Beautiful Relaxing Hoi An

  Hoi An, Vietnam
Wednesday, May 12, 2004

One last breakfast at the shabby Century Riverside Hotel this morning before we hoped in a car for the three hour drive to Hoi An. The views were spectacular. Unfortunately, I'm still battling a cold and slept through the first half. I did, however, wake up at a beach somewhere, near a tour bus (real descriptive, I know) We got some cold beverages before heading back down the road and I saw the rest of the trip. Towering mountains coming right down to the ocean, deep blue water speckled with fish farms, grazing water buffalo, and white beaches, bright wet rice paddies. All your stereotypical images of Vietnam and South East Asia. Donna went a little nuts taking pictures of the water buffalo, but they are pretty cool animals and they just wander around out here in the fields or on the roads for short stretches.





We're staying at the Hoi An Riverside Resort just outside of town. Again, probably one of the nicest places around, but unlike Hue, worth the $71 price tag. The outdoor hotel has little walkways going to individual buildings with four rooms each. The grounds are covered in tropical fauna and the rooms are large but simple. They are also decorated in flowers. Flowers on the pillows, flowers on the coffe table, flowers on the toilet paper roll, flowers in the toilet bowl itself. Perhaps a little over done, but still very nice.

As the hotel is a ways out of town, there is a shuttle in every two hours or so. On arrival, we hurridly checked in and headed into town. Hoi An is the first real town we've been to in Vietnam and, living up to all everyone's said, it's wonderful. Easily navigable, friendly people (as everywhere) and a relaxed atmosphere.





Our first order of business in Hoi An was to locate shops to make the clothes we wished to purchase, for that is what Hoi An specializes in, custom clothes and, as we fould out later, shoes. I am not a big shopper, but when you're in a foreign country and everything is cheap, somewhat exotic, and bargaining's involved, I dive right in.

The first shop we went to had be recommended by Nhan, our tour guide in the delta, but it was huge and pricey. We thought we'd try a shop suggested by the hotel (they had a list) and wandered towards one while stopping at other places along the way. We ordered Christmas gifts (yes, it's May, but we're not going to be in Vietnam in December) for my cousins and had some traditional ao dais made for my sister and a couple of her friends. All prices were quoted in US dollars and as prices in Vietnamese Dong involve lots and lots of zeroes, we stuck with dollars, too. You never want to mistakenly drop a zero when you're figuring prices. We did that in Poland a ways back before they knocked three zeroes off their currency or whatever. It was an expensive mistake and one we've been careful not to make again.





Taking a break from shopping, we stopped in at restaurant called "Good Morning Vietnam" and split a pizza. Hoi An is a lovely town, but it is certainly not off the beaten track. Donna enjoyed some mango ice cream for dessert and I had some garlic bread. Yup, I'm weird.

After lunch, our shopping continued. Some of the shop keepers were pushy, asking what we wanted over and over until all we really wanted was to get out as quickly as possible. Most, however, let us browse in peace. Shortly before heading back to the hotel, we hit the shoe street, mostly custom made boots and sandals and some ugly sneakers-we stuck to sandals. It had never occured to me that you could have shoes custom made. You find a pair of sandals you like, or I suppose you could draw them, and then you come into the shop. You choose the color of the leather and the color of the string and they trace your feet on sheets of paper and measure around them in two places. Six hours and four or five dollars later, you pick up your shoes.





Though all but our largest order would have been finished by 8:30 this evening, we opted to head back to the hotel for the remainder of the day. We enjoyed the pool and had dinner at the hotel. The latter choice was regrettable as dinner for two wound up costing $25 and wasn't particularly good. Oh well.