..26.. hoi an

the rain comes down in sheets, and streams of translucent pastel ponchos float by, blurred by the rain. we navigate unmarked roads pocked with gas stations consisting of a rack of old Fanta bottles refilled with petrol. we just visited the cham ruins at my son, just outside of hoi an. hoi an itself is charming - feels very european - narrow winding streets packed with french colonial architecture holding cafes & tailor shops, all situated on a misty river. it's great to hang out with amy.

through what can only be understood as a mistake, we've been given a free room in a 4-star hotel! we took a night bus here, which somehow provided a full 8 hours of sleep! we just had a good laugh with the hotel employees, ate pomegranite with them, then returned to our room for a dance party. we found incredible corn-meal-type desserts at the market and ate 4 bowls. then we went shopping for clothes & got sundresses made. my butt is so burnt from snorkling that it hurts to sit down, but it's funnier than it is painful.