"On the Embodiment of Vietnam ..." a Hoi An Travel Page by richiecdisc

Sometimes all it takes is a little sun to make a street, a flower, or a whole country look better. Hoi An offered just that and a whole lot more too. Vietnam had been a disappointment up to this point and even admitting that high expectations had played a big part in this perception, there was no denying it. Hanoi had been a rude introduction and dreary weather on the northern part of the coast had done little to lift our spirits. Tropical Vietnam seemed an oxymoron before the sun finally rose in this, the country’s most charming town. But to reduce the allure of this World Heritage Site Old Town to mere golden rays would be to do it a great disservice. It is quite simply the embodiment of all you imagine Vietnam to be.

Spared from ravage by the “American” war, Hoi An’s old town is a fantastic jumble of early 19th century traditional wood and French Colonial cement. The bric-a-brac effect makes for great photographic opportunities not lost on the equally hodgepodge mix of tourists that flock here daily. Throw in a bustling market place, a white sandy beach and ample palm trees, and the recipe for Vietnam incarnate is set. But the icing on the cake is the still integral river life that forms the heart and soul of this still authentic city, where old women in all too picturesque conical hats diligently row archaic wooden boats to make their morning purchases. With all these attractions, it would be easy to assume you are in VietDisney but somehow it has as of yet managed to evade such misaligned distinction. Doesn’t a visit to Hoi An seem to be in order? But hurry, the developers are closing in fast.