The Central Coast

On Sunday morning, I spent sunrise walking along the Saigon River. This was a brilliant idea I had at 5 in the morning when I couldn’t go back to sleep. It was slightly less hot and humid, and there was less traffic, which helped with crossing the busy streets to get to the dock. The groups of people sitting by the water smiled at me. It was a nice last moment in Saigon.Sunrise on the Saigon River (Photo/Nicole Harrison)

We spent a while at the breakfast buffet since we weren’t going to have time to have a proper lunch. I had two breakfast realizations: I love passion fruit, and I have become competent enough with chopsticks that it was easier to eat my noodle soup with them (this was a nice congratulatory moment).

After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and got on a bus to the airport. Our tour manager, Dang, had the stressful job of getting 36 foreigners and their luggage through check in and security. Amusingly, the lady at security told me that she was going to run a test with my bin, and then placed a screwdriver under my phone. They seemed satisfied, so I’m guessing it worked.

After a short plane ride, we landed in Da Nang, which is on the central coast. We all got on the bus and went to China Beach, where Dang gave us Vietnamese beer and peanuts and let us have a few minutes on the beach. China Beach was given that name by the Americans, who sent soldiers there from the bases for R&R. We are not beach people, as a general rule, but we enjoyed walking along the water (which was surprisingly warm) and taking pictures of the water against the green mountains. There was a giant white status of the female Buddha, or Guan Yin, visible against the mountains, which added some nice color contrast against the green jungle and blue waves.China Beach (Photo/Jason Rafal)Us at China Beach (Photo/Dang)China Beach (Photo/Jason Rafal)

From the beach we drove to Hoi An, which Dang told us means “peaceful meeting place.” Along the beach in Dan Nang there were lots of upscale resorts and condos, and there was new construction happening everywhere along with advertisements for luxury living. As we drove south down the coast, these condos gave way to small houses where normal Vietnamese people lived.

Hoi An is absolutely adorable. The original part of the city has a lot of Chinese and Japanese influence and is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Across the Thu Bon River there is the newer part of town, which has a big less of the historical charm. Everything is beautiful. The buildings are colorful and cute architecturally, and the shops sell beautiful custom clothing, shoes, and other handmade goods.Hoi An (Photo/Jason Rafal)Hoi An (Photo/Jason Rafal)Hoi An (Photo/Jason Rafal)The Japanese Bridge (Photo/Jason Rafal)A dog wanders through the tourists (Photo/Jason Rafal)Light switches (Photo/Jason Rafal)Incense (Photo/Jason Rafal)Fukian Assembly Hall (Photo/Jason Rafal)

Hoi An is famous for its custom clothing and shoes, and Jason had been dreaming of a custom suit since we booked the trip, so we took a trip to a tailor that Dang recommended. When we were there, a busy and slightly frazzled woman walked us through picking fabric and styles between telling us about her 9-month old baby and laughing about our height (she said she would have tried to give me a deal, but my legs required too much fabric and she couldn’t do it). She was obviously very used to women bringing their significant others there to get them fitted, because she kept asking me for my approval on Jason’s choices on things like fabric and jacket length. I just nodded a lot, since it seemed easier than explaining my total lack of fashion sense. Jason ended up getting a suit and two shirts, and I got two dresses. She set a time for us to come in the next day to try them on, and then we wandered back into Hoi An.

After dark, Hoi An lights up. Each store front and restaurant has paper lanterns that are lit at sunset. There are many people wandering around selling lit candles in paper boxes, which purchasers can hold or lower into the river. There were also a few couples getting their pictures taken in small wooden boats full of the boxes of light.

A couple posing for photographs in front of the Japanese Bridge (Photo/Jason Rafal)

Selling snacks along the river (Photo/Jason Rafal)

Tomorrow, we leave in a boat for the countryside.