As of the morning of the 9th November Hoi An is back in business.
Overnight, the last of the flood water receded and the city clean-up should be complete this morning. Most, if not all of the businesses and attractions in the old town will reopen throughout the day and for new arrivals, it'll be almost impossible to imagine that only a few days ago the water was chest height in Nguyen Thai Hoc.
The approaching weather system we've all been keenly watching has been downgraded and swerved north. Hoi An is unlikely to see even a drop of rain from this system.
There are still a few fat puddles in unexpected places and some new potholes have appeared, so do be careful when navigating the roads - especially at night.
In the countryside, many bridges have been either damaged or destroyed and many villages are still being devastated by the floods - our recommendation if you would like to explore the countryside is to go with a tour - they will have already scouted out the safest routes and this puts money directly into the hands that need it most.
If you would like to help support the people of Quang Nam, the registered charity CEF (Children's Education Foundation) have set-up a disaster relief fund for those most affected by the floods.
Linda Burns, CEF's founder - "Here in Quang Nam many families have lost their livestock, vegetables and rice and are left with no means to feed themselves. Some have no where to live now as their homes were totally destroyed, or they have to do repairs and cleaning due to the flooding, the mud that comes with the waters and the debris that comes with the fast moving waters. The 'storm' is over but their lives have been affected and will be greatly affected for nearly a year until they have the following harvest. Money is what they need most to buy materials to repair homes, rebuild, feed themselves, buy some clothes and much more. We know these families well and care about them and although our work is education, we wish to help them to deal with this disaster. We are contacting all our CEF families to find out how badly they were affected and will give or send funds to those who were most badly affected. IF you are in a position to donate towards the families we work with in Quang Nam the easiest way to donate is through PayPal which is on our websites: If in Australia:http://www.childrenseducationfoundation.org.au/ http://www.childrenseducationfoundation.org.au/donate.html If in the States:http://www.cef-vietnam-usa.org/ http://www.cef-vietnam-usa.org/donate.html We have tax exempt status in both Australia and the States. We will send receipts for all donations"
Do remember that money goes a very long way in Vietnam, even the smallest donation can make a big impact.
Image: Vu Trong Phan
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