Hoi An is Lantern Town

Another rest day today, good job we keep sneaking these in as cycling everyday is really exhausting in this heat.  So many things to write about and show today I did think about writing a couple of posts, but I fell asleep after lunch as it was so hot ( and that was just the Vietnamese shop lady saying so, so it must have been!)

This is such a charming hotel that I am going to name check them: Kiman Hoi An Hotel on Hai Ba Trung.  Not the grandest, but makes up for it with friendliness and charm.  Also they do a great breakfast, so that you wouldn't miss out here's what I had!

 

Actually no, I didn't eat all this, only this much:

 

Then I had some sir fry rice  

  

And finally one of these delicious coconut tarts, small but wonderful with a cup of Vietnamese coffee.  Mmmmmmm!

Hoi An developed its uniquely electric townscape between the 16th and 19th centuries when it was a busy port open to many different foreign influences, mostly Japanese, Chinese and French.  There is so much to see, so come and explore Hoi An with me...

 

Known for its bespoke dress making and tailoring the citizens of Hoi An also look to be keen patch workers too!

 

There are modern filling stations, but most people ride scooters so fill up at pumps like this.

 

Despite the intense heat Vietnam is lush and very colourful, with many flowering shrubs and trees in the towns and cities.

 

I love the faded glory of this wall...

No, not kindling, but sandlewood.  I meant to buy some, got distracted and then couldn't find this stall again :-(

Would have liked to have tried some street food, but with 85km to cycle tomorrow I couldn't take the chance.  Maybe in Hanoi!

 

Just walking around is a visual delight,

 

 

I'm not usually a fan of yellow, but this combination is sizzling.

 

As you can see Lam has the patience of a saint, waiting as I take (yet) another photograph.  Good job this is a very bespoke group.

 

Mobile fruits stalls abound.

  

So vibrant and 

 

colourful

 

this carefully tended courtyard is part of a temple.

I was quite taken by the floors

 

as you can see

 

so colourful

 

 and bright.

 But there is still something to be said for a well made but plain floor too.

 

The spiral insence perfumed the air and carried 

messages into the air.

 

There's a 'still life' round every corner,

 

through every arch

 

 

and every door way.

 The lotus blossom is very beautiful and often used as an offering.

But all flowers bring joy to the heart and a feast to the eye and nose.

 

And now you can see why Hoi An is called Lantern Town.   Handmade using silk mounted onto a bamboo frame they are just a visual delight.  See the white handpainted ones, the one on the far right?  That's now mine :-)

 

And here is the lady who made it.

Just love the bamboo frames too.

 

Aren't they colourful?

 

Upstairs these two are making smaller lantern table lights,

 

whilst this lady does the most painstaking embroidery.

    

Later on we watch a traditional music and dance performance.  But obviously this guy has seen it all before and finds his daily newspaper more interesting!

 

They also did a form of bingo, I couldn't really follow the rules or even why, but it didn't stop me winning this cute handmade lantern ;-)

 

Outside the sun still beat down, hotter than this tray of chillies I think today.

 

So it does seem strange why this lady has a hat, mask, long sleavess, GLOVES, trousers and sock on, doesn't it?  Whilst white people always like to acquire a little colour during the summer, Vietnamese people want to stay white - at all costs.

So many different fruits and vegetables, so fresh too.

 

 

Back to wandering around I found this building intriguing,

 

 

faded and worn

I would love to be able to capture the colours and textures in some of our InStitches fabrics.

 

Now this was a super cool restaurant, very ethical too ( always nice to know, always  makes you feel better). We ate there last night ( remember? The chicken in banana leaf dish?)

We have seen many kites flying in the fields as we cycle by.  These ones are hand painted, but I have seen children just as happy launching a plastic bag at the end of a piece of string.  As long as it goes up and stays there, flying a kite makes you happy.

 

 

Hoi An has many narrow passageways, going where I do not know.

 Mainly because I was too busy photographing street lanterns I suspect.

 

 Located in the north bank of the Thu Bon River, many boats still come up and down, like these traditional fishing vessels

 

 

and covered boats.

 

The Japanese built this covered bridge in 1593 to connect the two communities.  A Vietnamese temple was added several centuries later.

One side is protected by two carved dogs and the other by two monkeys.   Spot the pink wall behind, another InStitches colour inspiration I think.

 

As I said, so much to see and so many photographs to take, 

 

so it was a relief to sit in the shade and drink a very refreshing lemon soda.

Still more lanterns to photograph!

 

And a bamboo bike.  It was only after I had taken the photograph that I spotted the sign...

The shop in question is Mekong (www.mekong-quilts.org) and not only do they sell bamboo bikes but quilts, quilts, quilts!  Who'd have thought I would have found a quilt shop in the middle of Vietnam? {;-) 

However this chap didn't seem at all impressed.

So with that it was time to grab a cab and head back to the cool of the hotel and after a siesta a refreshing dip in the pool....aaaaah.

The spa jets were on, so I managed to have a wonderful massage, which sort of made up for my swim goggles finally giving up the goast.

In the evening I headed back into town on my own, because whilst those lanterns look good in the day, they look even better at night -

 

 

Don't you agree?  But I still like the bamboo frames too.

 

This pile of fabric looks nearly as colourful.

But I needed a G&T and dinner, so off I headed to The Lantern Town restaurant again

 

These are some of their lanterns

And this is my dinner - chicken with lemon grass and ginger with a hint of chilli.  

 

Really rather delicious.

So another wander around before even I had to call it a day and head back to the hotel in a ( thankfully, air conditioned) cab to find my laundry all ready and waiting.  Clean cycle gear for the next two days - yay!

And also another parcel...so exciting.  Yesterday before dinner I went to one of the many tailors, I could have had a ball getting clothes made to fit, but in the end I chose a simple kimono in blue indigo.  I'm wearing it now, can you just see?  That's right, look at the gown, not the heap of shopping still littering the bed....

A very busy, but delightful day.  As it's another 7am on the bikes start I need to be up by 5.30am, so really I should go to sleep but I will give you one last photograph to see, it was my lucky wish for today.  Perfect, don't you agree?