Hoi An

Trip Start Jan 16, 2008

117

Trip End Jul 28, 2008

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Where I stayed

Phuong Dong Hotel Can Tho

(Can Tho hotels)

Flag of Vietnam Hoi An, Vietnam
Sunday, March 2, 2008

Feeling the sun on our backs strolling the quaint streets of Hoi An was a pleasant change, although inevitably we were soon diving for suncream and gasping for a cold drink. A small town most famous for its customised shopping opportunities, it was not long until Kim was indulging...this time in a pair of fitted leather sandals/flip flops! For three pounds you can't really complain although the glue sections have started to slip and several nasty blisters have emerged on Kim's feet. I give them to Laos to survive...

Managed to enjoy some stunning meals at a waterfront restaurant as our love affair of pineapple and cashew nuts in Vietnamese dishes continues.

After a welcome lie in a room that hadn't been decorated since the Vietnam War, we hired bicycles and headed to the beach

Fruit and veg anyone?

. Randy, the American second hand bookstore owner, directed us over the bridge to turn right then straight on for 10-15 minutes. Needless to say we got lost in some rice paddies with a selection of poultry! In the end the sight of middle-aged Europeans cycling nervously was a welcome relief. The long sweeping beach was pleasant, although after 20 minutes, 15 of which had been spent constructing our trademark signature in the sand, we were both getting a little restless - not sure we are made up for lounging on beaches!? The highlight though was some exceptional banter offered by a hawker who claimed we were lucky it was her "happy hour"!

The usual fiasco with the onward bus as the 6pm pick up at the hotel was actually 6.50pm followed by another hour crawling around Hoi An for further hotel pick ups. Our conclusion is that they use the logical process of going around in the order that tickets are booked rather than geographical location! It's stunningly clever...