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Published: August 6th 2006
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Saturday, July 30-Sunday, August 6 2006 Hoi An is a really beautiful, sleepy little colonial town, largely untouched by the war. I'm actually surprised at how small it really is, just a few streets. It's incredibly laidback and easy going, making it an ideal place to take a week long break, although it seems to be in a real state of change. The roads are basically half paved, half dirt and there's a ton of construction going on. The labour lawyer in me has been intrigued with watching the construction (about 137 violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act on every corner) which appears to be new watermains, sewage, new roads, etc. The workers, both male and female, work nonstop under this suffocating heat in jeans, long sleeved tops and hats. It's amazing, really, the resilience of the Vietnamese people. As has been the case in most of Vietnam, Hoi An is full of beautiful architecture, temples, and some of the best food I have eaten during my travels. The town's speciality is a flat noodle called "cau lau" that is reminiscent of, dare I say, linguine. It's served in a beef broth along with pork slices and fresh
vegetables - delicious! I have been enjoying fresh fruit every day, namely pineapple, mango and papaya. I've become addicted to the fruit shakes made at just about every restaurant and cafe! There isn't as much humidity here as there was in Hanoi but it is still blistering hot. Thankfully the hotel has a pool and a gorgeous beach is just a short bike ride away. And it's really interesting how even though I'm travelling in the rainy/monsoon season, it has only rained once during my month-long travel so far. Granted, it was a torrential downpour of biblical proportions but otherwise it has been sunny and hot every day.
Hoi An is also known as the tailoring mecca of Vietnam. I was excited about the prospect but had no idea what to expect. It's basically every girl's dream come true; custom made clothes for cheap, in beautiful, luxurious fabrics. I'm like a kid in a candy store here. This is not the place for shopaholics. The good tailors here are geniuses. They can copy any design from a photograph or magazine in exact detail. There are about a hundred little tailor shops in this town and most are pretty lousy
for good clothing; cheap stitching, no real attention to detail so there's a bit of research to be done before committing to a tailor. I sought out the best place in town for clothes and I am in HEAVEN. It's called Yaly's Couture and it's a bit more expensive (which isn't really saying much at all; still very cheap) than the others but with good reason. The fabric selection is enormous, the tailoring is perfection, all clothes are made on site and the tailors come downstairs and fit the clothes right to you, the sales people speak excellent English, etc. I tried not to go crazy, I really did. But I was powerless. I basically had an entire new work wardrobe made in wool/cashmere blends for less than the price of one good suit at home. I also had numerous dresses, skirts, tops, jackets and pants made in silks and good cottons, linens...it's probably a good thing that I am leaving today for Saigon or I would probably do a lot more damage! I just made a trip to the post office to mail all of this home and I hope to god it arrives or I will be heartbroken.
In case you were wondering, yes. I managed to find my way into the actual workshop of the tailor, located upstairs from the shop. Again, my labour law instincts forced me to check out the conditions of the tailors under a sick worry that I was somehow contributing to a slave labour production. However, I was really happy to see fantastic working conditions and really happy employees. The woman who runs Yaly's, Mrs. Quyun, is quite the entrepreneur and a fanastic boss. If I'd had more time, I would've love to sit down and talk with her about the shop.
Hoi An has been a really great place to take a week or two to relax. It's very chill here, the local people are wonderful. My salesgirl at the tailor even invited me to her friend's engagement party tonight but sadly I am leaving for Saigon this afternoon or I would have definitely gone with her! It's been a great break as the next few weeks look to be pretty busy. I'm having a wonderful time although I am getting a bit tired of the random and mysterious bug bites. Oh and my burn is healing great. I
met two Australian nurses staying in my hotel who coincidentally worked with the Australian burn victims from the Bali bombing a few years ago. They looked at my burn and both said it's healing perfectly, not infected, and that I'll be fine although it may take awhile for the scar to fade completely. So I was happy to hear that!
Today I fly to Saigon out of Danang (about an hour from here by car) and check into a hotel I booked a few days ago. And then Nathan arrives tomorrow! I'm really excited to see him as it will be great to see a familiar face. He arrives around 4:30 pm local time which is 5:30am back home. Hopefully it won't take him too long to adjust to the heat and the time! Our general plan is to travel through Saigon and Cambodia with John and Aine before heading up to Laos.
Having a wonderful time. Wish you were here. Send money and bagels with cream cheese and lox.
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Sara
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OMG
I'm so jealous! You *have* to take pics of your clothes when you get back! My friend also had some clothes made and had them shipped back as she continued on her trek. They are gorgeous!