Day 98 - Hoi An - Tailor Shops, Bike Rides, and of course more Lemon Juice
Just a side note ... Tola and I have now become experts on lemon juice. :) During our months in Southeast Asia we have drank countless bottles of water, but sometimes water is not enough to quench ones thirst. Lemon juice has become our drink of choice because it is cheap and refreshing (actually made with limes in Southeast Asia). I think I am going to try and master my own lemon juice recipe after our trip is over.
Hoi An ...
Walking down the streets of Hoi An, I felt like I was experiencing exactly what the guide books write about. The streets were picture perfect, small, and there were surprises around every corner. Hoi An used to be a town used for trading, and the French architecture has really done wonderful things for the smaller pristine town.
As so much of the world experiences great turmoil, it is hard to imagine that a place so lovely actually exists. Vietnam has had its share of turmoil in the past, but today Hoi An does not show any sign of Vietnam's past history. Tola and I enjoyed just walking along every street because there was so much to explore and take in.
Today Hoi An is famous for its hundreds of tailor shops. People travel across the globe just so they can visit Hoi An's little shops and the prices are quite unbelievable for people from the west. Initially Tola and I were not going to get anything tailored because we don't need any new clothes, and we didn't really want to carry anything else during the rest of our travels. Of course a Vietnamese family sucked me in and I took to their marketing tactics right away .. usually I don't give in too easily, but I caved in Hoi An. Tola purchased two custom made shirts, and I decided to get two simple dresses made. The ladies who ran the little tailor made shop were quite the workers, and I felt happy to give them a little business. I do not know how shops stay in business throughout Southeast Asia. There are hundreds of shops that look exactly the same!
Our second day in Hoi An became a day for bike riding. We decided to take a small wooden ferry (along with our rented bikes) to an island called Cam Kim Island. It only took about 25 minutes from Hoi An to Cam Kim Island, but Cam Kim Island is the exact opposite of Hoi An.
We rode bikes along the dusty roads of Cam Kim Island. The roads took us through remote little villages, large fields, and across numerous bridges. We ended up not really knowing where we were going, but getting lost actually proved to make our little adventure memorable. After riding across a few bridges, we realized that we were probably not on Cam Kim Island anymore, and we did not have a clue as to how to get back to Hoi An. Tola and I didn't really mind because the roads became more and more beautiful. As we rode past the local people, we got a few strange glances, and I think this is because foreigners usually do not ride through the islands off of Hoi An. Eventually (right after I got a little grumpy because of the heat) we ran into a British man and two other individuals. The humorous British tour guide apparently has been giving bike tours of the islands for years, and Tola and I were the first foreigners he had ever ran into during his years as a guide. Our meeting became a funny joke because when he advertises his tours, he tells his customers that they will not meet another foreigner throughout the day. Well, Tola and I ruined that a bit for the British tour guide, but he was excited to sit down and have a chat with us. Tola and I were both thankful that we ran into him because he ended up giving us directions that took us back to Hoi An.
Our days in Hoi An were relaxing and delightful. Everything seemed surreal and perfectly placed throughout the tiny and beautiful city. We were also able to visit quite a few historical sights, and this gave us an idea of what Hoi An has experienced in the past.
Hoi An is definitely one of my favorite towns we have visited on our trip because it is a break from everything that you experience in a big city (in Southeast Asia). There isn't as much traffic and the people of the small town seem a bit friendlier. Hoi An is simply a wonderful place and a small jewel of Vietnam.
Hoi An ...
Walking down the streets of Hoi An, I felt like I was experiencing exactly what the guide books write about. The streets were picture perfect, small, and there were surprises around every corner. Hoi An used to be a town used for trading, and the French architecture has really done wonderful things for the smaller pristine town.
As so much of the world experiences great turmoil, it is hard to imagine that a place so lovely actually exists. Vietnam has had its share of turmoil in the past, but today Hoi An does not show any sign of Vietnam's past history. Tola and I enjoyed just walking along every street because there was so much to explore and take in.
Today Hoi An is famous for its hundreds of tailor shops. People travel across the globe just so they can visit Hoi An's little shops and the prices are quite unbelievable for people from the west. Initially Tola and I were not going to get anything tailored because we don't need any new clothes, and we didn't really want to carry anything else during the rest of our travels. Of course a Vietnamese family sucked me in and I took to their marketing tactics right away .. usually I don't give in too easily, but I caved in Hoi An. Tola purchased two custom made shirts, and I decided to get two simple dresses made. The ladies who ran the little tailor made shop were quite the workers, and I felt happy to give them a little business. I do not know how shops stay in business throughout Southeast Asia. There are hundreds of shops that look exactly the same!
Our second day in Hoi An became a day for bike riding. We decided to take a small wooden ferry (along with our rented bikes) to an island called Cam Kim Island. It only took about 25 minutes from Hoi An to Cam Kim Island, but Cam Kim Island is the exact opposite of Hoi An.
We rode bikes along the dusty roads of Cam Kim Island. The roads took us through remote little villages, large fields, and across numerous bridges. We ended up not really knowing where we were going, but getting lost actually proved to make our little adventure memorable. After riding across a few bridges, we realized that we were probably not on Cam Kim Island anymore, and we did not have a clue as to how to get back to Hoi An. Tola and I didn't really mind because the roads became more and more beautiful. As we rode past the local people, we got a few strange glances, and I think this is because foreigners usually do not ride through the islands off of Hoi An. Eventually (right after I got a little grumpy because of the heat) we ran into a British man and two other individuals. The humorous British tour guide apparently has been giving bike tours of the islands for years, and Tola and I were the first foreigners he had ever ran into during his years as a guide. Our meeting became a funny joke because when he advertises his tours, he tells his customers that they will not meet another foreigner throughout the day. Well, Tola and I ruined that a bit for the British tour guide, but he was excited to sit down and have a chat with us. Tola and I were both thankful that we ran into him because he ended up giving us directions that took us back to Hoi An.
Our days in Hoi An were relaxing and delightful. Everything seemed surreal and perfectly placed throughout the tiny and beautiful city. We were also able to visit quite a few historical sights, and this gave us an idea of what Hoi An has experienced in the past.
Hoi An is definitely one of my favorite towns we have visited on our trip because it is a break from everything that you experience in a big city (in Southeast Asia). There isn't as much traffic and the people of the small town seem a bit friendlier. Hoi An is simply a wonderful place and a small jewel of Vietnam.
I just went shopping at "Moose on the Loose" in downtown K.F. They don't taylor clothes, yet they do sell nice "Moose on the Loose" K.F. sweatshirts and homemade apple butter.