Shoppers paradise Hoi An

---

Fourth stop.... Hoi An

Ladies - this is shoppers paradise!! If our stupid backpacks werent TINY we would of been kitted out for 8 new wardrobes by now....we even debated getting jackets tailor made and shipped home the clothes are that lovely and all TAILOR MADE!!! It pains us we couldnt buy a whole new wardorbe...pains!!

Anyway, yeh eh the cultured stuff........bar all the cute wee botiques, Hoi An is a beautiful city! Very small compared to the other places we have seen so far, a refreshing change that we all loved! Very french influenced with a cute river running through it and a lovely pier to walk along full of bars and restaurants! Tourist city....and mango shakes to die for! mmmmmmm!

Spent our first day just touring the city...and well, shopping! Rob got a shirt tailor made and Juls got a skirt - see mums, we were well behaved! oh yeh, and some earings but that takes up no weight at all in the suitcase!!! Phew!! That night Rob went to a Vietnamese cooking class, very cultured, go Rob! Skills to be taken to Oz for Vietnamese nights no doubt.....dont go forgetting them!!!


2nd day the tour group went on a bicycle ride what i can only describe as the first bikes EVER MADE! It couldnt even turn corners, nearly fell off into the canal about 6 times!! Great fun! The bike ride took us to a wee fisherman's boat and we sailed to a small island off Hoi An for a local bbq! Best meal yet, it was gorgeous - all made from local cusine, delish! mmmm! We could see it was getting cooked properly so were happy knowing travellers tummy wouldnt be returning that night!!
A local fisher(wo)man sailed past and said hello, she was so skinny and so frail we ended up giving her some bread and meat! Our tour guide said she would be able to feed her whole family from what we gave her - 2 baguettes! Heartbreaking to see just how poor some people live!!

Unfortunately we only had 2 days to soke up Hoi An...could of stayed longer but for now, next stop - Saigon!!!

Lessons learned so far:
*the doctor will tell you all sorts to make you pay for medicine!
*a girl really cant have too many clothes!!
*steering left really means going straight for the massive mossie infested bush.....

Photos to follow team..........

---