beautiful sights and parasites: Central Vietnam

Hoi An

Our time in Hoi An was comprised primarily with shopping and eating. With only a population of around 80,000 Hoi An was one of the smaller towns we visited in Vietnam. While lacking in population it was rich in history, culture, food and, as we quickly discovered tailors. In fact there are over 500 tailor shops in this town, making it virtually impossible to walk down a street without a tout offering to make you a new pair of slacks or a custom tailored blouse. As a result we spent the majority of our first two days here picking out fabrics, getting measured, and then fitted for the various suits, coats, and pants we had made. Between tailor stores we managed to stroll down the charming streets and admire the beautiful architecture of the many well preserved buildings in this UNESCO World Heritage Site town. We also took some time to take a cooking class to learn some of the local specialties including Ban Xeo (Pancake filled with meat), Cao Lao (Noodle and Pork) and Vietnamese Wontons.

Lindsay and Sarah taking notes during our cooking class

One of the many charming little side streets in Hoi An

Mark trying his hand at ceramics

Sarah trying on her newly made coat

Mark and Lindsay outside a old clan meeting house

Another Charming Street in Hoi An

The Ancient Ruins of My Son. Built by the Champa People

Hue

After stuffing our bags full of our new clothing, we continued up the coast a few hours from Hoi An to the city of Hue. Hue seemed like it would be a great historical city to explore, unfortunately it was pouring rain the entire time we were here. While we couldn't do much exploring of the city, we did manage to go on a great tour of the Demilitarized Zone (aka the 17th Parallel). The tour included a visit to an amazing tunnel system created by a Vietnamese village, as well as a stop at Khe San the former site of a major US Base.

Lindsay and Sarah in front of a King's Tomb

Mark squeezing through the tunnel

Old Bombs left askew at Khe San