Danang, day one: Overnighting in Hoi An

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Vietnam for a holiday. Technically, a five-day, four-night trip to Da Nang but in reality, this was a holiday of slightly over 96 hours. For the uninitiated, Da Nang is located in the central of Vietnam. Used to be part of South Vietnam until their reunification at the end of the Vietnam War. The Americans called it the Vietnam War but to the Vietnamese, it was the American War. Call it what you like, but it was the war that reunited South Vietnam with North Vietnam.

Anyway, on the 6th of this month, my wife and I joined 30 other Old Frees on a club-organised annual trip to Da Nang. All 32 of us old farts, included the missuses. The itinerary would take us to Hoi An in the south and Hue in the north. There was a lot of bussing required to travel from Da Nang to Hoi An, from Hoi An to Hue, from Hue to Da Nang, and finally from Da nang to Ba Na Hills and back. Around 300 km in all. The longest transit was from Hoi An to Hue with lots of stops inbetween to allow the old farts to stretch our legs.

We had been up and about since three o'clock in the morning to catch our flights from Penang to Da Nang. So we were pretty relieved to check into the Hoian Central Boutique Hotel & Spa in the afternoon at about four o'clock. But within an hour, we were required to be downstairs at the lobby for a stroll into Hoi An's ancient city for a boat ride and then dinner. By the time we were through with dinner, it was almost nine o'clock. Saw See wanted to follow the rest back to the hotel but I persuaded her to go with me to the night market. I think she did not regret the decision.

View from our fifth floor room at the Hoian Central Boutique Hotel & Spa which looks out into this grand temple from across the street. Unfortunately, it was under repairs

Almost all the male old farts from The Old Frees' Association

The spouses of some of the old farts

Hawker stalls were opening up from the afternoons

Flowers on sale outside the market

And fruits

Open-air hawker stalls on the pavements

At first, we were puzzled by the name Faifo, but it turned out that this was an old name for Hoi An.

Durian in Vietnam? Why not? But we were told they were much more expensive than in Penang.

From a bridge over the Thu Bon River

Heard so much about the lanterns. Hoi An is all about lanterns too. It's an industry here.

And here, we are boarding a boat to take us on a cruise on the Thu Bon River to watch the setting sun

The boat jetty. But see the name of the corner shop which says Art Toilet. 

The river is quite wide

Sunset over the Thu Bon River

Back on dry land, we walked through the night market. Food stalls were selling many things such as grilled octopus and banana pancakes 

The night market

A Christmas tree of lanterns

We made a few purchases and then decided to call it a night, we two tracing our solitary way back to the hotel in the dark.