We had such a quiet, peaceful sleep. Only the faint crowing of the rooster in the cage on the neighbors rooftop could be heard this morning. Downstairs, breakfast was being served. I'm sure I ate the equivalent of 2 mangoes this morning between cut fresh fruit and in a mango pancake. Lychee, pineapple, papaya and watermelon also filled my plate. There was real milk, not UHT, not sweetened condensed, not powdered, but real milk for coffee. I proceeded to have 3 cups. Not my usual Johnny Fever size mugs but 3 small teacups. For someone who usually drinks decaff, this left my nerves twitching, heart beating and eyes bouncing. Maybe not such a good choice before a 5 hour road trip. Hindsight is always 20/20.
I had reserved a car with 7 seven seats the day before to drive us the 130 KM to Hoi An. Tony, our driver, showed up on time, not in a car but a 16 passenger bus. He said that he thought that was best for a big family. I think they ran out of cars. We have the had the comment before about being a big family. Maybe it is unbelievable a foreign family would travel with so many kids or maybe 1-2 kids is the limit in Vietnam. On the other hand, I have also been told I must feel very safe as a female traveller being escorted by 4 men.
Tony was an excellent driver. Driving in Vietnam requires a delicate balance between aggression and patience. He wove fluidly through and beside scooters, large trucks and busses. What looks like chaos to us does not even ruffle Vietnamese feathers. Another thing Asians have mastered is their ability to handle and live in complete and utter chaos. They do chaos extremely well.
Our trip was to be the scenic road; the old highway. The hairpin switchbacks up Marble Mountain made my stomach lurch. I had a bag ready. (The coffee was not a good idea!) Maybe meant more for motorcycles than our 16 passenger bus.
First stop- Lan Co; an oyster fishing/farming community. It is a saltwater lagoon. The small oysters are baited in old tires and used for eating; the large ones (6-7 years old) are grown for pearls.
Lan Co beach, the second stop. The boys thought we were staying here. Looked beautiful, but far too hot to think about being on a beach. I cannot believe I would say that.
Through the Marble Mountains and on to the Marble City. I thought it would be a city carved out of marble, but it was statues carved from marble. Levi thought there were far too many butt cracks and boobies.
We thought Tony was a little disappointed when we did not want to climb the mountain to see the temple. We were satisfied seeing it from the bus.
Tony did not know why we would want to spend 5 days in Hoi An. "Two hours and you have walked around the whole thing!" he said. I had booked into Karen's recommendation of Green Heaven Resort. It is our holiday on our trip.
The welcoming feeling and friendly service feels like it is diminishing. This is nothing like Hanoi. After a hurried and somewhat chilly reception at the front desk, we found our rooms and the headed to cool off in the pool.
We do what other Vietnamese do during the summer, try to escape the heat during the day and be out in the morning and evening. This is our escape. Not only from the heat, but the craziness. Throngs of people, especially later in the day. There is less motorized traffic, but the streets are so crowded.
The Old Town of Hoi An is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a blend of Chinese and Japanese architecture. Many 200 hundred year old wooden buildings are used as shops or restaurants. There are hundreds of tailors. Many people have clothes custom made. Tailors will usually have clothes made within 24 hours of ordering. At night the city, especially along the water, is well lit by thousands of silk lanterns.
Not only the heat makes Hoi An exhausting, but the throngs of people. Summer is the time many Vietnamese travel making this a very busy place.
Luke, for the first time, said he is missing home. We all are.
