VIETNAM - Hoi An to the Central HIghlands

It’s January the 2nd and we’ve drifted into the New Year without really noticing. As we gaze out across the China Sea we reflect on the fantastic journey we’ve had so far, we have such wonderful memories to cherish and yet still more to come as we have two more weeks of adventures.

Yesterday we managed to catch up with Keith and Alison who are from Perth, we met way back when, on the Ginger Junk in Halong Bay. We went for lunch at such a good restaurant in Hoi An, “Morning Glory” and had a very delicious meal, then said our goodbyes. It was an odd feeling and seeing them walk off down the street was quite strange, as we knew we may never see them again.

Back to the local tailors for the last time to collect our latest hand made garments, three very nice shirts for me and a pair of white trousers and two blouses and a dress for Debs with a pair of trousers rejected as they hadn’t followed our instruction, but still amazing to think they had worked late into the night to finish ours and many other orders.

Hoi An has been a joy, the beach is wonderful and our Hotel is right on it, our room was great as it was twenty metres from the sea and we could walk to the restaurant and pool in seconds. Hoi An itself is fascinating with literally thousands of tiny open-fronted shops, mainly tailors and shoe shops, all busy making their wares.
What will our next port of call in Pleiku offer? it will be different again as we are journeying into the Central Highlands. We arrived at the airport at Danang in good time we waited our turn at check in with only two people in front of us but then it happened, Vietnams answer to Dell boy sauntered up mobile to his ear and his whole family following, he’d planted one daughter at the check in and as her turn arrived the other ten or so joined her with luggage and passports everywhere, half an hour later they were through thank goodness. We took off in our very new turbo prop and as we punched through the low cloud the most beautiful sunset was there to behold, mountain tops peaked through the cotton wool clouds and were silhouetted against the tangerine sky and so many swirls of colours that it took your breath away. Then darkness took over and we were soon landing in Pleiku after a lovely flight.