Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Koh Samui
We left Koh Tao for Koh Samui where planned to stay only one night in order to take a day trip out to Ang Thong National Marine Park—a more tropical version of Halong Bay. Unfortunately, because of the fickle weather, the government closed the park and we had to resort to Plan B. The Lonely Planet describes Samui as a beautiful woman who wears too much makeup, in other words, a bit overdone. We opted to save precious time and check out of the hotel we had just checked into and catch the next ferry to Surat Thani on the mainland so that we could be on the west coast the following day. Surat Thani was a perfect example of a true Thai city. We were the only two westerners in town, it seemed, and we couldn’t find a word of English anywhere. If it weren’t for the waitress who translated their menu, we would have gone to bed hungry.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Koh Tao
We retreated to Koh Tao for a few days, but decided the consistent rain would push us to the west coast. We did, however, reach the epitome of relaxation here with both hammocks strung on the front porch of our bungalow and more than enough time to ignore the reality of impending work that looms overhead. If you didn’t find us in our cocoons, we could have been stuck in the depths of a bean bag or reclined against a Thai cushion enjoying happy hour and the one sunset that the clouds would let us see.
Since Koh Tao is renowned as a diving mecca, we signed up for two dives even though the weather rumored to ruin the visibility. Our first dive site was a cluster of large boulders that is home to a Crayola box of sea anemone and a dozen or so school of fish. We swam up close with groups of batfish, large grouper, barracuda, triggerfish, and other tinier reef fish. Further down we caught three grey reef sharks browsing the plentiful snack options that were swimming amongst us. Because of its bounteous sea life and activity, this dive location was one of our favorite. The second was unfortunately a victim to poor visibility. We were both startled by a suckerfish who attached himself to our legs thinking we were a shark or some other hospitable sea creature. Otherwise, there was not much more to see other than the back of each other’s fins to guarantee that neither of us vanished into the murky abyss.
Since Koh Tao is renowned as a diving mecca, we signed up for two dives even though the weather rumored to ruin the visibility. Our first dive site was a cluster of large boulders that is home to a Crayola box of sea anemone and a dozen or so school of fish. We swam up close with groups of batfish, large grouper, barracuda, triggerfish, and other tinier reef fish. Further down we caught three grey reef sharks browsing the plentiful snack options that were swimming amongst us. Because of its bounteous sea life and activity, this dive location was one of our favorite. The second was unfortunately a victim to poor visibility. We were both startled by a suckerfish who attached himself to our legs thinking we were a shark or some other hospitable sea creature. Otherwise, there was not much more to see other than the back of each other’s fins to guarantee that neither of us vanished into the murky abyss.
Koh Pha-Ngan and the Full Moon Party
We took the bus to Laos’ capital, Vientiane, and rested overnight before catching the 14-hour bus to Bangkok. We cannot go without mentioning that our double-decker bus had multi-colored lights and elaborate and quite tacky paintings on the side (it went nicely with the bright pink trim). This was our first overland border crossing—something both of us hadn’t done since separate trips to Tijuana, Mexico. Even though we had to wait and switch to the other side of the road, the transition over the Friendship Bridge and into Thailand went smoothly. We made it to Bangkok at 7 am and were to fly south to Ko Samui the following morning at 6 am. This was our marathon journey down to southern Thailand to make the full moon party on October 26th a few days in advance so that we could secure accommodation and a normal (yea right) sleeping pattern before pulling the infamous all-nighter. Before 5:30 am, we managed to drive 45 minutes out of the way to the wrong airport and make record-breaking time all the way back across the city—just barely making our flight. It was our stressful situation for the week, but hey, we’re in the land of smiles.
By the time we made it to Koh Pha-ngan, it was raining. We have been fortunate to have wonderful weather up to this point so the rain (at first) turned out to be relaxing and tolerable. Somehow we managed to get a bungalow right off the beach at Paradise Bungalows—the original home of the full moon party. While the location was right on Haad Rin, we knew we would pay the price for thumping techno until dawn even days before the main event. A little glimpse into our world on Haad Rin: a bamboo-woven bungalow with fan, cold water, and an abundance of cockroaches, centipedes, and mosquitoes to kill. The toilet “flushes” when you dump water from the nearby bucket into the bowl. One employee goes by Handsome and the other walks around in hot pink fisherman pants with a pet squirrel on a leash. The power cuts on and off sporadically, but the atmosphere was unique and we enjoyed fitting in and making ourselves at home for several days.
Backpackers migrate here once a month to partake in the world’s largest party at that time. The tradition has consumed the island and its popularity has even started up black and half moon parties for those who cannot make that one special day each month. Prices and crowds increase as the date gets closer and the sound of beach party music never seems to leave your head. The most budget beverage of choice here is a Sang Som (Thai rum) bucket. Dozens of stalls and bars sell plastic buckets with a pint of liquor, a can of soda to mix, a small bottle of Red Bull, and about 10 straws (even though no one every uses that many). The key to these buckets is pacing yourself because if you’re not careful, their strength can sneak up on you.
The full moon party kicked off around 9 pm. Fire dancers twirled flames at high speeds, police patrolled the beach, young children sold glow sticks, the main crowd started sipping on buckets, others enjoyed people watching, and the fluorescent colored lights lit up body paint to go along with the insanely loud music. The tide had receded and there was plenty of room to pack on 10,000 or so people around all the action. We both bought matching Nemo hats so that we could keep up with each other. By early morning, some partygoers had called it a night or even opted to pass out on the beach (you know you’ve had too much when you can sleep with thousands of other people dancing to terrible techno). Meanwhile, deceitful lady boys (Thai male prostitutes dressed as women—don’t ask; we don’t understand) are taking advantage of ignorant and intoxicated guys and tons of people from all over the world are dancing to a song that has probably already been played once before. Late into the night we even scored a job behind the bar serving up buckets to the brave and mighty. With the amount of people on the beach at daybreak, you would think it was only 2 am. The gradual light slowly dissolved a party that could have kept going had the sun never risen. Morning, however, was our excuse to sleep, which we didn’t think twice about. We had survived the full moon party and done it well, but it was now time to rest a body that wasn’t used to this rock star lifestyle.
By the time we made it to Koh Pha-ngan, it was raining. We have been fortunate to have wonderful weather up to this point so the rain (at first) turned out to be relaxing and tolerable. Somehow we managed to get a bungalow right off the beach at Paradise Bungalows—the original home of the full moon party. While the location was right on Haad Rin, we knew we would pay the price for thumping techno until dawn even days before the main event. A little glimpse into our world on Haad Rin: a bamboo-woven bungalow with fan, cold water, and an abundance of cockroaches, centipedes, and mosquitoes to kill. The toilet “flushes” when you dump water from the nearby bucket into the bowl. One employee goes by Handsome and the other walks around in hot pink fisherman pants with a pet squirrel on a leash. The power cuts on and off sporadically, but the atmosphere was unique and we enjoyed fitting in and making ourselves at home for several days.
Backpackers migrate here once a month to partake in the world’s largest party at that time. The tradition has consumed the island and its popularity has even started up black and half moon parties for those who cannot make that one special day each month. Prices and crowds increase as the date gets closer and the sound of beach party music never seems to leave your head. The most budget beverage of choice here is a Sang Som (Thai rum) bucket. Dozens of stalls and bars sell plastic buckets with a pint of liquor, a can of soda to mix, a small bottle of Red Bull, and about 10 straws (even though no one every uses that many). The key to these buckets is pacing yourself because if you’re not careful, their strength can sneak up on you.
The full moon party kicked off around 9 pm. Fire dancers twirled flames at high speeds, police patrolled the beach, young children sold glow sticks, the main crowd started sipping on buckets, others enjoyed people watching, and the fluorescent colored lights lit up body paint to go along with the insanely loud music. The tide had receded and there was plenty of room to pack on 10,000 or so people around all the action. We both bought matching Nemo hats so that we could keep up with each other. By early morning, some partygoers had called it a night or even opted to pass out on the beach (you know you’ve had too much when you can sleep with thousands of other people dancing to terrible techno). Meanwhile, deceitful lady boys (Thai male prostitutes dressed as women—don’t ask; we don’t understand) are taking advantage of ignorant and intoxicated guys and tons of people from all over the world are dancing to a song that has probably already been played once before. Late into the night we even scored a job behind the bar serving up buckets to the brave and mighty. With the amount of people on the beach at daybreak, you would think it was only 2 am. The gradual light slowly dissolved a party that could have kept going had the sun never risen. Morning, however, was our excuse to sleep, which we didn’t think twice about. We had survived the full moon party and done it well, but it was now time to rest a body that wasn’t used to this rock star lifestyle.
Vang Vieng
Lonely Planet has named Vang Vieng a backpacker’s writ of passage, and rightfully so. Like Thailand’s full moon party on Koh Pha-ngan, backpackers from all over the world make an effort to come here (but thankfully, not all at the same time). The town is merely a small intersection lined with cheap guesthouses offering $4 rooms and bars that play commercial-free re-runs of Friends all day, everyday. All of a sudden, we’ve watched 15 episodes of Friends and eaten lunch and dinner without moving. I swear it was just light outside. The concept is socially antisocial because at almost all hours of the day a bar will be packed with people, but none of them are talking to each other. All seating in these restaurants only faces the TV and is in reclining positions with tons of cushions. We’re not sure why the obsession with Friends caught on here, but no one seems to be complaining. As a matter of fact, if it’s not playing, the bars are empty. Walking down the street you can easily catch one of Ross and Rachel’s arguments blaring two doors down or Joey’s classic, “How you doin?” We just couldn’t get enough...
The other thing to do in Vang Vieng is equally as fun and lazy. We rented inner tubes in the early afternoon and a tuk tuk dropped us off 5 km up the river. For the first time (really since we’ve started traveling), we met a group of Americans who joined us on our journey down the river. There were ten bars over the 3-mile stretch. We were lured into bar #1 by guys with bamboo poles that they would stick out for us to grab. The country’s national beverage, Beerlao, was only $1 and came in over a ½ liter bottle so we new it would be impossible to make all ten bars. Regardless, it was fun to stop and swing on the high zip lines or swings that surprisingly managed to stay in tact with their rickety bamboo structures. The current on the river was a little more than we expected, but that wasn’t a problem for the bar owners who would throw out a bottle on a string or even swim out to get you if there initial strategy failed. Unfortunately, time flew by and we found ourselves tubing the last little bit in the dark. Thankfully though, some kids ran out into the water to stop us because otherwise we would have slowly made our way to Vientiane (4 hours by bus and who knows how long by tube).
Vang Vieng is one of our favorite places. Aside from its mindless activity and leisurely lifestyle that has backpacker written all over it, the small and simple town was a break from cultural immersion and temple visits, which is perfect every now and then when the world becomes a list of dos and don’ts.
The other thing to do in Vang Vieng is equally as fun and lazy. We rented inner tubes in the early afternoon and a tuk tuk dropped us off 5 km up the river. For the first time (really since we’ve started traveling), we met a group of Americans who joined us on our journey down the river. There were ten bars over the 3-mile stretch. We were lured into bar #1 by guys with bamboo poles that they would stick out for us to grab. The country’s national beverage, Beerlao, was only $1 and came in over a ½ liter bottle so we new it would be impossible to make all ten bars. Regardless, it was fun to stop and swing on the high zip lines or swings that surprisingly managed to stay in tact with their rickety bamboo structures. The current on the river was a little more than we expected, but that wasn’t a problem for the bar owners who would throw out a bottle on a string or even swim out to get you if there initial strategy failed. Unfortunately, time flew by and we found ourselves tubing the last little bit in the dark. Thankfully though, some kids ran out into the water to stop us because otherwise we would have slowly made our way to Vientiane (4 hours by bus and who knows how long by tube).
Vang Vieng is one of our favorite places. Aside from its mindless activity and leisurely lifestyle that has backpacker written all over it, the small and simple town was a break from cultural immersion and temple visits, which is perfect every now and then when the world becomes a list of dos and don’ts.
Luang Prabang
Ah, Luang Prabang. The sigh of relief came naturally when we realized this quaint town was much like Hoi An (maybe even better). We opted to fly into Laos since apparently the only other option to the northern part of the country was by sawngthaew. While it appears fancy, the word means converted pickup truck. We may be “roughing” it, we did not consider jostling our bodies on metal benches with minimal protection for the supposed 10-hour journey from the Vietnamese-Laos border. Flying in we got a glimpse of the countryside—emerald green forests with rugged limestone mountains that live in harmony with tall palms and native tribes.
The night market off of the main street sells a variety of handicrafts from soft cotton souvenir t-shirts to handmade textiles and Lao silk scarves and wall hangings. All of the items laid out on red cloth and neatly folded displayed a wide array of bold and bright colors. Luckily, there is no buyer’s remorse here because any purchase you make is considered lucky to the seller. We realized this when Katie bought a pair of fisherman pants and the woman took her money and touched each remaining item with the bills before placing them in her pocket.
The main street was lined with outdoor seating at cafes to treat the sweet tooth and delicious restaurants specializing in Lao cuisine. The first night we sat on bean bags at a wine bar and sipped on a nice drop, which was something we hadn’t enjoyed since our time in Brisbane.
We spent a day in Luang Prabang exploring the town’s wats (Buddhist temples) by bicycle. We started off at the most impressive one, which sits at the end of the peninsula where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet. Wat Xieng Thong was built in 1560 and is covered primarily in colorful mosaics and gold leaf painting. We kept with tradition and wore appropriate clothing, took off our shoes before entering, and only addressed the monks with a bow and prayer-like gesture. That afternoon we did our part for charity and enjoyed an hour-long massage at the Red Cross.
The following day we went to the All Lao Elephant Camp and enjoyed an hour long elephant ride through dense jungle. We walked through creeks, knee-deep mud, and even got several feet deep in the river. Both of us got to ride on the back of his neck and get plenty wet when he playfully splashed his trunk in the river. As a thank-you we bought two banana bushels and spoiled our elephant for her hard work. After lunch we boarded a bamboo raft and floated down the river to the Tad Sae waterfalls. However, it wasn’t that simple. The raft barely floated and somehow managed to fit six passengers who all sat on black inner tubes since the 28 bamboo sticks were submerged underwater. For the hour long ride down the river we were all killing or flicking a number of creepy crawlers that decided to come out of the woodwork. Brady found two snails suctioned to her body and spiders, beetles, crickets, lizards, and other many-legged creatures snuck up on us from all angles. While the water was a bit chilly, we enjoyed hopping from one waterfall tier to the other. On the way back to town, we drove through two rural villages and got a glimpse of their thatched hut lifestyle and lack of modern amenities that most Laos people live without.
Before catching our bus to Vang Vieng, we woke up at 6 am to partake in the daily routine of feeding the monks. We bought a bowl of sticky rice, bananas, and other food items and set up a mat to await their arrival. They walk down the main street in a single-file line with a canister that each person fills with a pinch of rice and whatever else they had to give. As women, it was respectful for us to kneel when giving them food. At the end of the procession, the monks put all of the offerings together and split it evenly.
Those who visit Laos say the tourist experience is similar to what a visit to Thailand or Vietnam would have been like 15 years ago. As one of the world’s most bombed countries, Laos is also Earth’s least developed country. We would realize the latter on the long and windy bus ride south. Despite that tragedy, the mixture of an untouched and serene geography with their warm and genuine people has made Laos one of our favorite countries...already.
The night market off of the main street sells a variety of handicrafts from soft cotton souvenir t-shirts to handmade textiles and Lao silk scarves and wall hangings. All of the items laid out on red cloth and neatly folded displayed a wide array of bold and bright colors. Luckily, there is no buyer’s remorse here because any purchase you make is considered lucky to the seller. We realized this when Katie bought a pair of fisherman pants and the woman took her money and touched each remaining item with the bills before placing them in her pocket.
The main street was lined with outdoor seating at cafes to treat the sweet tooth and delicious restaurants specializing in Lao cuisine. The first night we sat on bean bags at a wine bar and sipped on a nice drop, which was something we hadn’t enjoyed since our time in Brisbane.
We spent a day in Luang Prabang exploring the town’s wats (Buddhist temples) by bicycle. We started off at the most impressive one, which sits at the end of the peninsula where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet. Wat Xieng Thong was built in 1560 and is covered primarily in colorful mosaics and gold leaf painting. We kept with tradition and wore appropriate clothing, took off our shoes before entering, and only addressed the monks with a bow and prayer-like gesture. That afternoon we did our part for charity and enjoyed an hour-long massage at the Red Cross.
The following day we went to the All Lao Elephant Camp and enjoyed an hour long elephant ride through dense jungle. We walked through creeks, knee-deep mud, and even got several feet deep in the river. Both of us got to ride on the back of his neck and get plenty wet when he playfully splashed his trunk in the river. As a thank-you we bought two banana bushels and spoiled our elephant for her hard work. After lunch we boarded a bamboo raft and floated down the river to the Tad Sae waterfalls. However, it wasn’t that simple. The raft barely floated and somehow managed to fit six passengers who all sat on black inner tubes since the 28 bamboo sticks were submerged underwater. For the hour long ride down the river we were all killing or flicking a number of creepy crawlers that decided to come out of the woodwork. Brady found two snails suctioned to her body and spiders, beetles, crickets, lizards, and other many-legged creatures snuck up on us from all angles. While the water was a bit chilly, we enjoyed hopping from one waterfall tier to the other. On the way back to town, we drove through two rural villages and got a glimpse of their thatched hut lifestyle and lack of modern amenities that most Laos people live without.
Before catching our bus to Vang Vieng, we woke up at 6 am to partake in the daily routine of feeding the monks. We bought a bowl of sticky rice, bananas, and other food items and set up a mat to await their arrival. They walk down the main street in a single-file line with a canister that each person fills with a pinch of rice and whatever else they had to give. As women, it was respectful for us to kneel when giving them food. At the end of the procession, the monks put all of the offerings together and split it evenly.
Those who visit Laos say the tourist experience is similar to what a visit to Thailand or Vietnam would have been like 15 years ago. As one of the world’s most bombed countries, Laos is also Earth’s least developed country. We would realize the latter on the long and windy bus ride south. Despite that tragedy, the mixture of an untouched and serene geography with their warm and genuine people has made Laos one of our favorite countries...already.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Hanoi and Halong Bay
Hanoi is the capital city and a busy, crowded image of the little things we’ve noticed that make up Vietnam. Women are crouched over in a balancing act, carrying heavy baskets full of anything and everything with a wooden bar over the back of their shoulders. Young men sit on the back of their motorbikes waving and signaling for your attention for the chance to be your personal chauffer. Meanwhile, at all hours of the day you can find people sitting on teeny, backless plastic chairs crowded around miniature tables eating whatever local food is being cooked street side—noodle soup (pho), whole fish, or even steamed, fertilized duck egg (hot vit lon). If that isn’t tempting, food stalls or push carts sell dried squid, baguettes, large wontons, fruits and vegetables, or again, almost anything you can or can’t imagine. Other women are squatting in an uncomfortable-looking position in order to organize their produce for sale on the ground of a busy street or market. Motorbikes continue to honk and whiz by, some with oversized cargo strapped to the back seat. We enjoy playing spot the random object on the motorbike. So far we’ve witnessed a door frame, a melting block of ice, a family of four, and 6-foot long rolls of foam. We’ve even heard stories of cows and pigs riding on the backseat. Since we’re so close to China, shops here (and not the rest of Vietnam) are full of plastic crap, to be honest. We went to the three-story market expecting to come out with empty pockets, but quickly realized everything was “Made in China” and either plastic hairclips, toys, or junk that is mass produced and sprinkled all over the world. In other words, it was worse than Wal-Mart. Other shops in the area, though, feature ethnic styles from the northern region of Sapa. Either way, in almost every store or hotel corner, you’re guaranteed to find a religious shrine with red lights, burning incense, small gifts, and the statue of a god or photographs of ancestors.
We took an overnight boat trip of Halong Bay to escape the “organized” chaos that is Hanoi. We booked our tour with Sinh Café, a backpacker’s travel agency throughout Vietnam. T
heir success in the country has lead almost every single travel agency to copy the name and logo as an attempt to attract more business. We caught on quickly when every other booking agent claimed to be the “real” Sinh Café. We were fortunate to have a business card from Hoi An with the correct address. We boarded a typical, wooden Halong bay junk (boat) with three stories and a pagoda-like design. We lucked out with nice weather since northern Vietnam had just endured two grueling typhoons during the two weeks we were here. Vietnam’s most famous World Heritage Site and its biggest tourist destination, Halong Bay means descending dragon because of its 2,000+ islands of irregular shaped limestone formations that jut out of the ocean. Floating through the protruding rock cliffs was serene and mystical and its hazy and silent demeanor in the early morning was eerie. We stopped at two caves with probably fifty other junks, which made us realize this beautiful, natural site has been consumed by tourism. Lying out on the top deck and kayaking around smaller islands helped distract us from this unfortunate reality. There are floating communities in Halong Bay with families residing in old, small wooden boats and working on fish farms. They also enjoy the perks of small sales thanks to the daily foreigners that drop in. We stayed on board overnight with a group of about 15 and returned to Halong City the following morning.
Vietnam presented us with a bunch of new experiences and introduced us to a not-so-Western way of life. We've seen a variety of amazing places and enjoyed sampling the cuisine. Overall, you can say Vietnam left a great taste in our mouth.
We took an overnight boat trip of Halong Bay to escape the “organized” chaos that is Hanoi. We booked our tour with Sinh Café, a backpacker’s travel agency throughout Vietnam. T
heir success in the country has lead almost every single travel agency to copy the name and logo as an attempt to attract more business. We caught on quickly when every other booking agent claimed to be the “real” Sinh Café. We were fortunate to have a business card from Hoi An with the correct address. We boarded a typical, wooden Halong bay junk (boat) with three stories and a pagoda-like design. We lucked out with nice weather since northern Vietnam had just endured two grueling typhoons during the two weeks we were here. Vietnam’s most famous World Heritage Site and its biggest tourist destination, Halong Bay means descending dragon because of its 2,000+ islands of irregular shaped limestone formations that jut out of the ocean. Floating through the protruding rock cliffs was serene and mystical and its hazy and silent demeanor in the early morning was eerie. We stopped at two caves with probably fifty other junks, which made us realize this beautiful, natural site has been consumed by tourism. Lying out on the top deck and kayaking around smaller islands helped distract us from this unfortunate reality. There are floating communities in Halong Bay with families residing in old, small wooden boats and working on fish farms. They also enjoy the perks of small sales thanks to the daily foreigners that drop in. We stayed on board overnight with a group of about 15 and returned to Halong City the following morning.Vietnam presented us with a bunch of new experiences and introduced us to a not-so-Western way of life. We've seen a variety of amazing places and enjoyed sampling the cuisine. Overall, you can say Vietnam left a great taste in our mouth.
Tomorrow, we're off to Laos!
Hoi An
Hoi An’s uneven streets are lined with yellow stucco buildings whose chipped paint and decay add to the old town’s character and charm. Every other building is a tailor shop displaying the latest fashions and their ability to recreate almost any style to fit you. Custom-fit clothes designed to our liking were hard to turn down, so we didn’t. We both got fitted for winter jackets and suits—a small touch of reality for what’s to come in the next few months. We denied that fact, however, and enjoyed picking out fabrics, liners, and getting measured, which was also a nice escape from the blistering heat.
We wandered through the large covered market, which kept away the hot sun by draping torn cloths together. Hundreds of Vietnamese women sold everything from cultured pearls to dead (but fresh) fish to dragon fruit and underwear. The mixture of humidity and dried seafood stench made us gag and forced us to turn around and exit quickly, gasping for fresh air. French colonialism is most evident in Hoi An with an influence on the town’s architecture, cuisine and cafes that beckon the weary traveler. The shaded outdoor seating is perfect to escape the midday sun and enjoy a refreshing fruit shake or cocktail (it always seems to be happy hour somewhere). At night these cafes and quaint restaurants are decorated with large lanterns that provide dim, but colorful light and a relaxing ambiance. At any time of day, we enjoyed sitting on the balcony or patio to rest our feet and watch the world go by.
We took a half-day trip 35km outside of Hoi An to visit My Son (mee-sun). These Cham empire ruins date back to the 7th century. Though some areas were damaged from bombs during the war, there are still remnants of the ancient lifestyle with red brick temples, religious statues, and intricate stone carvings.
We wandered through the large covered market, which kept away the hot sun by draping torn cloths together. Hundreds of Vietnamese women sold everything from cultured pearls to dead (but fresh) fish to dragon fruit and underwear. The mixture of humidity and dried seafood stench made us gag and forced us to turn around and exit quickly, gasping for fresh air. French colonialism is most evident in Hoi An with an influence on the town’s architecture, cuisine and cafes that beckon the weary traveler. The shaded outdoor seating is perfect to escape the midday sun and enjoy a refreshing fruit shake or cocktail (it always seems to be happy hour somewhere). At night these cafes and quaint restaurants are decorated with large lanterns that provide dim, but colorful light and a relaxing ambiance. At any time of day, we enjoyed sitting on the balcony or patio to rest our feet and watch the world go by.
We took a half-day trip 35km outside of Hoi An to visit My Son (mee-sun). These Cham empire ruins date back to the 7th century. Though some areas were damaged from bombs during the war, there are still remnants of the ancient lifestyle with red brick temples, religious statues, and intricate stone carvings.
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