Viewfinders: Along a time-worn street in quiet Hoi An

The Traveler: Maxine Saul of Lakeville

A boy and a man who is likely his father made their way along a canal in the Old Town section of Hoi An, on Vietnam's central coast. The historic district has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, reflecting its well-preserved canals and architectural beauties. "The soft neutral colors caught my eye as well as the old, mildewed plaster wall," Saul wrote in an e-mail. Hoi An seems caught in a time warp. "Narrow streets, huddled wooden shop houses and a corrugated skyline of crusty tiled roofs exude antiquity. The city felt almost magical at night with its lighted paper lanterns. Hoi An was the opposite of the bustling city of Saigon with its 6 million people and what seemed like 3 million motorbikes," Saul wrote. She visited Vietnam ahead of the pandemic. The duo in the photograph "approached us with smiles on their faces and brightness in their eyes, and that hit right at the heart."