Hoi An Jan 15

I arrived in Hoi An at 7:30 AM. The sleeping bus is better than the sitting bus but not that much. The beds are too short for anyone much over 5 feet. There are three rows of them in the bus. When you board you bag your shoes and get into your bed. The head of the bed doesn't go flat but stays about 23 degrees. It can be pulled up to provide a sitting position but your legs are always raised. I found it as comfortable as sleeping in the back of a car.

It is cold and rainy here and since I had my room by 8:00 I tucked in and watched a movie.

Later I went exploring in the area they call Ancient Town. Some of the temples were a little run down but it was an interesting area to walk through. Of course it was highly aimed at tourists and this town is unique in that it boasts a huge number of tailor shops. They make everything from coats and suits to shoes and boots and there are a couple of stores on every block. They can turn out your order the same day or the next day.

A gate of one temple.

The Hoal River runs beside the area.

There were a few of these on the river.

A seventeenth century Japanese Covered bridge.

Inside the bridge.

One end of the bridge.

A view on the river.

Cam Pho Temple gate.

Inside it looks a little run down.

Most buildings were this color of yellow.

It drizzeled rain off and on all day but there were lots of tourists out walking.

It is a very nice historical area.

Just another view around the area.

They are discouraging motorized vehicles but there were some being used anyway.

Another temple with a garden and statues in the yard.

The flower is in the temple yard.

This is the gate of the Phuk Kien Assembly Hall. It was the nicest building I saw.

The front entrance.

A statue with background wall.

Where temples often have large lions, dragons and fierce looking men gaurding the doorway, this building has these dogs which are only 10 inches high on either side of the door.

This is the gate of the History and Culture museum ....

.... and its inner courtyard.

By late afternoon it was pouring rain and most people were wearing a pastel colored raincoat. Here they are disembarking from the river ferry.

The entry of the Museum of Folklore.

The inner courtyard in the folklore museum, taken from above, all wet from rain.

Looking across the street at the tourists huddled under the tarp.

I made no plans for the next few days because of the rain. China Beach is near hear. If it dries up I will go there.