CYCLING HOI AN
Moving up the coast we came next to
Hoi An. In its hey day during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries
Hoi An was an important port for Chinese, Dutch, Japanese and
Portuguese traders.
The influences of these traders are
still clear. As you wander Hoi An's cobbled streets the city seems
to have changed little in 100 years.
The very best way to
see this area is by hiring a bicycle to explore the historic and
thankfully flat terrain of Hoi An and its nearby beaches.
It is easy to understand what inspires
the cities many artists by cycling toward Cua Dai beach past the
lush green rice paddies that surround Hoi An and farmer's homes
painted in combinations of sea green, sky blue and sand yellow.
While Vietnam is a nation focused on
the future, remnants of the war serve as daily reminders to both
tourists and the Vietnamese of its volatile past.
