. At one end of the river there are huge floating lanterns of various animals depicting the Chinese horoscopes including the dragon, cat and a turtle. The streets have a sense of calm about them as they are closed off to motorised transport, it is nice that now all we have to dodge are bicycles.
Lisa has enquired at a few tailors to see if she could have a dress made but the one she wants is too much work and they want to charge $100, more than her budget. She has got some custom made shoes instead!
We ended our first night by having some traditional Vietnamese food , our first in Vietnam so far. We had a feast of white rose dumplings, Vietnamese spring rolls, crispy shrimp pancakes, Cab Lau (we think) noodle dish and rice, it's fair to say we struggled to move after.
On the way back to our hotel we passed quite a few.....yep you guessed it.....bakeries!! Jon was a happy boy and he went to sleep dreaming of a patisserie heaven that shimmered in the glow of beautiful silk lanterns. :-)
These 3 days that we have spent here haven't been taken up with tours or cycling or anything strenuous for that matter and we have just chilled out (it was and still is needed) and have been content with being in beautiful surroundings, strolling around in the sun, sipping cold drinks and for Lisa thinking about what souvenir she would like to buy. We have seen all the sites the old town has to offer including the Japanese covered bridge and at night, the lantern markets, a beautiful spectacle in itself. On seeing the market, Lisa has decided that a lantern would be the perfect keepsake from Hoi An.
