It is my second day in Vietnam! I am in Hoi An and it has been such a nice break from boat life. The food, the scenery, the smiles of people... these will be etched in my memory as I move on in this voyage and in my life. I will share some impressions from this time in Vietnam...

Money is a strange thing and value is so different from cost.

I am autmatically labeled as a tourist wherever I go!

People are very inventive when they need to be, and Vietnamese are GREAT at reading people. Selling is such a skill!!

Connections are everything in Vietnam. A man at a restaurant last night offered us a tour of his local fishing/ pottery village, and we brought friends along. It was obvious how intricate the web between people is, with each person contributing to the process, and each gaining something as well.

Life is on a different scale here!! We saw women who work all morning to make 500 roof tiles, and they only make $2 a day for all of them!

People are so kind and generous. I want to be more giving and loving!!

I was touched by a group of women, I think they were sisters, working together and singing as they made wontons... Apparently they supply the whole town with wontons, and they were DELICIOUS!! It was so sweet to see them working hard but with happiness and community! Nothing but smiles, laughs and innocently sweet voices.

We all have things to learn from each other, and I hope I can come again to Vietnam, to experience and be influenced by the gracious culture and happy smiles!

Well I am one week into my Peace Boat journey and it has been great so far! Bonding with a great team of teachers has been one major highlight. Each member of the team is really nice and so incredible in their own way. It has been fun to work together and see how many ideas we can generate and how much we can accomplish!! It has also been fun to get to know some passengers onboard.

Among the Japanese passengers there is an incredible diversity of ages, interests, and personalities. The onboard activities are just as varied. Any time of day and at any part of the ship passengers are participating in events or creating their own. There are lectures, concerts, athletics, dancing classes, yoga sessions, spontaneous jam sessions, etc. It would be really hard to get bored!

Another obvious highlight has been ports... We are on our second stop--Vietnam! I really enjoyed it the first time I came, so I was excited to come again! I have not6 been disappointed this time either!! We arived in port early in the morning at Da Nang and were greeted by a group of dancers, and a "dragon!" It was a nice way to be welcomed to Vietnam!! Next a group of us negotiated for a taxi and made our way to Hoi An, a beautiful/ charming coastal town. We found a great hotel right away for a very reasonable price and then we were free to explore!! A little shopping, a lot of chats, a trip to the beach and several stops for food and snacks made for a great day!! Now I am looking forward to a good night's sleep and a fun morning tomorrow!! And of course I am looking forward to the rest of the voyage!

Next stop, Singapore... Ly-ann, hope you are ready!!