Halong Bay to Hoi An

Hi,

Lots going on and much to share-- please enjoy these lovely days!!!

After leaving Halong Bay we drove about 3 hours to a quaint little village called Ninh Giang village where we were treated to a water puppet show which they are very famous for and the chance to walk thru the village and see the people.

After leaving the puppet show we walked thru the village and here is where I met my favorite lady, working hard in the fields.  I knelt down next to her and become one of the hard working women.

We then went to the airport and flew to the imperial city of Hue (prounced whey) which is a UNESCO World heritage site in central Vietnam.  It used to be the capital until 1945. Here we spent the night at the lovely Pilgrimage Village Resort where we had our 1 bedroom bungalow complete with outdoor pool.  Unfortunately we were not there very long to enjoy the beauty which is very tropical and green.

The amazing pool at the Pilgrimage Village

Well I may come home and really be able to cook some Vietnamese food. We were invited into a private home where we prepared some traditional Vietnamese dishes and then ate our creations and much more.

After lunch we visited the Tu Duc mausoleum which is one the most beautiful imperial tombs in Hue.
Then that evening we were treated to a brand new property that has just opened right on a lagoon called Vedana Lagoon Resort.

Yesterday we drove from Hue to Hoi An going thru Danang. We had a really nice lunch at the Brothers Cafe.

  Here is where we tried another beer other than the Tiger beer called
Biere Larue-- which is really pretty good.

  Hoi An is an ancient little town recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site because of it unusually well-preserved ancient streets and homes. This is just a great place to enjoy the culture and yes SHOP!!!  At this time we went to a silk factory where some of the people had clothes made in 24 hours-- jackets, suits, blouses in silk or cashmere.  They were very happy with their purchases and prices were very good.

Sharon and Michael getting measured!

After the silk factory we had a small guided tour of the Japanese Bridge and Chinese Temple by our favorite guide, Tum who was with us always in Vietnam.She was wonderful and very knowledgeable.  Her English was excellent and she had a great sense of humor. As we walked thru the streets we were warned that we could not shop today-- have to save that for later!!!  But what a quaint little town with their more than two-century Chinese houses. We really enjoyed this visit.

                                                                                                                                            
We came home to our beautiful one bedroom villa with our oceanview, outdoor shower, and gorgeous accommodations at the Nam Hai, a property you dont want to miss!! Talk about being spoiled!!!  Had a lovely dinner with the group and was able to sit next to the wonderful General Manager, Mr Ed Linsley, who had recently come from the Four Seasons in Bali.  Alberto is our sales rep and also attended the dinner.  Two very talented gentlemen that will take care of all your requests.
Got to go to bed so I can get up and enjoy this amazing view and visit Tra Que Vegetable village.
Cheers

Joan