Driving to Hoi An was great - good to be out of cities and into the country side.Watching the people at work in the fields showed a huge contrast between the rice farmers who work by hand (maybe a buffalo if you are lucky) and the city based people who can afford a car. We travelled a
over the Hou Van Pass which was a strategic point in the war (and in the past) and travelled down do Danang which is a city on the rise. Is now 'government' managed and is under major development. They had a typhoon last September and we stopped to gawk at one of 4 ships that had been grounded on the beach.
Crawling around Marble Mountain was fun - again a place that featured in the war and with historical Pagodas- and you can buy a life size marble lion, dragon, banana or what ever! One of the best things was seeing a pet monkey sitting in a tree outside one of the shops. It had a collar and lead - not sure whether is was being fattened for the Sunday roast or not.
We met up with David's brother and sister-in-law in Hoi An, they are heading north while we head south. It was great to be able to share the evening with them, especially as Jacintha had some dresses made which were not what she wanted, nor did they fit properly. Having a bit of sewing experience was useful in helping her to tell the tailors that they were not acceptable. In the end she won!
I am getting some boots made, so have my fingers crossed that they will be OK.
David hired a motorbike today and Ella and I hired bicycles and rode out to the beach. It was an experience negotiating the cars, buses, motorbikes, bicycles and rough roads, but it was so good the walk in the sand and paddle our feet in the South China Sea. It made us just a wee bit homesick for camping at Hahei or Whangamata. We also went for a family ride on the scooter VN style!
Being in Hoi An has been one of the highlights of our trip.
Tomorrow morning we fly to Ho Chi Min on our way to Sem Riep in Cambodia. Another phase of the adventure.
NB The boots fit - I just have to get them into my bag now!
Family Travel VN style - great fun!
2 comments:
Good to see you in your T shirts and crocs again! 3 on a scooter with Ella "sans hat" looked classic - how did she handle Dave?!
We hope you are having better weather than us - foul for the last 3 days and another zero on the open home front today... know anyone who wants to move to Outram?!
Can you believe we've had the fire going again?... finally skyped with the family in UK and saw all their lovely snow - we all had our thermals on! Nearly 50mm rain since last Thursday... stay where you are, I don't think there's going to be a summer at all!
The good news is that it looks like we'll be around for a while yet, for cockling and "stuff" when you get home!
TTFN
The Stiles Crew
Ella is ecstatic u will there when we get back! Just arrived Cambodia 34 degrees! Hot as a something. Off raiding temples this arvo. Mozzies are a bummernone of those in Outram. Looking forward 2 catching up soon.
Post a Comment