Family, Fun, and Food in Hoi An 

February 9th, 2023       I first visited Hoi An 10 years ago and quickly fell in love with the Ancient Town.  I wish I was a unique tourist that found this hidden gem, but Hoi An is a favorite for many.  The quaint Town is lined with notable restaurants, tailor shops, and other stores – housed in deep yellow buildings with similar architecture.  Many streets are shut down to pedestrian traffic only and it is proudly promoted as a walking and cycling-friendly city.  A river cuts through the Ancient Town, and at night the water is alive with boats that have colorful lanterns onboard.  The drivers weave up and down the river for night sightseeing tours.  Lanterns also line the streets, as do beautiful potted flowers.  The night market is filled with vendors, music and fun energy.  Abby said it felt like a carnival (without any rides!).         The homestay was the most modern and roomy we have rented so far.  The kids were excited to have their own bedroom and decorated as soon as we put down our bags.  We were there for four full days and had three days of sunny weather in the mid-'70s, which felt like a treat compared to our chillier temps up north.  In fact, the average difference between Hanoi and Saigon is about 20 degrees, so we will be much warmer as we move south over the next few weeks.  On our rainy day in Hoi An, we took our first Grab car since being in Vietnam, their version of Uber.  It was super easy, and the kids enjoyed giving their legs a break.  Drew appreciated the same for his shoulders!Best memory: I woke up early one morning and walked around Ancient Town while the kids were still sleeping.  It felt so familiar, and I loved the stillness of the streets before the other tourists got moving.  I snapped plenty of pictures and walked for about 90 minutes before having breakfast at one of the "must-try" places  - Cao Lau Khong Gian Xanh - with one of the "must-eat" meals – Cao Lau.  
       After breakfast, my goal was to grab a sandwich for Drew at Banh Mi Phuong– touted by Anthony Bourdain and many others as the best in Town.  A few doors down from the restaurant, I noticed a bicycle rental shop and a bike with a child seat out front.  I found out from the owner they had two with child seats, so I reserved them, grabbed a few Banh Mi, then headed home to tell Drew and the kids we were biking to the beach that morning.  It was the first time they had been in child bike seats, and they were such chatterboxes on the way, happy to be escorted around in the nice weather.  We spent the next several hours at the beach playing together and enjoying great seafood and drinks.         After leaving Hoi An, we went to Da Nang for a day to prepare for the flight to Tuy Hoa the following day.  In Da Nang, we went to Huyen Khong Cave at Marble Mountain (utilized by both sides at different times during the War and currently a Buddhist sanctuary), Son Tra Mountain (AKA Monkey Mountain, for views of the city, Linh Ung Pagoda, and a 100 meter tall Lady Buddha statue), and Asia Park (an amusement park for the kids).  We also saw the famous Dragon Bridge via a boat tour at night.  We read about this bridge in the kids' Vietnam cultural book – every Saturday and Sunday, it lights up at 9pm, breathing real fire and smoke.  
       The next morning we woke up very early to catch a flight to Tuy Hoa to join my mom and see her family.  This was my third trip to Tuy Hoa (once 30 years ago with my mom and then 10 years ago alone) and the first for the rest of the family.  Tuy Hoa had good and bad surprises for us, as we would soon find out.  I'll save that for the next blog!  

We could dedicate an entire blog to the different experiences at each homestay during our first three weeks!  It's safe to say we experienced great, okay, and lacking for the same price range.  Hoi An was our favorite by far.  The kids picked their rooms out as soon as we walked through the door.  
We stayed on a quiet, residential island - Cam Nam - and had a short walk across the bridge each day to get into the Ancient Town. 
Hoi An is known for its yellow buildings, lanterns, and brightly colored flowers.

Cao Lau is a Hoi An dish that can only be made locally as the rice noodles are soaked in water from the ancient Ba Le Well in town, as well as ashes from nearby Cham Island.  The rice noodles are served with tender and crispy pork, as well as bean sprouts, lettuce, herbs, and a small amount of broth.  
The kids love all of the fresh fruit in Vietnam, especially dragon fruit and watermelon. 
At Gieng Ba Le, they have a set menu of Banh Xeo (Vietnamese "pancakes"), Nem Nuong (grilled pork sausage), Thit Nuong (grilled pork loin and Drew's go-to meal), and spring rolls.  The waitress gave us a short intro before we dug in.  
I tried salted coffee for the first time in Hoi An.  It was a traditional Vietnamese iced coffee with a salted whip topping.  
Morning Glory and Hai Cafe, both highly rated restaurants that offered cooking classes, had open kitchens to showcase their chefs' work.  
Lincoln's expression was as priceless as my whole fried snapper with mango salad and papaya curry sauce!  