Magical Hoi An, Vietnam

Celebrating 25 Years Together!

Hoi An was our second destination in Vietnam and was a short thirty minutes south of Da Nang. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and our home for two weeks.

We were ready to see more of the countryside of Vietnam. I found a wonderful two bedroom villa that was in between the beach and the town center. Our stay included a delicious breakfast as well as access to free bicycles. The beach or town was a short ride away.

Being outside of the city center was nice and quiet, yet we still had a ton of restaurants and stores to choose from. Quickly, we settled into our normal routine of a slow wake up, breakfast, school, then exploring the country side.

We looked forward to our daily bike rides once school was over. Behind our villa were rice fields and a small network of narrow roads that we enjoyed wandering and getting lost in. 

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Charming does not begin to describe the ancient city of Hoi An. It is known as the "Yellow City" because that is the color most of the buildings are painted. The endless hues of yellow are especially striking as the light and tones change throughout the day. This well preserved jewel of Vietnam with its ancient architecture, cobbled streets, and colorful lanterns emits history and romance.

An intricate system of canals through town offers tourist an optional view for a small fee. It was once a major trading port dating back to the 15th century. Today, tourism is its major trade and thousands of us visit daily. 

We did the obligatory tourist boat ride in the evening. The boat ride was surprisingly peaceful even though we were surrounded by many other boats. Each boat had a lantern and it was indeed a beautiful way to see the city. The night market in Hoi An was the busiest we've visited on this trip, with all the people and lanterns, it was high energy. 

Hoi An is well known for it's custom tailors, colorful lanterns, unique art, and beautiful leather work. We all decided to get something custom made out of leather. Parker sketched and design a leather apron made out of buffalo hide. I designed a purse that could be converted to a clutch.  Kaia found a backpack she loved and got to choose the leather. Cruz found his first big boy wallet. 

This is a big year for us, Parker and I met 25 years ago and have been together ever since. Later this year is our 20th wedding anniversary. These years have flown by!

It was special to celebrate this milestone with our kids. Parker surprised me with a ring made at the Silver House. He had made for me a replica of the ring we gave Kaia for her 12th birthday, that symbolized the Camino, our walk in Spain. These are all special mementos that will remind us of our time in Vietnam and our trip.

It was overwhelming at times to walk through hoards of people on the streets. Each building had café, restaurant, or a shop mostly offering an array of souvenirs. Day or night, everywhere you looked were tourist from around the world taking selfies or in the middle of a photo shoot. Also at every turn, we would have to navigate around a giant tour group. 

Perhaps it’s always been that way even before it was a tourist trap since it was once a bustling trading port. But when you do get a glimpse of the city, Hoi An is magical. 

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After Hoi An, we decided to go back to Da Nang for a couple of weeks before making our way to north Vietnam. We preferred the beach in Da Nang, the ease of the city life with our homeschooling schedule, and hanging out with our friends.

One day we took a little "field trip" with our friends to the Marble Mountain. Marble mountain is a cluster of five mountains made of marble and limestone, each named after one of the five elements: Thuy (Water), Moc (Wood), Hoa (Fire), Kim (Metal), and Tho (Earth).

One hundred and fifty-seven steps take you to  a landing where you can begin to explore. The Marble Mountains are rich in history and has cultural and spiritual significance. Throughout the mountains were Hindu and Buddhist sanctuaries, pagodas, temples, gardens, and caves. Trees and plants blended into the limestone cliffs and surrounding landscape.

It is difficult to explain the beauty of these Marble Mountain, it felt spiritual and sacred. We spent a couple of hours climbing and exploring. We made it to the top of Thuy by squeezing through a tiny opening and were rewarded with a panoramic view of Da Nang.