Day 8 Hoi An

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At last a lie in! A 9.30am start, not that that helped as the beeping of cars horns and a musical bin wagon started at 7.00am. After the hard cycle ride we booked in for a massage later that night to soothe the aching legs. After breakfast overlooking the flooded river, we met the guide for the short drive into Hoi An Old City centre. We were dropped off and walked a short distance down one of the three main streets. To be fair, we could only walk down this one as the other two were flooded! The local people were doing a roaring trade in ferrying people from one side of the flood water to the other. The Japanese Bridge is one of the most famous sights in Hoi An and was built by the Japanese to link their part of the city to the Chinese part further East. When the Japanese were told to leave by their government, the Vietnamese stamped their mark on the bridge also.

We also visited the House of Quan Thang, where the same family have been living there for six generations. Again the flood waters have been an issue in the past, and they even had a trap door that enabled them to use a pulley to move their furniture upstairs in times of flood. We also visited two Assembly Halls, one dedictated to a sea goddess. They were just hanging another conicle shaped incense stick which people buy from all over the world and light in memory of their ancestors. They burn for three months. Our guide took us to a handicrafts factory where we could see the embroidary pictures being made. We also got to see the silk worms in there various stages in life before the finally make the cocoon and turn into a moth. At this point they are put into warm water to extract the silk and the moths are actually eaten - nothing goes to waste round here!

After this, our guide showed us somewhere to get clothes made if we wanted and a good place for lunch and left us to our own devices for the afternoon. We soon split up as we had passed lots of shops selling things of interest and agreed to meet up for lunch. Russ got measured up for a suit and Kathryn a silk top, which were going to be ready that night, and not content with selling us clothes we were whisked off to the owners sisters shop on the back of scooters for shoes! Measurements taken, we were told to return later after the suit shop fitting. Lunch was in the courtyard of a cookery school which you would have thought meant they would have got the order right, but no, Russ didn't get his until everyone else had finished. That said, the food was one of the best we'd had so far. We agreed to meet up again later for a beer, before going for various fittings and then returning to the hotel. The main street was busy with tourists, and there were lots of shops selling lanterns and in some you could see them being made.

We went to the various clothes shops and with the alterations noted we were to return later after our massages to collect the finished items. We returned to the hotel by taxi in the back of a tiny Kia which we only just managed to squeeze into, and just had enough time to drop off our purchases before heading off down the path to the Spa Centre. The massage was lovely and relaxing, in a quiet nicely scented room with calming music.

We caught the hotel shuttle bus into Hoi An, which dropped us off at the bus station and we went around to collect our orders. After that, and making a few last minute purchases, we settled on somewhere to eat. After our dinner, which wasn't the best we'd had, Dad was approached by old lady selling some whistling animals. After a quick barter, he became the proud owner of 15 animals, not all different, and some slightly deformed (carefull if you are really lucky, you might get one for Christmas as a present). After much hilarity, we returned to the hotel for a nightcap and to pack, as we had a early start in the morning to catch our next flight out.

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Comments

[Graham]

Animals
Will he never learn!!!!

[sherry]

animals
OOOw what treasure!!!!