Arrived in port early and this time we docked at the harbour so no need to use the tender to get ashore.

We were all booked on the Hoi An tour which took us by coach to a typical Vietnamese village and then on to the town of Hoi An to visit a temple and do some shopping.

The first thing to strike you about Vietnam is the number of motorcycles and scooters on the road and the sheer disregard drivers there have for any traffic discipline. Cars are heavily taxed, typically a small Hyundai car will attract upwards of $US 80,000 tax putting cars out of reach of your average Vietnamese.

Our visit to the Vietnamese village of Hoa Chau brought home to us all the poverty that blights the lives of many Vietnamese. Our pictures of the village market highlight some of the primitive conditions that the Vietnamese people live and work in. Despite these conditions and the poor economy the Vietnamese we met were proud of their country and happy to greet us as visitors.

Leaving the village of we travelled by coach to Hoi An a popular tourist spot complete with river, ancient bridge, temples and of course shops. Hoi An is UNESCO World Heritage Site and definitely worth a visit. I have to say that being pestered by a young lady who asked me "Would the happy Buddha like to buy some fruit" whilst she tapped my belly was not what I would consider to be one of the finest moments of our visit to Hoi An ! This incident did appear to amuse some of my fellow travellers - see our pictures of the Buddha.

The village was crowded with plenty of things to see and do. Unfortunately I became separated from our travel group and despite extensive efforts to find them I was forced to return to our rendezvous point. With over 45 minutes to wait in the blazing sun I was took cover under the veranda of the Victory Bar. Affording views of the rendezvous point the veranda was the perfect place to while away the time waiting the return of my fellow travellers. Oh and did I mention that an ice cold Tiger Beer (large) was less than $US 1.00 ? I, like you, I am sure, was so astounded that I had to order another beer to confirm the price. As time passed my fellow travellers emerged from shops and when I described the transaction I had recently completed they too felt the need to verify the price I had paid for my Tiger beer.

Jan successfully managed to negotiate the purchase of 6 Coolie hats for the team. These were to be worn on board Seabourn later on in the day. It was only the absence of a Kiss Me Quick, Hug Me Slowly band on the rim of these hats that proves they were purchased in Da Nang rather than Southend Seafront.

Back on the coach for the return to the ship we all agreed that the town of Hoi An was an enjoyable place to visit. On the journey back to the ship we briefly stopped at China beach, apparently a favourite resting place for US troops during the Vietnam war. A stunning beach with miles and miles of white sand, this beach makes you realise that you need to investigate Vietnam further as a beach holiday destination.

Back on-board the ship for more food followed by a demonstration of Vietnamese dancing by a local dance troupe. I preferred alternative entertainment in the bar where Hank was noticeable by his absence. But never fear he was not too far away, Sue and others who went to see the dancing were able to report that he appeared with the dancers during the post event photo call. Hank was clearly looking for a close encounter of the cultural kind and although not published in this blog he appears in many of the pictures taken of the dancers.

Enjoy the slush,

Dave and the crew……… Sue, Jan, Bridget, John and John