Motorbike ride around Hoi An: pottery village and beach

We woke up early in the morning to a kind of music that at first seemed distant and ended up seeming to come from below our window, curious, I got up, expecting anything but that... I then saw that it was a garbage truck... They manifest themselves with this music so that people remember to put their garbage on the side of the road.

Thanh Ha Pottery Village

We decided for this day to go to the pottery village located about 3km west of Hoi An. If the village really exists (Thanh Ha pottery village), we thought that its specialty would be pottery, and therefore shops and manufacturers all along… Instead of that, we just found by chance (another of our specialties…) at the back of the village a house with ovens and pottery drying in the sun.

It was then that an old couple, the owners, came to welcome us and happily show us how they make them, namely the husband turns the wheel with his foot while the wife uses her creativity and her fingers.

Jitima will try it out when they offered to test it. Touching, if obviously, they expect us to buy something, it almost seems like common sense to thank them, because they are very kind.

As we were leaving, Jitima was looking for a photo inside their house, so the old man invited us to come in.

Not speaking English, we sat there in their more than modest living room, exchanging little smiles while they sipped their tea.

Cua Dai Beach and surroundings of Hoi An

With the sightseeing around Hoi An in mind, we headed straight towards the sea, returning towards Hoi An, a few kilometres away. Cua Dai beach is large and quite wild, the hotels not being (yet) numerous.

If like us, you have time, it is interesting to walk around Hoi An as we did. It was the opportunity in particular to find a small corner on the quiet water to have a drink and enjoy the landscape, composed of rice fields, and the river, the same one that crosses Hoi An and participates in its charm.

It's a way to complete the visit of the area with something other than the old town, a way to see beyond the "postcard" aspect.

Meeting in Hoi An

Then back in Hoi An, I completed my already well-filled collection of photos of everyday life, of the inhabitants, of the lanterns, etc.

While we were on the island opposite old Hoi An (EDIT 2013: attached, a map of the surrounding area to find your way around and a satellite photo from 2004, to compare with that of 2012, knowing that for our part in 2010, it was still a peninsula and not an island) we decided to follow the river, in a small street where not many tourists seem to come and go.

This is where a lady approached us and insisted that we take a trip on the river. 1 hour by boat, but since it was almost dark, it was clearly a no for us, and what's more, the price seemed high.

But in the face of his insistence, we finally agreed to meet up the next morning. Since we still had a whole day to do the next day, a little trip on the water wouldn't be a bad idea.

Especially since by dint of refusing on our side, she kept lowering her initial rate. An appointment was made for 11am the next day, knowing that early in the morning, we planned to get up again in order to take advantage of the morning calm and the market.

Hoi An at night

After this rather short but pleasant walk, we continued among the lanterns and lights, as night fell. We had agreed to go to dinner together with the French couple we had been following since Mui Ne, because the next day they were leaving for Hue while we were staying here for another day.

While we were waiting for them at the agreed point (the bridge connecting the island from where we had just come, easy to spot) we met the lady from the boat tour, suddenly all smiles and enthusiastic, wanting to make sure that we would come the next day as planned.

Obviously, there was no reason to change our minds a few minutes later and we reassured her, not without taking the little souvenir photo that goes with it.

Once the French couple arrived, we went to the restaurant, near the river, on the island side of the day.

The restaurant chosen (Edit 2013: it was the Thanh Phuong, but I think the name has since changed) was perfect, friendly, nice view from the balcony of the floor we were on, and good food.

This rounds off another great day in Hoi An.