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Trip Start Nov 06, 2006

Trip End Jun 15, 2007

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Flag of Vietnam Hoi An, Vietnam
Thursday, March 22, 2007

Hoi An exudes historic charm - rough-textured storefronts painted buttermilk yellow, chocolate brown wooden shutters, narrow winding streets and teeny alley passageways, sidewalk cafes, and brightly colored Chinese-style silk lanterns that glow warmly during the hushed evenings. The entire town is also packed full of tailor shops and trinket boutiques, and though we're constantly hounded by vendors and moto drivers, our five months in Asia have trained us well in the art of returning their offers with glazed eyes and a nicely detached smile. Two New Yorkers sitting next to us at lunch actually complimented us on our ability to gently deflect without even needing language.

The winter monsoon is still bringing rain here every day, but the gray weather has somehow only added to the atmosphere of the place, given us another reason to enjoy the soups, coffee, and tasty chocolate desserts available here. And we used up nearly a full day in several fittings at a tailor, where we had inexpensive custom-made clothing and dress shoes made - so we'll be stylin' in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. A nice change from our ratty backpacker garb!

We rode by bike to Cua Dai Beach. The rain had scared away all the sunbathers, so we had the entire place to ourselves except for a few locals who worked on their woven bamboo boat nearby. We sat and watched the rough surf pound the beach for awhile before we headed back to pack for the bus tomorrow.