Next Stop...Hoi An

After our Ha Long Bay junk boat cruise, we left Hanoi and boarded an airplane to fly 1 hour south to the port city of DaNang in central Vietnam. 

From DaNang, we were picked up by the hotel bus and driven the 45 minutes down to Hoi An - a coastal town along the South China Sea, or as it is called in Vietnam, the East Sea. 

We spent 5 nights at the 4-Star Asian Pacific Hotel in Hoi An.  Our time was spent walking around the town, having clothing and shoes made, watching ethnic dancing and music shows, going to the beach, and hanging around the pool.

This is what Raven and Michelle loved to do - besides ordering room service! - relaxing and reading by the pool.  Aureyana came down to the pool occasionally but mostly stayed in her room accessing YouTube to listen to and to watch her favorite singing group...The Wanted.

Even though it rained sometime during every day (or night), we enjoyed the 'cooler' temperature after the rains - at least for an hour until it heated up again!  If it did rain during our trips out of the hotel, it never lasted more than an hour or so. 

The rain did not stop us from going to the hotel's private beach and walking on China Beach and swimming in the South China Sea!   

Christy, Michelle, and Aureyana enjoying the day on the southern end of China Beach by the South China Sea. 

It was a very hot day....with no breeze and, to make it worse, the water was even warm. 

Thank goodness for the umbrellas...and cold drinks!

Contemplating the idea to have hand-made shoe.

At the tailors, drawing and discussing the clothing Raven, Michelle, and Christy wanted made.  Aureyana was not impressed.

The Vietnam flag was flown along the streets of Hoi An because of the holiday, Independence Day, on 2 September.  On this date in 1945, President Ho Chi Minh officially declared Vietnam free from colonial force.