HOI AN, VIETNAM

2024-06-07, 20:34

We arrive by car from Da Nang at around 17:00. It is already heaving with people, much more than I remember in the past. The Japanese bridge that we came to before is now under construction. Hundreds of boats float down the river, with tourists releasing candles in floral floats. It's a big change from before; the amount of people and the type of tourism. We duck into a restaurant to eat -- decent food. Then, we duck into a rooftop bar overlooking the river. There is a band covering famous English-language songs on the other side. It feels like such a dichotomy, the solitude of a riverside town with rock music and a cover of "Set Fire to the Rain."

I'm not sure I'll be back...?