Five days in Hoi An

Hoi An is idyllic. It's an old trading port, and one of the few well-preserved towns in Vietnam. Historic buildings from Chinese settlers, Japanese traders, and local Vietnamese combine for a very atmospheric city center. Adding to the magic, it's closed to traffic most of the day. Anyone who has ever travelled in Southeast Asia will understand what a relief it is to be spared the hordes of motorbikes for a few hours. Hoi An is definitely a tourist destination, but that's not all bad since it has resulted in good food, wine, and cocktails on offer. And if that weren't enough, there's a great beach close by (10 minutes by bike).

We spent five nights in Hoi An last week, and could have stayed longer. Mornings on the beach, atmospheric wandering through town in the evening, cooking classes, delicious banh mi - all of it was a great, relaxing break from the bustle of Asia. 

Here's a link to our photo album: https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/6044738201205865729

We're in Hanoi now, just back from Halong bay and headed to Sapa tomorrow (on yet another night train). Halong  bay was beautiful, and Sapa should also be very scenic, if a whole lot cooler (think 60 instead of 108).  More on those adventures to come...