Happy New Year!

After my last post it was time for some beach life, in the pittoresque fishing village Bai Xep where we had hoped for snorkelling and seafood. Unfortunately the sun said bye bye about the same time as we reached the coast (and we haven’t seen it since…)

Qui Nhon - fantastic clean beach but a bit off season…

The waves were too big to go out in, and no visibility for snorkelling. Even if Justus has muttered quite a few words about our bad luck with the weather we still had a good time - fun waterfall climbing, new years karaoke next door - and fresh seafood every night.

A less nice thing is the amount of trash that can be found on streets, along the roads - and on the beach. During our beach walks in Bai Xep we collected 11 garbage bags with rubbish (didn’t even cash them in - 1 garbage bag —> 1 beer, brilliant idea at our hotel.)

Spring rolls under construction 

Interesting cakes…

… and we landed in this budget version.

Beer sponsored new year celebrations in the city PN, 20 min from our little village

New year’s dinner

Then we continued to Unesco listed Hoi An - and our 7 days here in a fantastic home exchange has offered daily rains - and no changes in the forecast. When we leave there will be 28 degrees and sun though…

Apart from the fact that it is impossible to get towels and the floor in the bathroom dry, we are having a really good time here. We have rented bikes and cruise along rice fields (daring each other who drives though the biggest pile of buffalo shit) as well as in the total mayhem of beeping overloaded motorcycles, street dogs and cars. As we have also met up with friends from home with 3 daughters, the girls are playing constantly and we’ve had time for more adult talk than ever this trip…

Alma’s favourite dish - meat in leaf. She’s fantastic with the sticks!

Helmets and road safety… room for improvement.

The food is above all expectations!

Typical round boats. The sea is too choppy for us to try them though.

Hoi An old town.

Outside of every shop and in all houses there are small altars with incense and food to sacrifice to the ancestors. Here we got the occasion to participate in the burning of “clothes and money”, to send off to the ancestors in another world (we also ate their cookies, which were very tasty.)