Return to Vietnam.

Okay, so my computer is finally back from the shop, so I have the pictures of our last week in Vietnam and can finish the story of our farewell tour.

Return with me now to a time not so very long ago...

Leaving Da Nang, we were driven half an hour south to the ancient fishing village of Hoi An.

We stayed at a lovely resort on the river about half a mile from the ocean.

Our room was beautiful and the grounds were lovely.

We spent the morning roaming through the picturesque village.

The temples feature the same roof decorations as in the rest of the country,
but the style is more whimsical and colorful.

The heart of the town is very traditional, with none of the high-rise
hustle and bustle of modern Da Nang.

There were people in funny hats.

Beautiful old houses.

The life of the town is very much centered around the river. Centuries ago,

Hoi An was the largest trading port in Vietnam. There's still a large population
of Chinese merchants here.

By noon, it was oppressively hot and humid, so we retired to our air-conditioned room.

In the late afternoon, a sudden squall blew in.

The rain reduced the temperature and the humidity, and we had
a lovely evening, with drinks and a superb dinner in the hotel's
open-air dining room right on the river. They had a special meal
planned for us and a delicious Bordeaux at a reasonable price
to go with it. As we ate, the hotel's boatman released a long series
of floating lanterns. It was an impossibly romantic evening
we wished would never end.

P.