Meow!

Me: "it's not that far from here really - we can take a taxi..."
Brad: "mmm..."
Me:  "it has great reviews..."
Brad:  "of course it has - all from cat lovers!"
Me:  "oh..."

We were discussing what to do on our last day in Hoi An.  I really wanted to visit Jack's Cat Cafe.  I'd heard of cat cafes, but never been to one.  I assumed it was run by someone named Jack - NO not true; it's run by a young couple who adopted a cat they named Jack, only to find out that he was a she (who soon after gave birth to five kittens).

They have a house with a big fenced yard, many trees, a pond, and picnic tables.  Run mainly with help from volunteers and funded by donations (we paid $5.00 US each to get in) they take in abandoned and injured cats and kittens, get them medical attention, and have them spayed and neutered.

There were cats everywhere:

Just hanging out

Hang on - what's he doing here?

And our favourite kitty - young Coco

After the monsoon, a visit to the market

We woke up to cloudy skies, and no wind; the storm had passed.  One thing we hadn't yet done, was visit the market; we saw this on the way:

Hey Mike Holmes, is this to code?

Lots of fruit and vegetables for sale 

Front row left to right are dragonfruit, papaya and oranges

Live chickens

Snails; one is escaping over the edge; some have already made it.  Then it was time for coffee.

View from the second floor of the coffee shop, up the river, with the mountains in Laos in the distance

Cycling in the rain

Sporadic rain showers didn't stop Brad from going on his cycling tour of the countryside near Hoi An.

Shipyard where traditional methods of wooden boat building are used

Some of the logs are imported from countries in the region

These women are using dried reeds to weave sleeping mats

Boat trip to the Cham Islands

Today we went on a dive boat to the Cham Islands, an hour offshore.  Brad went with the scuba divers, and I was snorkelling.

Brad on the right; the water was a bit choppy here - the second spot was much calmer

View of our boat from the beach

A boat we passed on our way back in to the dock

Exploring the Old Town of Hoi An

Today we walked down to the Old Town to see some of the buildings.  Our first stop was the Fujian Chinese Assembly Hall, built in 1792.

Inside was a temple, dedicated to a Chinese deity who rescues sailors from sinking ships.

Outside on the street again, a bride and groom were posing for their wedding pictures:

The groom gets in for a photo of the two of them:

Hoi An

The small ancient town of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site, sits on the banks of the the Tu Bon river, a few kilometres inland from the coast.  From the 16th to the 18th centuries it was an important trading port, attracting traders from China, Japan, and even Europe, so has a rich cultural heritage.

Photo by Paul Mannix on Flickr

It's even hotter here, with more humidity, so it's much like walking around in a sauna...
There's lots to do and see here.  The streets are more walkable than Saigon, and at certain times of the day, in the old part of town, motorbikes are not allowed, so you only have to watch out for bicycles, which is a relief.

We walked around this morning, got ourselves oriented after getting a bit lost, and found a riverfront restaurant; we each had a fan pointed down at us - heaven.  After an iced coffee (they know what foreigners want, as they advertise on their menu that their ice is made from purified water) we ordered grilled prawns with garlic.  Told it would be a bit of a wait, we're sure someone went to the market a block away to buy them, then came back... they were worth the wait - huge whole prawns with a garlic and lemongrass topping.  Wow - we really cleaned our plates.

View from our hotel balcony

Boats on the river
Eyes on boats are an ancient custom meant to scare away sea monsters (including crocodiles , and it seems to  be working --no crocs in this area anymore).

Close up of the boat above

After dark we used google maps to find a new restaurant up a very narrow street - more like a walkway.  It served "fusion" food, and we had to wait to get a table.  I guess that's what happens when the guidebook says it's "our new favourite." We climbed narrow steep stairs to the second floor to our table on a tiny balcony, which was great spot, as there was a bit of a breeze.  The food was excellent!