All right folks, almost everyone I know has given me hell at one time or another for the off the beaten path places that I go to. Well, I 100% guarantee that you would all love Hoi An as well as Hue' in Vietnam. From the architecture to the relaxed atmosphere to the great food (seaside towns) and finally the history, both towns are perfect. Due to its unique architecture and street environment Hoi An is an UNESCO World Heritage site. This basically means that it is a cool place and they are given incentives to keep it they way. From the cool old homes where eight generations have lived, to fancy Japanese covered bridges, and meeting halls, Hoi An is picture perfect. However it is the unimaginable amount of custom-tailors per square foot that travellers seem to remember the most. You name it they can and will make it for you. Either design it yourself, or look at a western catalogue of some type, they will custom fit you within 24-hours. Most people opt for suits, but out of necessity, I opted for some winter clothes (Tibet in a month). The last cool part about Hoi An is actually not in Hoi An but in a village nearby, My Son (Me Son). Like Hoi An, My Son is another UNESCO World Heritage site. For the Texans out there, think of the Mayan civilization in Mexico and Central America. To borrow a Southeast Asia expression, it is the same same but different. My Son is relic from the Champa culture. Think lost cities and a lost culture destroyed by neglect, assimilation, and wars. I have had quite a few "good days" since I have left, but the last two in Hue' were among the very best. In short, Hue' deserved more time than I gave it. As the formal Imperial City of Vietnam, the amount of pagodas (150) and tombs (massive complexes), provided me with more history and beautiful architecture than I could have imagined. All I can say is that no matter what country and no matter what time period, the extravagance of the ruling class never ceases to astonish me. Hue' is also just south of the former North/South Vietnam Border. Probably the best thing that I have done so far is hiring moto guide as well as my own motorbike for the day. I used the day to tour the former Demilitarized Zone from the Vietnam War. While touring the DMZ was cool from a history perspective, it was the beautiful countryside and the vacant white, sandy beaches that really made the day. In addition every kid that I saw throughout the day said hello as I passed by, and if I stopped to take a picture of something, they would run up to chat with me. The only downside of the trip was the fact that we ended up spending the last hour of the day riding in the dark, not smart and definitely not safe. I arrived in Hanoi today. I plan on spending a couple of days here and then off to Halong Bay. Do a Google Image search on Halong Bay so you can see how I will be roughing it over the next few days. This sure beats the heck out of working!