Hard to realize that I'm sitting on my balcony watching the sun rise over the Perfume River in central Vietnam and talking with my daughter Rachel via Skype on my iPhone! Our stay in Hue has been much too brief but there's still a lot on our agenda
Leaving the La Residence Hotel we stopped briefly for a site inspection at the Hotel Morin where we stayed in 2001. The hotel has had some much-needed renovations but its charm still remained.
Our route took us along Hwy. 1 and over the Hai Van Pass, one of the most spectacular in Vietnam. Stopping briefly at the Pass we climbed a hill to see old US and even older French bunkers that were still standing. And then it was on to Danang.
Located halfway between Hanoi and Saigon, the city saw the first 3500 US Marines come ashore in 1965(photo on the left)) and 10 years later, as communist troops rolled into town, two American 727 jets evacuated the last US soldiers out of the country.
We stopped for lunch at the Furama Resort on famous China Beach, named by US servicemen who enjoyed their R&R's here. For almost 30 years after the war, the beach was virtually deserted, but investors are coming in now and developing it into a popular beach resort.
Thirty minutes later we were pulling into the grounds of The Nam Hai Resort near Hoi An.. I had heard rumors that we were in for something special and that was definitely an understatement. Each one bedroom villa has both indoor and outdoor sitting areas. A raised platform is set in the middle of the villa which was enclosed under a cozy mosquito net canopy when I returned from dinner in Hoi An. It's absolutely incredible, to say the least!
Only a short time later I had to depart this 'shangri-la' as we were headed into Hoi An, an ancient city on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Before stopping for dinner, we took an early evening stroll through this town that traces its roots back to the 2nd century. As the sun set and darkness settled in on this charming town, I took a photo of the river and then joined our group for dinner in a local restaurant.
Tomorrow morning we'll return to Hoi An for a trip to the local market to obtain items for our cooking lesson. Details to follow but now it's very late and time to enjoy my lovely room.
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