Hoi An, Vietnam

Chinese symbol for luck in Hoi An, Vietnam

We arrived in Hoi An, Vietnam via a surprisingly pleasant, reasonably priced bus from Hue. The journey took about four hours, and we arrived in the middle of a full-on downpour of rain. We had given our names to our guesthouse in advance of travelling to be sure that someone would meet us at the bus station. Somehow, though, through the magic Vietnamese travel gods that be, a representative FROM our accommodation showed up on our bus with a handwritten sign with our names on it, and proceeded to drive us straight to the guesthouse. Talk about door to door!

Hoi An is a lovely Vietnamese city, perhaps most famous, and rightly so, as the tailoring capital of SE Asia. The master tailors here can crank out made-to-measure clothes at a fraction of western prices in less than 24 hours... and as we were to discover, also provided the added benefit of a completely amusing and unique bargaining experience to boot. Catt's plan was to get a few tailor-made suits and shirts. Megan's plan was a little less practical- getting a few fun party dresses and a stylish winter coat (probably not to be worn for another 12 months, as we are following summer for a year, here. But practicality, schmacticality, right?)

We spent a few hours scouting out a good tailor (there are literally hundreds of shops, all offering seemingly similar prices and a mind-boggling amount of fabrics, buttons, options, etc) and finally decided upon a small shop run by some of the liveliest and most mischievous girls we'd ever encountered in our travels. Catt purchased two cashmere-blend suits (one in darker brown and one in thin white pinstripe on navy,) and some dress shirts, and Megan selected a black and white cotton dress, as well as a knee-length silver, silk dress with capped sleeves and a white, cowl-neck wool coat. After outlining on paper your choices, you are then taken upstairs to pick fabrics. We were like kids in a candy store. They literally bring you into a room with hundreds of fabric options, and you pick your lining, buttons, zippers, and just about everything else. Prices were negotiated, and then they proceed to try to goad you into buying more shirts, dresses, whatever. "Two more for YOU!" they'd shriek, slapping you on the butt, pinching your cheeks, etc, and then draping unwanted silk and wool over your head/arms/waist. The whole scene was quite comical, but worth it, because in the end, they did a fabulous job. We are really bummed that we didn't get any pictures with our salesgirls, because we got to know them quite well over the course of our few days in Hoi An.

"Old town" Hoi An was designated a UNESCO world heritage site as "a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, whose buildings display a unique blend of local and foreign influences." During our visit we also had a chance to explore some of the historical temples, homes and museums, as well as wander the charming alleyways enjoying delicious Vietnamese coffee and deserts, crafts, and fresh fruit. There is a very evident Chinese influence in Hoi An, primarily due to the large Chinese community there. Here are some pictures.

a to-die-for desert from a street-side cafe in Hoi An

The rains pretty much continued for the duration of our visit to Hoi An, which was okay, since thankfully most of our activities in Hoi An were indoors. The entire ancient portion of the port (water-front harbor) flooded in the evenings, making for a messy tangle of cyclos, dogs, vendors and tourists.

Hoi An street in the rain

Chinese assembly hall

conical-shaped spirals of incense, Chinese temple, Hoi An

alter in a Chinese temple, Hoi An

purple lotus flower, Hoi An

paintings for sale in Hoi An, Vietnam

waterfront view from the Japanese Bridge in the rain

Hoi An flooding in the rain

boat woman in Hoi An

some elderly ladies lighting up in Hoi An

the national symbol of Vietnam, the motorbike, was alive and well in Hoi An

carrying a palm tree through town... you know, normal stuff

Hoi An locals at the market

Hoi An local carrying baskets over her shoulder- this is a very common way to transport items- especially produce- in Vietnam

A great addition to our Hoi An experience was getting to spend time with our Spanish friends from Ha Long Bay, Jose, Valle, and Luis once more. We coincidently were staying at a guesthouse right next to theirs, and met up for coffee and a tasty buffet dinner one night. The spanglish and beer carried us to the wee hours, and it was a wonderful end to a relaxing few days of retail therapy on the coast of Vietnam.