Hoi An to Hanoi

DaNang to Hanoi - 1/31

Hoi An was most enjoyable and I could easily return for a visit. I could spend a day or more on the Marble Mountains. There are many grottos and  caves to explore. 

A very uneventful morning, bags packed and out at 0630, breakfast and then on bus to the airport. Well I spoke too soon as the bus driver was kind enough to take a route allowing us to view the Dragon Bridge in Da Nang .  This would be a great bridge to photo at night, but I was happy to get to see it and grab a couple very quick photos. 

Our flight to Hanoi was just over an hour, upon arrival we boarded the  bus and traveled to KOTO.

Memorial to John McCain , will visit tomorrow. 

Todays lunch took us to KOTO

KOTO stands for Know One, Teach One. Learning should be passed on; knowledge is meant to be shared. This is the essential idea of KOTO’s Vietnamese-Australian founder, Jimmy Pham.

More than 16 years ago, Mr. Jimmy opened a hospitality training centre in Hanoi, giving at-risk and disadvantaged youth the opportunity to learn and thrive in their lives.

KOTO's purpose is to end the cycle of poverty by empowering and helping our targeted youth to forge a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.  

As a social enterprise, KOTO has trained over 700 students in our training centers in Hanoi and Saigon, with 200 of them currently enrolled.

In addition to the Foundation arm that focuses on raising funds to support its cause through charitable activities and initiatives, KOTO also operates  a platform for real life hospitality training and also a source of income to support the training and welfare of our students.

Mr. Jimmy 

After lunch we made our way to our lodging for the next two nights, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.  This property is where the elite would meet and greet. 

Here we step into history and experience the timeless character, romance and elegance of Hanoi's most storied 5-star hotel. 

Located steps from the Opera House in Hanoi's French Quarter this legendary property brings guests to experience the opulence of another era. One can not help but be surrounded in the heritage as you stroll corridors and explore a dramatic past. 

Lynn noticed her suitcase had been entered and then noticed the bags handle had been broken. Duck Tape to the rescue.  

This hotel has an underground bunker and we should get a tour tomorrow. 

We are getting a bit of down time before the Water Puppet Theater this evening. 

The main musical instruments used in the water puppetry art are: drum, two-stringed fiddle, flute, drum kit, 16-chord zither or monochord. In the water puppetry performance, many kinds of firecrackers were also used such as crackers, fireworks, powder-filled paper strings, duck-shape firecrackers. The explosion and miracle light of fireworks made the performance more attractive.

Yes the performance was very interesting, scenes depicted legends and the daily life of the Vietnamese people. After the performance we were able to take a look back stage and see the puppets and their frame and mechanisms which control the actions of the puppets. The puppeteers wear hip boots with warm clothing underneath. 

A very worthwhile experience, not to be missed. 

Our dinner this evening was at our hotel. We chose the Asian restaurant and the food and service were excellent. 

Need sleep as we have Tai Chi in the morning . 

  

The Marble Mountains

1/30 Hoi An 

Today we are headed to the Marble Mountains for a hike to see several temples and more. The skies are grey again this morning but temperatures are more comfortable. 

The Marble Mountains are a cluster of five hills made from limestone and marble in Da Nang. It's also a well-known pilgrimage site with peaks, caves, tunnels and temples all just waiting to be discovered. Named after the elements metal, wood, water, fire and earth, Marble Mountains exist in a coastal area that is renowned for stone-cutting and sculpture about 5 miles south of Da Nang. There are Buddhist sanctuaries and places of worship dotted across the mountains which are a much-visited spiritual site.

Marble Mountains, according to ancient folklore, a dragon emerged from the water on Non Nuoc Beach and laid an egg. A thousand days and a thousand nights followed before the egg hatched, and out stepped a beautiful girl. The fragments of the shell were left on the beach and eventually grew into the five mystical Marble Mountains. Today, one of the most popular highlights is climbing up the Marble Mountains and enjoying spectacular views across Non Nuoc, also known as My Khe Beach. The Mountain of Water, which is home to pagodas dating back to the 17th century and a number of caves, is one the most frequented climbs with a steep hike up stone steps to Tam Quan Gate and its superb vistas to Mount Kim Son or Metal Mountain and the coastline from the Riverview Tower located next to the gate. The Riverview Tower dates back to the 18th century and the reign of the Emperor Minh Mang. Close by is Van Nguyet Grotto which is a nice resting spot where you can grab a fresh coconut to drink. The Lantern Cave is also worth a look, small but deep and filled with lava along with Am Phu Cave which heads down to a very scenic viewpoint. 

From the Marble Mountains we were taken to a nice high end shop where all kinds of quality goods were available. We purchased a couple small carvings for the Adventures Club and some coffee with a drip pot. 

This afternoon we have free time to just chill and enjoy the resort or maybe go back to town. 

As lunch was on our own we went across the street and found local restaurant named Simple. The food was excellent and very fresh. We had a very nice meal for a bit over $10. 

Back to the hotel where we got some laundry done, some packing, before we went to the pool to cool off. 

This evening was a nice BBQ for dinner. 

Tomorrow morning we are flying to Hanoi. 

Cooking Class, Making Lanterns, and releasing Lanterns, Pub and Night Market

1/29 HoiAn 

We got laundry done, well Lynn did, last night and crashed. Up early having coffee and enjoying our room. 

The breakfast buffet here is expansive with many many choices. It was interesting to see a sign advising one if the left more than 100 grams of food on their plate there would be a charge. 

After breakfast we boarded a bus to go into Hoi An. Here we met Ngok (sp?) a local chef who guided us through the local market to get food for our cooking class lunch. 

I personally enjoy these markets as you can see what the local people eat daily. Here we found lots of fresh vegetables, meats, and even some cooking utensils. I did buy a shredding knife while there.  The smells for me are wonderful and here the vendors were very friendly. 

Ngok was a great instructor and very entertaining as well as informative. 

After lunch we were taken to a local tailor where several people were measured for garments, such as shirts, dresses, suits etc. These items will be created over night, just amazing. 

Lynn and I returned to the market to buy some gifts. 

Next we were taken to a Lantern Factory where we got to make lanterns. This was a rather fun activity. I was intrigued in that every piece of the lantern was made in this shop. All woodwork, metal work, and the adding of the fabric was done right there. 

Neat Lanterns

We were next given some down time so I am catching up with the blog. 

Nice laundry lady with much of our groups laundry 

This evening we went back to town, boarded a boat on the Thu Bon River. We then lit paper lanterns, made wishes and released them into the river. 

When we arrived back on shore we were turned loose for the evening. Everyone else went back to the tailor shop for a second fitting. Then they had the option of returning on the bus or staying in town for their dinner.  

Lynn and I struck out on a quest for the Irish Pub. Yes, we did find it and had a snack of Fish and Chips. They were not to bad the fish tasted good but it was very very thin, with corn meal breading rather than a beer batter. The Irish Stout was good, so that was worth the effort to locate The Shamrock Pub. It was easy to find as their lanterns were green and white. 

Japanese Bridge 

Our Dessert Doughnut Maker 

Kermit!!!

We then made our way to the Hoi An Night Market, this was very nice, lots of activity. Several food offerings were found and we opted for a doughnut for our dessert.  

From the night market we made our way down the waterfront to a taxi stand for a cab ride to the hotel.