Family time in Vietnam

Over the school holiday Jed and I took the children on their first visit to Vietnam. I was very lucky enough to spend more time in Vietnam. It is not just a scene of war, but a beautiful country with lovely people, rich history, and delicious food. This time we traveled to the narrow, central, coastal area of this long strip of land-visiting Hoi An and Hue.

We splurged on our hotel in Hoi An (complete with butler), spending three nights on China Beach. This vacation had a lazy feel, which was welcomed by all of us. We spent time walking the beach (Jed and I, anyway) and strolling around the picturesque town of Hoi An. The city is known for it's tailors, so we had suits, skirts, shorts and flip-flops made for very little money. We strolled the alleys and took a boat ride on the silted river, and explored the local markets. We ate the local dish "Cau lau," thick rice-flour noodles, bean sprouts and pork, flavored with mint and anise. Yum! The ladies sell freshly roasted peanuts (for peanuts) that we couldn't get enough of.

We (okay, I) wanted to travel a bit by train. I love train travel, and Vietnam is an ideal country to do that. So it wasn't "ideal" for us, but we sure did get a true Vietnamese experience. We purchased the expensive seats, at $3.USD each. The trip should have been 2 1/2 hours, over the HaiVan Pass, along the coast of the South China Sea, past rice paddies, and through villages. Seven hours later we reached our destination. Because it was dark, we missed the scenery. Because it was late, we ate the local food they served on board. I'm not sure I'll get my family on a train ever again. Especially when we could have driven.

We arrived in the historic city of Hue, situated on the Perfume river. Although geographically closer to the north, Hue is politically a southern city. Because of the extent of war devastation there is not much left to see in the Citadel. But the magnificent tombs along the river, and in the country side have been fairly untouched by war. Hue is famous for its excellent food, and we would all agree to that. Our last bit of fun before departure was the rickshaw ride through the city, among the motorcycles, bicycles and cars. It was a thrilling ride.