Hoi An Old Town is a sight to behold at night.
The tourists all pour in and stream through narrow streets to a bridge over the Thu Bon River.
They are greeted to a resplendent scene of multi-coloured Chinese lanterns, both on rowing boats taking people for rides as well as on shore.
Bars and restaurants are full of diners from all over the world.
Stallholders sell an array of goods, including one guy whose sign proclaimed his BBQ fare was ‘F-ing Good’.
We settled for a birthday meal of home brew beer and fish and chips at Chips and Fish and Stuff which was delicious.
An Bang Beach
After spending a comfortable night at our home stay accommodation, Ancient Terracotta Villa, we strolled in the balmy heat through deserted rice fields.
In less than an hour, and crossing two rivers, we arrived at a great sandy beach – An Bang Beach
Beautiful young things from Germany and France strutted their stuff on the sand.
We got two sunbeds, slapped on the sunscreen and gazed at the gentle surf.
The sea felt cold at first, due to the air temperature, but was fine after you splash around for a bit.
After a few hours we fulfilled our promise to eat at a cafe behind us. (free sunbeds on condition of eating and drinking there)
We then grabbed a cheap Grab taxi back to base, freshened up, and later found Cafe 43, which served some tasty, dark, home brew as well as very nice food.
We spent our last day in Hoi An discovering the delights of the Old Town by day.
Old Japanese merchant houses nestle between ornate and colourful Chinese temples and ancient tea warehouses.
Bars, travel agents and a multitude of tailors sit hoping for custom.
And also in the mix is a market offering an array of fruit and vegetables.
We drank in the atmosphere as well as a couple of cold Fresh Beers. (local home brew)
One word of caution – bars will tell you they have local Fresh Beer when they mean Vietnamese bottled brands.
As we headed back to base to prepare for our last night we were met by a sobering sight.
In a small park sat some grey concrete bunker-like structures, remnants of the country’s darker times.
One was a torture chamber, and you can’t fail but to imagine the hell inflicted inside.
Little wonder modern day folk in Hoi An prefer to make their joyous town a little piece of Heaven.