Hoi An

We flew in to Da Nang, site of a major American air base during the conflict in the 60s and 70s (what the Vietnamese call the “American War”). It is a large city but we didn’t spend much time there. We stayed at Hoi An a few kilometres to the south. We liked this area a lot. It was rural and a lot more peaceful than the big cities. For centuries the area was a stopping off point for traders plying between India and China so it has had cultural influences from both quarters.

The town is preserved largely as it was in the 18^th and 19^th centuries except that most of the houses are now shops.

This is the place where you can get clothes made in a couple of days. Noreen and Jenny availed themselves of this service and were very impressed with the results.

One of the more famous sights is the 17^th century Japanese bridge,

And an interior shot with our native guide.

Of course Noreen met a little person who was very interested in us strange westerners.

She also had to have a go carrying goods the way the locals do. She reports it is was very heavy and quite painful on the shoulders if you’re not used to the weight.

There are a number of important archaeological and historic site nearby. We visited the ancient ruins at My Son. These were constructed between the 4^th and 14^th centuries by the Cham people. They have survived years of neglect, half hearted restoration efforts by the French, use by local farmers and the Viet Cong and bombing by the Americans.

This apparently marked the centre of the Cham world.