Friday, September 5, 2008

Hot and Not Bothered in Hoi An

From Nha Trang, we took a lurching night bus (with sleeper berths) to Hoi An. Here is Liz demonstrating our amusement - after 8 hours of lurching and swaying, and "sleep" interrupted by a horn So Loud that it could actually blow things off the road, we were less coy. Thank God for sedatives.


But we arrived in Hoi An, which is my favorite place in Vietnam. Its full of beautifully-preserved old buildings and temples.



Hoi An has rightfully earned its reputation as the "foodie mecca" of Vietnam. The local specialties are all good, the street food is a snacker's dream...hot soft tofu in sweet ginger sauce, served by an old woman who mocked my lame attempt at a squat. Also, they like ginger. I like ginger. Everyone got along.


I managed to eat - I kid you not - seven times in one day in Hoi An. This was partially because it was so hot - north of 100degrees and very humid. Even the fishermen hid under the bridge. So of course we had to escape the heat somehow, and what better way than to sit by the river with a 25-cent mug of fresh beer and a bowl of noodles. Also, Hoi An is just naturally sedate, unfettered and relaxing, as you would expect from a town of fishermen. I could have spent a week there.

No comments: