Hoi An, Vietnam

I was thrilled that we were going to Vietnam. But I had to laugh as I heard myself telling people we were going to Vietnam for the weekend.

We arrived at Danang International Airport after a 2 1/2 flight from Singapore. Airport a bit dingy, but customs was a breeze. In advance, we obtained Visas from the Embassy located in Singapore. A 30 min. bus ride, passing China Beach (Outpost during the war), to the Victoria - Hoi An, our hotel (pic.).

Our first day in Hoi An, we hired "Cyclones" - two persons riding, on guy bicycling - and a guide to show us the city. A highlight was the Japanese Bridge - one of the oldest in Hoi An. It was originally built around 1600 by Japanese traders who also created a Japanese quarter on one side of the bridge - a place to stay when traveling here. The bridge was later restored and maintained by the Chinese who settled Hoi An and lived on the other side of the bridge. We visited a House of Commerce where the kids learned how to play dominoes. There was an adorable puppy at the house that would not leave Nathan's side. He was following him so closely that he even knocked Nathan down! Hilarious.

The second day we drove an hour to My Son ("Mee Son"), the site of ruins from the ancient Cham civilization of Vietnam. It is a good showing of Hindu architecture in the 4th century and has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, the site was heavily bombed during the war as US intelligence believed the Viet Cong were hiding among the ruins. Bombing was stopped in 1969 after strong public protest. We saw shell craters created by the bombs. The kids were really patient on a really hot day. Nathan, newly potty trained, bravely turned to nature when he had to go, as the Hindu did not build in a public toilet. My only concern is that Elie may have left an empty pretzel bag somewhere in one of the inside chambers.

Marc took the following video of the down while riding on the cyclone. It is a bit bumpy but worth having a look:

We had great babysitting and a "Kids Club" at the hotel. We put the kids to bed each night and got to explore the town and have a more "adventuresome" dinner. In the afternoons during nap, Marc and I rode bikes back to town to have lunch and shop.