The next stop, Hoi An

My next stop on my great Vietnam adventure was Hoi An. Tom and I were on the same sleeper bus, which was...loads of fun. As in, our driver was nutty and I think determined to hit every single pothole along the way. I'm a light sleeper, so you can guess what that means. I did a lot of lying awake listening to my ipod, staring at the sky. In fact, I saw two shooting stars, so I guess that part is nice. Tried to doze, but only managed maybe an hour or so of the eight.


We arrived in Hoi An at around 6 a.m., and almost as soon as Tom and I got off the bus we spotted Steffi getting off her bus. So we collectively chose a hotel (Steffi and I shared a triple room, Tom got his own), sought out breakfast, and then decided to rent bicycles (about 60 cents for a day) and head the 4 km to the beach.


Spent the day at the beach, then met up again later for dinner and drinks. And this was basically how the whole 4 days that I spent in Hoi An went, except Tom and Steffi headed north earlier than I did, so I had an extra 2 night and day on my own in Hoi An, bicycling and strolling around.

Hoi An is gorgeous. Sun-soaked stucco, children running around, silk lanterns hanging everywhere, excellent local cuisine, people selling fresh beer for about 20 cents a glass...the recipe for a leisurely few days, for me. The two main things to do in Hoi An are stroll around and shop. Well, three things, including going to the beach.


If you know me, you know that I hate shopping, unless I have a clear goal in mind. I can't just wander around trying things on aimlessly, or I get tired and cranky and my head starts throbbing. However, in Hoi An I had some vague goals: I know that some day soon I plan on parking myself in New York City for a while, and for that I will need more winter coats than I have (last I checked, the 2 that I have from H&M in Paris are getting a bit tired-looking), so I had that on my list. I ended up getting 2 winter coats handmade. Then, as shoes are hard for me to buy here, because I have giant Western clown feet, I decided to get some leather shoes made--and ended up with 4 pairs, including knee-high leather boots for New York. I was a bit baffled at my shopping in Hoi An, but the way I see it, these purchases are good investments. They're hand made, tailored to my body and feet, and will last a long time. Hopefully. Plus, I allowed myself to spend a bit more money than I'm used to, being that I was on vacation.

So, shopping happened. And when you're working with tailors, it tends to structure everything else. I would go order something and have to be back the next day to try it on and have it adjusted, then return to pick it up. Between these appointments, I'd stroll around, or bike to the beach, or get a juice in a café and read. (I always had a novel with me.) The sun was glorious, the air was clearer than Saigon, and the feel of the town is rather Mediterranean. Excellent.


And, on my last day, during lunch before heading to the bus for Hué, I struck up a conversation with Katy, a brassy New Yorker, who I would later meet up with in Hanoi and tour Halong Bay with. Another new friend! More about her later.

Photos from Hoi An are here. Enjoy!

Love.