Sunday, January 19th, 2020

The journey to Hoi An leads over the famous Cloud Pass, once the largest trading post in Southeast Asia. As a hub on the Silk Road, it attracted traders from Japan and China, who brought their cultures with them, until in the 17th century English, Dutch, and French companies also settled here.

But there is no cloud (fog) to be seen at the Cloud Pass. That's good! The first city after the pass is the port city of Da Nang. Because of the upcoming New Year's festival, thousands of boats are anchored here. Beautiful chaos. And then we continue to Hoi An.

A melting pot of beauty and value. The Japanese Bridge, the Quan Cong Temple, the Phuoc Kien Pagoda, the famous trade house Diep Dong Nguyen - almost everything here is a world cultural heritage.

At around 4 p.m., our guide heads towards a meeting point where we will board a boat. Or so we thought! First, we go on a joyride with three old GI Jeeps. Amazing. If only we could drive ourselves.

But then we continue on a boat. Eating, drinking, and enjoying the sunset.

As we approach the city again, it starts to get dark. Lanterns everywhere. The light spectacle will intensify throughout the evening. Beautiful and kitschy.