The second week in Hoi An was a busy one. The kids went to You Hub on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They now walk by themselves to You Hub, and they are thrilled to be able to do that. Lucas and Henry are on week two of budgeting for and planning their meals for the week. Lucas got up one morning at 6:30 a.m. to go to the market with me to buy food to cook. He made noodles with vegetables and skillet potatoes with eggs this week, which saved him money. He also cooked for me and Henry, so we paid him for our meals.
The boys went surfing this week and An Bang Beach. Lucas and Henry surfed in Nicaragua and Ecuador. Several of the boys are beginners, but they all did great. The waves were not huge, but that was perfect for the first lesson. After surfing Michael, Lucas, Henry and I played pickleball. Michael and Lucas found some good competition with a former badminton player.
Vicki, Melanie, Corrine, and I went to Love Yoga twice. Michael and I got a 90-minute Vietnamese massage. The moms did a moms’ night out. We walked around Old Town, got drinks, and ate at V Vegan. An amazing Vegan restaurant in Hoi An. Even the non-vegan moms agree the food is great.
I tried acupuncture for the first time. I have had sinusitis since Bulgaria. I have tried steroid creams, nasal sprays, and antibiotics and nothing works, so I am trying acupuncture. The acupuncturist does not speak English, but we communicate with Google Translate.
I took my first Grab (like Uber) scooter ride home from acupuncture on Tuesday. The first ride was nerve-racking, but now it is fun. It costs a third of the price of a Grab car. Riding on a motorbike in Vietnam is like being in a video game. The bikes weave in and out of traffic, play chicken with giant buses, run red lights, and sometimes drive on the other side of the street. It is a chaotic symphony.
Free walking tours are a great way to get to know a city. We try to take them when we arrive in a new place. Our group signed up for a walking tour of Old Town Hoi An.
Our tour guide Hoi took us on a fascinating two-hour tour of the old town. He talked about how Hoi An was a melting pot for traders from the East and West centuries ago. The name means peaceful meeting
place. The city is influenced by the Chinese, Japanese, and French. He told us stories of the city flooding. At times, the water can be more than 10 feet high. The rainy season is just starting here. We hope it doesn’t flood.
On Friday, we went to Ba Na Hills. It is a resort and recreational complex about an hour from Hoi An. You get to Ba Na Hills by cable cars, and the views from the cable cars are spectacular. The most iconic part of Ba Na Hills is the Golden Bridge, supported by colossal stone hands. It is a surreal sight and the perfect spot for a family photo. Ba Na Hills is designed as a replica of a medieval European town. There are tons of food options, shopping, games, and entertainment. The kids’ favorite part of the day was Fantasy Park. It is an indoor amusement park with free rides and games. We were there from 8:30 until 4, and the kids could have stayed longer. We met a stick insect on the way down the Gondola at the end of the day. It was swaying precariously over Vicki’s head. We were all nervous about it, and then a Ba Na Hills employee who was riding down for the day picked it up and threw it out the window. It was reported that the insect landed on a tree and is doing just fine.
We were tired from the busy week, so Saturday was mostly zero-day. I went to acupuncture. The kids had a marathon Monopoly game that lasted several hours. Lucas and Henry had a sleepover with their friend Dexter. It was Dexter’s first sleepover, and he said it was a smashing success. The parents went out Sunday night to Barefoot Beach Club for dinner and live music. The kids stayed home, ordered their dinner, and played games.
