Old Hoi An

Today was 39 degrees and the sunblock is getting a work out. We walked the old town today and went to a cultural music show! Hugo quipped says they should pay the audience but it was nice really. The old town ticket lets you go into the old homes and community halls of various communities that have survived for several hundred years (even through all the US bombings in the 60-70s. ). Its a lovely town and we walked it for 6 hours. Full of little alleys and nice spices and great smells everywhere of incense and cooking. People practising and plying their handcrafts a strange juxtaposition of old and new permeates the whole of Vietnam. You see old peole carrying their bamboo buckets and a mobile phone!! Monks in traditional robes and racing a rafio control car! Massive old teak house buildings and then a plasma TV! At 2pm we collapsed in the pool and had a siesta. We are starting to see the merit of the 11-2pm sleep. If this weather was your life day in and day out, you can only function early and when the sea breeze comes in.

In a moment we are going to pick up some business shirts Hugo has had made over here. The hotel has a shuttle bus as it is in a rice paddy on the banks of the river and its is so pretty here and peaceful so a nice way to relax and then commute the 4 km into town. Shopping is good and one can keep finding ways to lose your money!! Thats fun, but you do get mighty sick of being asked to buy stuff AAAALLLLL day long.