Fat and Happy

Relaxation has been the theme of the last few days. Annie has taken to afternoon "siestas" and refuses to leave the hotel during the hours of 11:30 to 3:00pm. Rather, she spends the time floating about the pool and reading in the shaded courtyard of our hotel. Quite civilized. Moreover, this especially makes sense as the 35 degree heat has produced some serious perspiration on the both of us. We found that I am a forehead perspirer and she is a lip perspirer...who sweats from the lip? She is definetely special.

Hoi An has been beautiful. It is actually an UNESCO world heritage sight and rightfully so. It is full of small streets lined with faded yellow buildings bursting with pink and purple flowers that seem to grow like weeds. Every second storefront is a unique little restaurant or a tailor's shop that is just begging to lure you in (and after three or four fittings) send you away with a wonderful custom made suit, pair of trousers, dress, shorts, kimono...you name it and they will do it. It was an easy place to spend four days relaxing, shopping, eating and drinking. A definite highlight of the trip so far.

Other than each of us buying a couple of tailored suits, we really have nothing to show for the time in Hoi An. I would like to say we are fatter because we should be. We definitely ate and drank too much, but all the sweating and bike riding (everyone gets around by old fashioned gearless bikes, complete with fenders and baskets) probably helped us keep it off.

Today, our last day in Hoi An we actually tried to cross off a couple of the local sights which we were far to lazy to get to...they included:

My Son- A famous ruins (Very Good)

Marble Mountain- A tourist trap, but for about 60 cents and 30mins of my life, I will not complain (Crap)

China Beach- The beach of Apocalypse Now and Soap Opera fame. The American soldiers used to be airlifted here for R&R while bombs were falling all around them. It was beautiful, deserted and well worth trip. (Great)

Now we are back in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for a tour of the Mekong and then a Wednesday flight to Bali...

Paul and Annie