Hoi An

I took an overnight bus from Nha Trang to Hoi An last night. I opted for one of the "Open Tour" buses that are used almost exclusively by tourists, thinking that it would b comfrotable and most importantly, that the bus wouldn't make stops along the way to let passengers on and off. Turns out I shouldn't have assumeda anything. Next time I'm paying extra for the sleeper bus! There were neon green and red lights illuminating the bus' interior and Vietnamese trance music pumping through the low-quality sound system...even at 3am!! We must have stopped at least a dozen times to pick up passengers along the way, each time adding another 10-15 minutes to the trip. Why it takes people so long to get onto the bus is beyond me. At least I had 2 seats to myself so that I could strech out a little.

Hoi An is a dusty and rather ordinaraya town that has been ale to maintain much of its historical charm. The entire town has been turned into a tourist trap, however its a trap that you don't really mind being in. In 1999, Hoi An's historical district was granted World Heritage Site status and anow is one of those "must see" spots on the Vietnamese checklist. This place is a shoppers paradise--tailor made clothes and shoes in the latest fashions and done within 24 hours, beautiful paintings and handicrafts, and custom silver jewlery made on the spot. It makes me wish I was going home a little sooner so that I could actually justify buying a few things!!