The honeymoon is over

The shine has unfortunately been taken off my adventure in Saigon and a great weekend in Hoi An, as my laptop was stolen on Monday night from my desk at home, whilst I was asleep in another room!

I was completely baffled when I first realised it was gone as nothing else had been touched. There was no evidence of a break in and all the doors were still locked. So, it turns out they climbed on to the balcony and reached through a slightly ajar but locked window. My desk is a good 2 metres from the window so it would have been a mighty scoop of some sort that they used to pull it out. 

Where there is a will there is a way, it seems!! I have certainly learned my lesson about home security and being alert but not alarmed as to what can happen. I am yet to replace it but I believe I am well backed up. Time will soon tell!

And now to Hoi An - it is beautiful! Yes, it is now a tourist haven, but it is clinging to its old town charm and it's authenticity remains. It was also nice to feel cold and to actually wear a cardigan.

The market is a bustling hive of activity, as is the river and the number of shops is simply extraordinary. I did give my wardrobe quite a boost as there are some funky local designers as well as the myriad of tailors and I also had a ring made. I was a little nervous with this purchase and the 24 hour turn around, but I am very happy with the result.

 

As usual I had some great food experiences - from the buffet at the hotel, to the local street vendors 

and the restaurants that had been recommended. My favourites were the shrimp mousse cooked on sugarcane  and the local specialty Cao Lau - pork with noodles and vegetables.

As well as strolling the streets and sitting and watching, I hired a bike for a day - costing me all of $1. I headed to the beach, and it was certainly nice to see the sea but it was rather windy and choppy, so not overly pleasant. The highlight was watching the fishermen in their little round baskets contending with the surf!

What was more enjoyable was when
I ventured off the main road and found myself in the midst an authentic rural scene. Plenty of rice paddies, vegetable patches, chickens, buffaloes and haystacks. This was again repeated when I took a local taxi boat to a nearby island. The concrete and then muddy paths took me through fields and villages and across bridges. Another relaxing ride, albeit in the rain. There  were lots of 'hellos' but other stints of silence were just broken by the tones of very bad Sunday afternoon karaoke.

My late flight back to Saigon allowed me to enjoy another evening in the town and what better way to finish than in a wine bar, watching the world go by.