Hoian - old merchant town

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...and then it rained. We feel like you blog-readers are now getting your revenge back on us. It's very much like a true English summer; it won't stop raining. (although it's still warm enough to walk around in shorts and t-shirt.)

Hoi-an itself is a very French feeling town. It's colonial in style, but the "frenchness" is different to the "English" colonial style of India. Yellow pained walls everywhere, balconies in need of repair, bars on the windows. The town sits on a river and is very picturesque. ( I Remeber reading once that although Britain has a terribl;e world reputation for rain, it tends to rain more in France than the UK!)

The town is famous and noted for is clothes making. The town is full of shops which display the latest editions of Elle, GQ, NExt catalogue, Argos Catalogue (?!?!? no joke) and they have walls and walls of rolls of material (silk, linen, cotton) so that you can mix and match, making your own fashion style. What with the rain, the local stores seemed to have made plenty of profit this week as westerners hide from the rain. It was quite amusing seeing morose men being pulled around the town by their partners for their opinions on the 43rd skirt and the 22nd pair of shoes. (Laura, you would love this place!)

The orders go in, and within 24 hours the clothes can be picked up. Claudia bought a matching outfit (Jacket, skirt and trousers - I still haven't worked out how she will wear the skirt and trousers at the same time) as well as a summer dress. I bought 2 pairs of trousers for $20. {And that's another thing; the Vietnamese have 2 currencies. Their own Viewnamese Dong (VND) for smaller transactions, and then the American Dollar for larger amounts (travel, and hotels.) I still haven't really got my head around the exchange rates (about 16,000 to the dollar) as I'm constantly comparing amounts across 4 currencies (ie also using the Indian Rupee as well as pound sterling.) It makes it extremely difficult to negotiate and either the Vietnamese beggars are more happier or I'm tipping way too much.}

Food wise Hoi-an seems to specialise in set menu's. We turned up in one "street restaurant" that had been recommended. The owner dragged Claudi to a prime table (ie so that passers-by could see a westerner was eating there) and promptly served up several large plates of grilled meats on skewers. She was shown how to make a home rolled spring roll; (chicken, pork, cucumber, green banana, and green salad all wrapped up in rice paper) and we ate to our hearts content. We were stuffed; and then the owner brought out another 2 plates for us to work through.
We also visited twice a French restaurant that did a similar set menu style. We were asked whether we wanted fish, meat or vegtables. That was the menu! But we were then served up with a 5 course haute cuisine meal. Delicious.

Vietnam is a lot more easier to travel in than we expected; although you do need to speak English (or Vietnamese) really. {Steffi and Willhelm; Claudi reckons you should come here as soon as you can}. Oh, by the way, the Vietnames can understand Cockney. I was in one street restaurant starving, and swallowed half a bowl of noodle soup before I had tasted it. The chilli then hit. "Hor", I said to Claudi "that soups a bit 'ot" a wrinkled old woman started laughing to herself showing large gapes in her teeth. It was only today (11th) that I read in the guide book that the Viet word for Chilli is "ot"!

CK: We did a half day excursion to some Hindu temples that had apparently been in good nick for the last 1000 years until american bombs caused two thirds of them to crumble... It was nice to get out into the country side and it didn't actually rain much while we were there but we have been spoilt by the temples we had seen in India, which were in a much better state and as old. The place was called My Son (meaning beautiful mountain) and is a world herritage site. (Terry keeps joking that if we ever have a son, he will call him beautiful mountain...

Anyway off to Hue next, this time only 4 hours by bus.
Lots of love to all of you at home
Claudia and Terry

PS: Do drop us a line if you have time!

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Photos

Vietnamese Coffe
The white layer at the bottom of the glass is condensed milk, i.e. the sweetness is not optional!

view while sipping sun set cocktail
we imaginged the sun set, havn't seen the sun in days

Comments

[Karl]

Australian Visit
Hi Tel, Sorry we have been missing each other I know Claudia has emailed Barb!! It is fine for you to stay with us for as long as you like!! You will be here for the end of the Aussie summer which is a good time not too hot!!! Our address 45 Riverview rd, Oysterbay, Sydney, NSW my telephone number is 0423 777 330. If you send flight details etc we can look to pick you up from airport. (my email is [e-mail]) Loving your travel tales - PS dont froget the Banyon Tree top floor cocktail bar when in Bangkok!!!