Phyllis and Barry Storm China Beach Da Nang Vietnam

Well maybe we didn't storm the beach like the US Marines did but we did go to a first class resort on China Beach outside of Da Nang and not far from the US Base that served as one of our headquarters during the war.

Phyllis found these bamboo fishing baskets to show you. We saw many many fishermen paddling or pushing these buckets across the water tending to their nets.

Da Nang is certainly better off than what it had been but it has a long way to go. Nice to visit once..no need to return

Phyllis found this nice material for a shawl in this indoor downtown market in Da Nang and we barterred with this 9 months pregnant Vetnamese mother and settled on a price. It makes us feel "dirty" to haggle with these people and know we are returning to the QV luxury but it is really expected and the locals like it .. like a game they play with tourists. You have to admit the sales lady looks happy.

We couldn't help but think of Bird Flu when we spotted this woman (right) buying a live chicken from the lady in the middle. Those are live chickens in the wire basket at their feet!

We were taken to a village outside of Da Nang that specializes in carving marble from nearby mountains but we were struck mostly by the ordinary citizens like the folks fishing and the ladies selling ugly fish caught in the rice paddies.