Hoi An

Breakfast at seven and check out at 7:30. Caught the tourist bus which picked us up at the hotel, to go to Hoi An. Picked up at several other motels. About four-hour trip, including a morning tea stop at large roadside cafe, and a half-hour stop to see Marble Mountain. Paid a few dollars to walk inside the mountain where they are excavating marble, and have placed marble carvings and lights inside. Just so-so. Lots of pesky souvenir sellers in stalls nearby. Drove through Da Nang which is on the number-one highway then towards the coast, arriving at Hoi An around lunchtime. Went for lunch squatting on stalls at a roadside cafe eating various things wrapped in rice paper. A big shopping afternoon where everybody went crazy at all the tailor shops in the old town. Bought suit coats and shirts for the boys, dress jacket, shirt and tie for me, cargo pants for me, work slacks for Mandy. Then down the other end of town to get three sets of boots and shoes for Mandy. Our guide left us to wander home, so we kept on -- buying some wraparound pants and a traditional long Vietnamese blouse made out of silk for Mandy. Tea of cake and coffee at a French boulangerie in the old town, then some internet time to transfer funds before heading back to our room.