Sunday, September 14, 2008

Vietnam Day 2

So today Mel and I got on a plane and went South of Hanoi into Hoi An. This city is known for its ability to make custom clothes in a matter of hours and they can make just about anything you want! But first the hotel. We are staying at this really cute hotel, Phu Thinh II.

With an awesome breakfast spread
dragon fruit
and a pool and a view from our room
We love staying here, the staff is great and the amenities are the same as in the States.

After eating breakfast and settling in we rented some bikes and went to explore the city.
I am getting quite a few things made.

Me at shop #1 (suit)
Me at shop #2 (shoes)
Shop #3 (coat and 2 shirts)After this we had lunch at the beach, crab soup. I have pics of the beach but it was overcast today so I am gonna take some tomorrow to see if they are better.

After that we went to dinner. We had tofu and tomatoes
Sauted and saucy eggplant
and fish steamed in a banana leave with butter, garlic and green onions.
Mel had this beer for 50 cents

After that we sorta cruised the city on our bikes.

Right now is the In Vietnam, Têt-Trung-Thu (tet-troong-thoo) or the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most popular family holidays. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
Vietnamese families plan their activities around their children on this special day. In a Vietnamese folklore, parents were working so hard to prepare for the harvest that they left the children playing by themselves. To make up for lost time, parents would use the Mid-Autumn festival as an opportunity to show their love and appreciation for their children.


Like the Chinese, Vietnamese parents tell their children fairy tales and serve mooncakes and other special treats under the silvery moon. A favorite folklore is about a carp that wanted to become a dragon. The carp worked and worked and eventually transformed itself into a dragon. This is the story behind the mythical symbol, Cá hóa Rông. Parents use this story to encourage their children to work hard so that they can become whatever they want to be. This is a video of some of the festivities that were happening in the streets.

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