Like many markets in Vietnam, the one in Hoi An, located alongside the Thu Bon river, is teeming with life, colour and incredibly exotic scents and aromas. The setting for much of the city’s economic activity, it is a maze of stalls displaying fish and seafood (caught by small boats and sampans – the only craft able to navigate the largely silted-up rivers in the local area), poultry, ready prepared dishes etc, bought and sold to a background cacophony of sound.