Hoi An- 250606 A few hours on the beach was the tonic required- feeling refreshed and brian the brain is pulsating! Apparantly Hoi An has a big problem with flooding- somake sure you do not holiday here October and November times- being the central highlands there are only two seasons-wet & dry. In 1964- the floods reached the roof beams of the houses close to the waterfront with markers for proof. Even last year they suffered badly when the inhabitants had to move everything upstairs and wait for the ebb. From the 2nd-10th century-this region ws the heartland of the Kingdom of Champa when My Son was built.A spiritual centre- with magnificent ruins to see.Another Heritage site- recognised and admired worldwide. Hoi An was the first place to experience Christianity.It was completely destroyed during the Tayson rebellion but was rebuilt and continues to serve as a useful and fruitful port.During the French Colonisation Hoi An served as an administrative centre and then during the Vietnam war with the co operation from both sides it remained almost undamaged-thankfully. It was the first Chinese settlement and today 1300 of the population of 75,800 are ethnic Chinese.The relation between Chinese & Vietnamese are excellent partly becasue the Chinese have assimilated to the point that they even speak Vietnamese themselves. The cookery course at the Rdbridge Cooking School was a blast- beautifully done and great fun-Met some lovely Aussies- with brill humour and so we laughed our way through the day aswell as making some surprisingly good food. Learn how to make rice paper pancakes from scratch- seafood wrapped in banana leaves, sauteed squid with veg ,veggie carvings, claypot cooking etc- I cannot wait to tryit out. Went on another course tonight- - which was great- with the chef in a restaurant - it is so much easier when you see all the tricks of the trade- I love it- hope you will too. Here the MUST is to get silk clothes made-with literally hundreds of little shops stuffed to bursting with sample styles - it is hard to avoid-had acouple of Vietnamese style dresses made-ankle length ,slits up to the waist with baggy silky trousers-very elegant and surprisingly well made- look good here but can see them possibly visiting the fancy dress box when back in Bar Sur Loup.Be prepared for a Vietnamese theme party!!! Bicycle is a beauty- brand new sit up and beg number - feel like a right proper dame with my basket in front and straw hat on bonce- it is simply the only way to go. Cycling through lush padi fields ,over gentle bridges to the neverending beach is idyllic. The water felt like cool silk on my very sweaty panting bod. Am addicted to fresh lemon juice/ice (Only ice with the holes in which proves that it is good ice ) and the fruit salads here are more like a harvest festival on a platter. The hotels here range from $12-$400 a night- I popped into a couple of the resorts - all look clean some a bit sterile but good as it gets.The other lodges/B&B/Hotels around the old town are numerous and from what I have seen are generally good.Mine- with swimming pool,clean,air con,brekkie, internet that does not work and the most delightful staff cannot be faulted- think it is $18 a night.I have been staying in hotels from - $18-$45 and have yet to be disappointed. For me it is the lighting-in some you have dingy or the other extreme strip lighting blasting your eyeballs,the bathrooms have to be immaculate- and the linen spotless- as long as the staff are pleasant and I feel safe and clean - I really believe sleeping spots have been great. On that note I will zip off to get horizontal so I can watch England and Ecuador-- Love the lot of you Have decided sadly to move on to Hue on Tuesday- more war relics and tombs- but something that is of great interest to me- so will finish off my adventures in Hoi An - tomorrow.