Hue to Hoi An - Day 7

Well we’re finally cooling off -- amazing what a typhoon can do to temperatures.  We left Hue at about 7:45 this a.m., in a light shower.  Within a few minutes we were in driving rain with very strong winds.  When we stopped for “Happy Room” break we had to use umbrellas and even then managed to get pretty wet.  Our next stop was in DaNang at a marble carving factory.  The skies opened on us, and though we tried to wait it out, we eventually made a mad dash for the bus.  Surprisingly we didn’t get nearly as wet as we thought we might.  The marble carving was very interesting.  It has been a cottage industry here for hundreds of years because of a nearby marble mountain, but mainly focused on Buddhist related images.  With the onset of significant foreign tourism it has now expanded to incorporate more Western looking images, including some very modern looking items.  Lunch in Hoi An is a real treat -- maybe the best so far.  Many dishes but not exactly the same, and just delicious.  We are staying at Ancient House Hotel in Hoi An which is interesting in that it is arranged much like an old inn with rooms on many levels, no elevators, lots of stairs, four-poster beds with mosquito nets, while at the same time offering cable tv and in-room wi-fi free of charge.  Hoi An and Hue are in central Vietnam, and as such are significantly different from the north.  Houses are mainly one story, colors are different, the area seems more prosperous, etc. 

This afternoon, with no regard for the rain pouring down on us, we take a walking tour of Hoi An’s old city.  It centers around a bridge built nearly 300 years ago to join the Japanese side of the old city with the Chinese city.  We visit a Chinese Buddhist temple/gathering place, the old wooden bridge, the Japanese side of the village including a visit to a Vietnam Historical Site that is a several hundred year old merchant’s home and shop.  We also walk along the river where we recognize that the river is already spilling its banks, not a good sign for tomorrow’s activities.  But we roll with the flow.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings.  We complete our visit with a Vietnam cooking demonstration at a local restaurant.  It is participatory, meaning we have to prepare at least a part of our evening meal.  Kind of fun, and the food is excellent.