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  • October in Vietnam

    October saw us heading off to Vietnam for a week, staying in a little resort town I visited for one night in 2003!  The gallery below will give you a flavour of the trip, but for full details - check out the Vietnam 2015 reports elsewhere on this site.

  • October in Vietnam 1

    October saw us with a week off - so it was an opportunity to go somewhere new. A long time ago I had done a small tour of Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chin Minh and had loved a small resort on the way called Hoi An. When a local budget airline offered a good deal - it was time to take Shanhong. The first day was spent taking random photos in the old town - so this first gallery will give you a flavour of the place!
     


    Once an important trading post, Hoi An is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site relying on tourism. Our first day walking took in a few temples, some street food, and a trip on the river. Day two we joined a cycling tour which took us out into the country and gave us a chance to try the famous bucket boats. We also saw the local industries, ship building, engraving of wood, and the weaving of bed mats.



    As always when we go away, the trip included some great food!



    So, there you have the first report from Hoi An. More to follow as we visit the mountain temples, have a trip to the beach, and enjoy a cooking course!
    Take Care,
    Trevor, Shanhong, and Teddy xxx
  • October in Vietnam 2

    Our next day in Hoi An was a trip to one of the two beaches. Nice place - but 'disaster' struck as a big wave caught me and took away my wedding ring - obviously never to be found in the ocean. It has now been replaced with a new one though!  Teddy enjoyed his sunbathing as always.
     


    An afternoon stroll allowed us to try more street food - including the Banh Mi - Vietnamese Bread Rolls. They soon became a strong favourite. We also enjoyed seeing lots of young couples taking their wedding pics around town.



    The next major trip was to the Marble Mountains, a cluster of five marble and limestone hills names after the five elements: Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa(fire) and Tho (earth). All of the mountains have cave entrances and numerous tunnels, and several Buddhist sanctuaries can also be found within the mountains. During the Vietnam war, the Marble Mountains contained a hospital for the Vietcong. A stairway of 156 steps leads to the summit of Thuy Son, allowing a wide panoramic view of the surrounding area and the other mountains.  More recent bombs have opened up skylights to some of the inner caverns and the lighting effects are truly amazing. We enjoyed our trip here, even if the guide, a "Mr Turtle" was a little over the top - even for us!



    As always, the evening was spent walking in the old town of Hoi An, amongst the night markets and the restaurants, enjoying a good look and a small spend!



    So, there you have our second Vietnam report - I really do recommend Hoi An as a place to visit. I loved in the first time I passed through for just one night, and loved this trip too - would happily go back. I think Shanhong still prefers Thailand to Vietnam though! Just the cooking course to go and the trip will be over.

    Take Care and keep in touch,
    Trevor, Shanhong, and Teddy xxx
  • October in Vietnam 3

    Our last days in Hoi An again started with a walk around the old town - we were very well located and it made it a nice area for morning and evening strolls! So, a few more shots of old Hoi An to begin with, including, as always, some street food!
     


    The main event of the penultimate day, and a highlight of the trip for me, was a cooking course. Taken by boat to a village and to 'Grandma's House', we got to cook a number of Vietnamese dishes in the garden - and, needless to say, got very stuffed eating them all! We made friends with a lovely Mynah bird too, who came to sample our delicacies.



    We finished the trip with an excursion to My Son, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, believed to be the longest inhabited archaeological site in Indochina. My Son is a Hindu temple complex built by the Champa, a united kingdom of various tribes of the Cham ethnic group who ruled South and Central Vietnam from the 3rd Century until 1832.



    Notice the Banh Mi again (bread rolls)? They really did become a favourite on the trip. Anyway - that's all from Vietnam. Hope you enjoyed the travels with us!

    Take Care and keep writing,  love and hugs,
    Trevor, Shanhong, and Teddy xxx

Thanks for checking out my blog! Please come back soon for more news and pics from our life.
I‘m Trevor
Let Me Tell You About Myself


I'm half a century old, and have been teaching for a quarter of a century! I have the most beautiful wife, and life is good!

I have been living in Singapore for over fifteen years, having also lived and worked in the UK, Europe, Middle East and other parts of Asia.

Trevor Profile

Trevor Hughes

Hi, I'm a British teacher living in Singapore. This blog is to share my daily life and trips. After a few years away, I'm back!

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