Our first night in the historic city of Hoi An happened to fall on a very special time in the lunar cycle. Not only was it a blue moon, but it was also a super moon and lunar eclipse all falling on the same evening. Unfortunately we didn’t really get to witness any of that due to cloudy weather, but we did get to participate in the beautiful full moon lantern festival, which occurs in Hoi An on the 14th day of every lunar month. We enjoyed walking the waterfront area of Ancient Town as it came alight with lanterns, floating candles and fiery altars used by the locals to honor their ancestors.
One of the most important things we learned about traveling in Vietnam is that you must always barter. We’re usually happy when we can get half of the original asking price. Even the youngsters are sharks when it comes to the art of the deal.