Vietnam: Da Nang and Hoi An

Today I was up early to meet my guide and driver, who drove me to Da Nang. The drive took about 3/3.5 hours and we stopped twice to enjoy the amazing scenery. It was gorgeous as we went over the mountain pass that originally served as a border between North and South Vietnam. This was also a watch point for US troops during the Vietnam War because of the good view of both sides of the pass and the seas on either sides.

We continued on way to Da Nang and eventually reached my hotel/resort before lunch. I got all checked in and shown to my ocean view room, relaxed a little bit before a late lunch. I then met my guide and we went to the nearby town of Hoi An. It must have been a charming little town at one point, but that time has come and gone. It is overrun with tourists and backpackers, and every single step you take, you are inundated with storefront after storefront selling the same shitty souvenirs. It's a shame, too, because if you looked really, really hard past all that you could almost see the quaint little town it once was. There's a large Chinese influence here, as it was a large trading post back in the day.

We visited a handicraft market, an old bridge, a couple of old shrines, an old house, the "market", and then I had free time to walk around. I tried to go outside of the main streets to see if there was any place in the old town area that still held any of the charm of yesteryear. There was not.

As the sun was going down, we drove back to my hotel where I enjoyed happy hour, listening to the waves lap at the beach. After eating such a big, late lunch I decided to forego dinner this evening. I went to bed early because for some reason I am really tired today... Tomorrow is back in Hoi An for a cooking class. We'll see how it goes!