We took another bus ride (2 hours) through the outskirts of Da Nang to the ancient city of Hoi An, a UNESCO world heritage site. (On the way our slightly annoying tour guide pointed out the hangers where the military kept the hueys used to carry marines into battle - what remains of the air base the US military built in Da Nang.) Da Nang is a coastal town with many beaches and fancy beach resorts, and it was hot and humid - a better day for a swim than a walking tour of a crowded city.
Cars are not allowed, but motorbikes are. There were a few tourist highlights, but the ancient city is really one large market with a mix of high end silks and leather and cheap tshirts (the most common one - Good Morning Vietnam) and other souvenirs. So the sidewalks are mostly filled with restaurant tables and vendors, forcing pedestrians (of which there were many) onto the streets only to beconstantly hassled by horn honking motorbikers.
We visited a silk factory where we were shown the silk-making process - which is pretty amazing. The silkworms are raised on big leaves on which they spin their cacoons. The cacoons are placed in a hot bath, and the silk strands are pulled from them on a device that eventually creates a big skane of silk. The silk is dyed and then woven into fabric on looms for use in making clothes. (This slow traditional process has been replaced with automated devices.)
The factory we visited included numerous women at sewing machines and others at stations set up for them to create complex and beautiful pictures using silk threads and hand-stitched embroidary. No surprise , the factory also seconded as a large market selling silk fabric (you could have a dress made and sent to the ship the next day), ready-made silk clothing, and silk pictures (which were really beautiful and looked like photos or fine paintings.)
Next up was the covered Japanese bridge built in the 16th century - the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist temple attached to one side. By this point I am seriously worried about heat exhaustion as we had walked several miles with no break. So we walked another long way to a restaurant for lunch, which was set up with long tables, so we were packed in. The food was excellent, though served in a way that required folks to understand which four were to share each plate - and several of our neighbors required repeated instruction in this sharing method.
About 3/4 of the way through the meal the power cut out and the a/c quit! I had to get up and go outside hunting for a breeze - I was soaked through and yearning for a good fan.
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