Hoi An

Portuguese explorers came here in the early 16th century followed by the Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, English and French, making Hoi An a cultural center where East met West. For two centuries this was one of S.E. Asia's premier ports. When the mouth of the river began silting up another port was built on the Han River at Danang

The Old Quarter is a living museum, a blend of temples, pagodas, community and clan houses, shops and homes. It seemed like an ideal place to revisit black and white film

UNESCO funded restoration programmes to preserve Hoi An's old quarter and monuments. Beneficiaries include The Japanese Bridge built by the Japanese community in 1593 to withstand earthquakes, common in Japan, unknown in Vietnam and The Chuc Thanh Pagoda the oldest in the city

Senior daughter minds baby sister

Chuc Than Pagoda, home to 5 monks

Family wood business on the Thu Bon River

Women taking care of business around town

Performing minor surgery

Selling fish on the dock

Waiting for her water taxi fare

Talking Heads

Forever Blowing Bubbles

In Hoi An we stayed at the Hoi An Hotel, a grand colonial style building which served as a US Marine base during the war. It was the only place authorised to accept foreigners

I remember a large room and bath, being awoken in the early hours by firecrackers, a bit unnerving given our location and the frequent blasting of Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. If I never hear it again it will be too soon

To top it off they do most of the shrimping too

Sheltering from the rain with a bakers dozen

Rub A Dub Dub

Cua Dai Beach

All around Central Vietnam are small Thrug Chai 'coracle' basket boats, devised by the Vietnamese to avoid the taxes French Colonists imposed on boats

These were across the Cam Nam Bridge on Cua Dai Beach. The boys kites were constructed of waste paper, you could still see what was written on them with tails made of paper chains like the ones I made as a child at Christmas

Up Up and Away

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