Portal to Paradise

We went to sleep in Sapa and woke up in paradise (viz Hoi An). What a difference a day makes! Where else can you get a thousand year old city which oozes character and charm, has cafes and restaurants to die for, great boutique shopping focused on tailor made clothing, heaps of markets and is safe, clean and organised.

Straight after arriving, we went for the 5 minute walk across the bridge from our hotel to the 'old' part of Hoi An. We were itching for some good food and coffee, so a quick wander down the first captivating street, heads turning in every direction at the beautiful old houses and alluring shops, and we settled on lunch at Cargo - a recommended favourite. Our table was perfect on an outside balcony overlooking the river. Three courses later, including mini pavlova with mango and profiteroles, and we were ready for some catch up sleep.

Eventually we stirred by late afternoon, had a quick swim and headed back downtown. Harper was hungry by this time so we had to try another restaurant, although Lisa and I couldn't face any more food. Both of us are still fighting tummy problems so we went 'lite'. Not exactly starvation diet!

With dinner out of the way, Lisa then headed to Yally's for some serious fabric selection and fittings, while Harper and I hung out in a wine bar watching AFL. This is a pretty 'westernised' part of the tourist circuit now. By the time we caught another wine bar (you get the drift) and strolled a few more streets of the old town, we we done for day one in paradise.

I recall when I was here 13 years ago, this was the highlight of my trip. While the same charm and features which made it so appealing then are still here, this place has changed dramatically. Commercially and tourist wise it has gone ahead in leaps and bounds. Economically people are far better off. Many of the residents have gone from downtown and their houses done up into shops or cafes. Across the river, the paddy fields and market gardens are gone, replaced by houses, hotels and cafes. Vehicles are forbidden downtown and an ethic of clean streets has taken over. Most people have scooters and mobile phones, modern televisions etc. Some of the innocence of this place is probably gone and there is some risk it's authentic mix of Vietnam coastal port with Chinese, Japanese and old Europe influences will be sanitised. Time will tell, but then that's the story of Hoi An. It has already been many things to many ages and has been a reflection of much bigger changes in the world. Being in Hoi An is like being at one of those crossroads of civilisation; you just can't be sure where the next turn leads.