Hearts and flowers ... Off to Hoi An

Yesterday we woke early and headed for breakfast at the café after an exchange of Valentine's chocolate.  Eggs, bacon and toast were on offer to fuel the long walk to Cho Lon (the Chinese sector of HCMC) to check out the market and nearby pagodas.  We have been walking in the afternoons during our sightseeing excursions but this was to be a longer power walk as we had a very lazy day on Friday. 

Traditional Tet Set-up - Renaissance Riverside

It's great walking as a tourist as you never know what you might see.  Not exactly sure what this fella on the ladder in the middle of the road is doing but if that's his job, he can have it.  

High-wire Act?

We motored on for 90 minutes or so and then stopped at an electronics store where we inquired how much further it was to our destination.  The salesman laughed and informed us that it was a 30 minute motorcycle ride from there. Lol, I guess we didn't check the scale on the map we were using.  

At that point we were 4-5 miles from the hotel and decided a cab was in order.  Of course, there are never cabs when you want one though we were constantly molested when we didn't.  Eventually a cab arrived and we drove in air conditioned comfort to a shabby sprawling market jammed full of stuff no one could possible need or want.  On the bright side, we did find a cute temple inside the market and ran into a couple of British fellas we had chatted with the other evening at Bernie's Irish Pub.

After wandering through the less than interesting display for a half hour or so, we decided to go outside and check out the surrounding area.  It was also uninspiring so we grabbed a cab and headed back to Ben Thanh Market.  Ken was on a quest for a second pair of PJs and I was along for the ride to see what caught my eye.

This sprawling building is also crammed with stuff people don't need; tee shirts, knock-off watches, purses, sunglasses and an endless array of potential treasures and souvenirs.  Markets everywhere are full of pushy salespeople and this one is no exception.  Haggling is supposed to be part of the fun though I am far from expert at bargaining so usually the people I deal with are very happy indeed!!  After less than an hour we had bought what we needed (lol) so back to the hotel for an hour at the rooftop pool to cool off.

After a quick dip, we headed off to experience something that I have been anticipating for months at the Blue Moon Spa; a fish pedicure.  Basically, you stick your feet in a pool filled with Doctor Fish and they eat all the dead skin off your feet.  Ken, being a good sport, was coming to try it as well.   We were each given a cup of tea and brought into the grotto.  There are two pools, one with smaller fish (2-3 inches long) and the other stocked with larger fish (4 inches+ in length).  After having our feet washed, we were told to swing around and stick our feet in the water.  Ken went first and screamed like a little girl when the fish came a nibbling. Apparently, the fish don't taste man-flesh very often and he soon had the equivalent of fish stockings.

At first, it's pretty weird as the little fish nibble away at your feet and legs but it gradually feels a bit more like someone tickling you with a feather.  Ken was very tasty or I was not (or maybe he just had more dead skin) so they moved him to the big fish pool so that some of the fish would see to my feet as well.  In addition to the fish pedicure, we were treated to a vigorous shoulder, back, arm and head massage for 300,000 VND (about $15 CDN).  I told the masseur, that likely didn't speak a word of English, that I would normally hit back when someone smacked me that hard.  Lol.  The thirty minutes passed in a flash and our feet are now as smooth as a baby's butt.  Can't wait to do this again and again.

Back to the room to clean up for our last dinner in town before heading to Hoi An.  We kicked off the evening with a glass of wine at the rooftop bar and then after walking around for a bit we ended up at Kim Lam for one last meal.  We started our meal with their fabulous and beautifully presented fresh rolls.  For mains, Ken chose the duck breast stir fry with cashews and I selected a seafood stir fry in a nest of crunchy noodles; both excellent choices.  Back to the hotel to finish up the beer we'd bought earlier in the week before hitting the hay.

This morning was packing, a last croissant for Ken and then off to the airport for our flight to Danang. 

When we bought the tickets last May, only business class fares were left so close to Tet so after a relatively quick cab ride to the airport, we whisked through check-in, security and proceeded to the Vietnam Airlines Business Class Lounge.  I love being a princess!!  The Lounge was well stocked with beverages and food but the seating was soft and low so not too comfy.  Better I am sure than the seating available for the "great unwashed" (lol) so we wait for our flight in relative comfort.

A short one-hour flight later we landed in Danang where our car to the hotel was waiting for us.  Danang looks nice and there's a fabulous beach so we will have to come back and explore for a day. 

We arrived at the hotel where there were welcome drinks awaiting us in the lovely lobby.  The staff are very welcoming as well and our room is fantastic.  I'm sure we'll be very comfy here for the next week.

More tomorrow ...