After breakfast this morning, we left at 9:00 AM by bus for the quaint fishing village of Hoi An. It is about a half hour to the south of Da Nang. There is a relatively new road that essentially bipasses Highway 1 and connects Da Nang directly with Hoi An. It runs pretty much parallel to the ocean. The easterly side is lined with many ocean front hotels and open lots that are owned by the government. They are obviously waiting on foreign investors to buy them at top dollar. The two cities essentially mesh into one large megaplex. Needless to say, these areas, like most of what we have seen so far of Vietnam, are nothing like they were during the war. We even passed two seaside golf courses as we travelled between the two cities! Unless you are a member, it is very costly to play. About half of what the average Vietnamese person makes in a month, for one round. The city of Hoi An originally came into being in the early 1600's as a central stop on trade routes from China and India. There is still a pronounced Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and Indian influence that is very noticeable. The architecture is a mix of monuments of various forms, living spaces, communal houses, pagodas, shrines, temples, a public well, the old market, bridges, and the wharf area. A very affluent trading class emerged there and others profited from all the ships stopping to resupply and fill their fresh water tanks. The main shopping district is known for its many, narrow merchant and restaurant lined, streets. Hoi An is typical of symbolic oriental cities of the Middle Ages. On December 4, 1999, Hoi An was inscribed on the World Heritage List. I doubt that there is anything that can be bought in Vietnam that isn't readily available in Hoi An. There are also many temples and shrines that dot the city and the river that comes in from the sea is very much of a central point of the city. After spending most of the morning on a walking tour of the sights, we had lunch on the upper level of the Cargo Club. The day was very hot and humid and our Guide gave us frequent stops to allow for a good pace. At each stop, our Guide Phai, shared his immense knowledge of Vietnamese history and traditions. It seems he has intimate knowledge of every temple and monument in the city. For some reason, the Hoi An area was largely spared of any full scale fighting during the war. Other than a few terrorist type bombings by the Vietcong (VC), the city was pretty much unscathed. This was certainly not the case in most other areas of the Country we have visited so far. We had some leisure time this afternoon and I used it to leave my beachfront bungalow to once again dip my feet into the South China Sea. Something I last did nearly 50 years ago! There is an oceanside bar just steps from my bungalow. Many of us met there before Dinner to reminisce and have a few drinks.  We had an excellent Dinner here at the Hotel that consisted of mainly Vietnamese cuisine.

One of the many bridges in Hoi An that span an extensive network of canals that link with the river.

This is typical of street wiring and utilities in not only Hoi An, but other cities we have visited. It appears that once a wire is put up, it is never removed. I don't think they would pass our electrical codes.

A newly married Vietnamese couple, out for a post ceremony stroll in the Hoi An Market District. Everywhere we have been, there seems to be lots of Weddings. Bridal Shops are everywhere!

A typical narrow street in the commercial area of the City. Seems like every area is commercial.

A typical Hoi An shop. This was one for Men's suits and Women's gowns and dresses. You can be measured on the spot for a suit, pick the style and material, and pick up the finished garment in a day. Final alterations are made on the spot. The choice of materials is impressive and comes from all over the world.

A view of the Da Nang skyline, looking north from the beach in front of my bungalow. Since we have been here, there seems to be a mid afternoon thermal layer that produces a foggy shroud. The obscured buildings are only about 1.5 miles away. Many Vietnamese seem to prefer this and go to the beach in the afternoon.

Standing in the South China Sea again, after nearly 50 years! The last time I did, my Company was providing base security at an ARVN Supply Base along the ocean, just east of Quang Tri City. It was almost like an In Country R&R for all of us.

The view back across the beach to my seaside bungalow at the Sandy Beach Resort Hotel and Spa on Non Nuoc Beach which was formerly known a China Beach. My place is on the right of the building and VFW National Chief of Staff, Roger Frye is in the adjoining unit.