We had planned to spend three months in Hoi An, a lovely city in the middle of Vietnam but as our wish list grew of things we wanted to see, things kept getting stacked in before it; Cambodia, Angkor Wat, Saigon, Halong Bay, Sapa. In Danang we were loving the beach so much we debated about skipping Ho Ani all together, but reminded ourselves that seeing new things sometimes taking leaving things you love and we were glad we did.
Hoi An was a perfect end to our time in Vietnam. A little like Disney World, is a bit touristy but picture perfect and highlights that embraces the best of Vietnam. Colorful lanterns, quant old town full of bikes, wishing candles and a pleasant infusion of western treats like a good cappuccino and avocado toast that we had missed. We have become accustomed to no plans, and Vietnam made that easy with its friendly people paired with cheap and plentiful food and accommodations. We ended up staying in four different locations between the old town, beach and vegetable fields, with the final one on the beach being what Traverse thought was our most amazing accommodation of the year. We all were a little sad to leave. Somehow I thought three months would be a long time and I think back to when we first landed in Saigon, overwhelmed by the city, the noise, the chaos and how much has changed since that time.
Thank you Vietnam for showing us the meaning of resilience.
Thank you for welcoming us with open arms, changing the extraordinary into the ordinary.
We will be back.
The town is known for its lanterns and every full moon they turn off the town lights to add to the mood. Like the potted plants of Norway, the lanterns of Vietnam always brought joy.
the beauty of this town was stunning
hello with love!
just another morning
the textures and colors in the town were beautiful
5:30 am is the time to see the town as the heat of summer was baring down and few other tourist are found this time of day.
fresh fish
Morning beauty
the rising sun, another lantern in the sky
morning fishing in town
doors to history
The town sits in the center of a delta, providing a bounty of fish and fertile soil.
before a cooking class, we had the opportunity to farm. 300 years this garden has been going strong. Isabelle is adding seaweed to the soil to prepare for the seedlings.
our amazing guide, full of smiles who could move dirt at the speed of light.
Getting the seaweed ready for the soil
all smiles before she was put to work
Isabelle learning the ways of watering the fields
but none of us came close to the speed and competency of this expert
getting things ready for the cooking class
playing with fire
which was kind of fun...
the girls love art and this beautiful home stay offered a leather binding book class. Lily could have stayed here all month if we let her.
the product of her hard work
she came back for a second class, this time making a beautiful leather travel purse
on the full moon we headed out for the lantern festival. This sweet women took us out giving us each a paper lantern with a candle- releasing them into the water with a wish. While the whole event appears to be a bit more for the tourist, it was a beautiful tradition and a beautiful evening
these two, getting ready to release their wishes
after the lanterns we explored the night market, finding the usual fair
At least this one was not jumping
one of the other main attractions in this town is tailoring, so the girls learned the process of going from an idea to a reality (and the many pins involved) and hoping their creations make it across the sea via mail.
Just another day with the almighty bike that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary
I will never get enough of these
back alleys for drying
our last days were beach days, endless white sand, fishing boats and pure beauty
these guys convinced the fisherman to take them out, like a tea cup ride it was entertaining to watch
fisherman at sea
running with Isabelle, being able to have my girls push me as much as I push them is one of the great joys of having them grow
many times you would see old people buried in the sand, there must be some perceived health benefit, we were not sure, but it was fun
Sand, sea, sky and family, what’s not to love?
loving the designs
not a bad place for a date night
ahhh, Vietnam, we have loved you.
Morning beauty