D16 This morning we went on a walking tour of Hoi An. What a cute town. Situated on the Hoai River and South China Sea (Pacific Ocean) the town of 120,000 is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered to be a very well preserved historical example of a SE Asia trading port. Much of the main town is pedestrian traffic only. Shops and restaurants about plus over 400 tailors. Hoi An is definitely the place for custom clothing. Lanterns hang over the roads ...

D15 This morning we drove three hours from Hue to Hoi An. Beautiful drive through the mountains and along the coastline. We stopped in Da Nang, a very popular tourist destination (cruise ships especially) and went to a Hindu museum. The Museum of Cham Sculpture houses sculptures, art, and pottery from the 9th-12th century. Hinduism was very popular in Vietnam at that time. Some pearls: 1. The Hindu worshiped sex organs. There are many phallic like s...

We started the morning with a long leisurely breakfast at the hotel. TB fell asleep on Grammer's shoulder so we sat at the breakfast table for about two hours or more so she could nap. Then we met Tuan and boarded a boat from the hotel and tooted down the Perfume River, arriving at one of Vietnam's oldest temples, Thiên Mu Pagoda. Although I did learn a few interesting facts there, I'm a bit templed out. Thiên Mu Temple translates into the Pagoda of the C...

D13: Another flight today and it was delayed about two hours. Good thing Hanoi is a nice airport where we had the best Pho we've ever had during said delay. So good. So much flavor. Delicious chili sauce. Almost worth a delay at the airport. We arrived in Hue mid afternoon and checked into our hotel, after being greeted by our guide, Tuan. He's nice so far but it will be hard to live up to Giang. (Mom and Dad cried when we said goodbye to Giang). Hue, ...

D12 We woke early to head to the Ninh Binh province, 100km from Hanoi. It took about 2 hours to get there. The beautiful drive through the countryside was worth it. Rice fields and mountains. This is the Vietnam you see in movies. We arrived to the countryside and got on a small row boat on the river for for a few hours. The path down the river took us through villages in the mountain. Mom and dad saw a group of monkeys but I didn't. TB didn't like it ...