On Tuesday we had one final day in a very wet Hoi An. Even though we were soaked through for most of it, it didn’t take away from the charm of the place (it helped that the rain was warm!). The only down side (for me) was that the proper camera had to stay in the hotel...so just an iPhone for the day.
We had the opportunity to take it easy in the morning, so a slightly later breakfast and a wander into the old town for even more shopping and strong Vietnamese coffee.
On the way over to the island...mildly moist
In the afternoon we donned the Pac-a-Mac’s and caught a boat over to a local island. Half the group picked up bikes at the other side for their tour, the rest of us walked. We saw various traditional skills being demonstrated at small family houses - mat weaving, noodle making, and coracle making. The old boy building the coracle was 89 and had been making them for 70 years - he had a cheeky smile and twinkle in his eye, probably thinking we were mad westerners being out in such heavy rain.
On the way back from the island...drenched
We jumped back on the boat to the hotel to dry off and then I hoofed it quickly to the tailors to collect my suit and shirts. More on that later, but a great experience - made to measure in 24 hours!
An early start the following day to catch a flight to Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon). We arrived and had a walking tour of the city - the opera house, cathedral and markets. After that we headed to the War Remnants museum, which was a must see for me. The exhibitions were very powerful, particularly the war photography that featured ordinary Vietnamese people caught up in a senseless war. The use of Agent Orange and its impact on generations of children was just devastating to see.
After that we wandered down to see the place where the Buddhist monk self-immolated, and the monument to him. Seem to be drawn to that story, which is a bit morbid but just amazing what someone would do for what they believe in.
A quick dinner and then early night to prepare for the trip to the Mekong Delta!