Hue to Hoi An

Yesterday we got up early and walked the half mile bridge over the Perfume River to Hue's huge outdoor market. The bridge is for motor scooters and pedestrians only. We shared the ped lane with a line of vendors carrying produce counter-balanced in baskets on long poles over their shoulders.

The market was amazing. The vast variety of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, spices and foods we couldn't identify made us wish we were staying someplace with a kitchen so we could take advantage of it all. Save for the occasional scooter weaving through the crowd with six hogs split length-wise riding behind the driver, the scene was timeless. We never saw another westerner at the market. Aaron and Eva had to endure being taken by the hand and hugged and kissed on the cheeks by women vendors.

We left Hue mid morning, heading south along the coast, traveling in a van that we hired along with driver for the four hour trip to Hoi An. It was a great trip, first across broad deltas along tidal estuaries, through small towns, with a stop to get our first look at the South China Sea. The ocean was very rough and brown with churned up sand. The kids, of course, had to at least get their feet wet. Tate was promptly decked by a sneaker wave. We wound up a steep road through the mountains with great ocean views, and then dropped back down into the sprawling ocean city of Da Nang. The once- pristine white sand beaches near Da Nang, including China Beach of the American war fame, are unfortunately being heavily developed with huge resorts.

Twenty miles to the south of Da Nang, we arrived at Hoi An, where we are staying for the next several days. It is a wonderful town, spread across islands and wetlands about 3 miles inland from the ocean. Heidi planned our arrival here for the monthly lantern festival, that occurs on the 14th day of the lunar cycle. It is a Buddhist day of worship and people throughout town are burning incense, placing offerings of food on altars and scattering handfuls of rice into the street. On this one night each month, all of the lights are turned off in the old part of Hoi An, and throngs of people turn out to launch candles in little paper rafts on to the Thu Bon River. All of the shops along the river are lit with colorful silk lanterns. It was a beautiful sight that we will always remember. We launched a candle raft in memory of Dean Blust, may he rest in peace.

Today we got up and rented bikes ($1 USD per day) and explored all over. Keith and I, with Aaron and Eva riding on back of our bikes, rode out to the beach this afternoon. Keith and Heidi are off on a date tonight and Jeannie and I are taking the kids out to dinner.