Once arriving to the cable car we learned the tropical island is actually an amusement park. We decided to splurge and go the next day.
Sat here and enjoyed a beer
Next day it was off to the amusement park, Vinpearl.
At the time I was told it is the longest cable car in the world. I just googled to verify only to learn that Tatev Monastery in Armenia is the longest. This is big news to be because I was at Tatev Monastery in 2009 and there was no cable car, only an amazing road overlooking a massive gorge
The cable car is nearly worth the entrance to the amusement park alone
The main attraction at the park is water slides. Nothing spectacular but never had more than 5 people in front of us for line so certainly no complaints
Most surprising aspect of the park is the reasonable prices once inside. Beer is 75 cents US and meals $1
There is also a nice aquarium and an arcade with an excellent selection, all included in the price of admission.($18)
Cable car on the way back
Then took the bus North to Hoi An which is a town I really liked a lot.
Japanese bridge built in the 16th-17th centry. It is the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist shrine inside. Must admit I have not read anything on Vietnam leading up to or during my visit. I guess the guide books make a big deal of this thing because everybody is surprised how small it is when they see it
The most common colors in the old city
About an hour from Hoi An is My Son, a Hindu temple complex built from the 4th to 14th century by the Champas who use to rule this region.
During the 1960's the Vietkong uses the temples a a base, much of it has been destroyed by American bombings.
It is similar to Angkor Wat but on a much smaller scale
I took a boat back which would have been nice if it didn't start POURING. I was the only person on the boat and spent most the trip hidden under a tarp
Rain was a common theme during my 10 nights in Hoi An. Was raining so hard I decided to take a picture. This is in the evening
At the time I didnt' know I would later be drinking some of these very beers
The water started to rise
After my poker session I thought it better to drink beer in the upstairs bar than walk home in these conditions which ended up being a smart, not only because I didn't have to walk home in the rain, but the owner also gave me some Vietnamese rum shots on the house. Still not the best reason
Stayed til the bar closed, when I went downstairs from the bar it looked like this
The best part is when I went outside there was a canoe waiting to take the few customers home
Was around now I remembered I have a first floor hotel room
Hotel reception looked like this. Not looking too good for my room
There is my room
The good news is hotel staff moved all my belongings upstairs before the flood
The next morning there was a canoe waiting to take me away from my room. The hotel staff was surprised to learn I wanted to remain in the hotel. Meanwhile, I was just happy they didn't raise the rates for the new pool. Plus really, most the hotels were flooded and that made hotels outside of the hotel zone full, but take advantage of the situation and have their prices skyrocket
My hotel
The canals of Hoi An (seasonal)
Had a suit made in Hoi An here. They are supposed to be the best in town. Took a canoe for my first fitting
It rained more than I have ever seen rain before causing me to miss some sights, like the beach and Marble Mountain but I still loved Hoi An. Definitely wont forget it
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