Brother Pho

We took Harper swimming early today as he is really getting into his snorkelling and starting to go much longer distances. We have two pools to choose from, so they both need to be included in our daily routine.

The morning was spent shopping ad exploring more of downtown. Getting money out from ATMs has proved more of a hassle than we expected because most have a 2 or 3m dong limit ($40-50 which even in Vietnam doesn't go far when you get into serious purchases.

We decided to go for a cyclo ride for a half hour cruise around parts of Hoi An we hadn't yet seen. So we got two drivers - one for Harper and Lisa and the other for Phil - after some not so hard bargaining. Harper got very excited about racing his driver against the other and both drivers got into it, so it was lots of fun. No better way to see the sights and get lots of photos than this original form of transport.

Eventually they dropped us at the other end of town and we found the most delightful restaurant on the river called Brother Pho. It looked like an old colonial era or wealthy trader's home and was set in the most stunning tropical garden complete with little bridges, ponds and the most exquisite flowers. The selection of Vietnamese dishes was incredible and the wine list was impressive as well. So we whiled away an hour or so watching the slow boats ply the river trade and taking in one of the first sunny days of our trip.

After lunch we visited the central markets for the first time and saw all the produce stands. This used to be the central attraction in Hoi An but the shops in this area are not much chop and only sell cheap Chinese stuff.

Back at the hotel we did some more sleeping and then another swimming session before organising a night out. We found a babysitter by chance for Harper (an American nanny who overheard us talking in a cafe) and headed out for Morning Glory, another restaurant downtown with a big wrap. We stuck to some simple basics after our extravagant lunch (white rose dumplings and crispy pancakes rolled in rice paper) and tried our luck on more imported wine. They serve reds ice cold here which is incredulous frustrating when you've just ordered a vintage cab sav you have't tried before. You're lucky if you can even smell the nose on it!

After dinner we sauntered around the streets a bit and Lisa took me to Yally's 's for a showing of her clothes. I must say they looked stunning. Some very stylish skirts and pant/jacket combinations in some sensational fabrics. You'll have to wait and see the results - no sneak previews yet.

Then we finished the night at wine bar and met a lovely Australian couple who had just had the most diabolical start to their tour in Hanoi, including getting an iPhone stolen form their hand on the back of a motorbike. We traded stories and learnings for a while and then agreed to meet up for dinner in a couple of nights. It made us appreciate what good fortune we'd had so far.