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Published: October 8th 2007
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hoi an road works
digging up the main drag in beautiful and hostoric Hoi An, Viet style. Hoi An is alight with lanterns at night, the hum of river boats, and sqealing kids riding double or triple on the back of oversized bikes. It has been a neat place to hang for 3 days. I ordered a new wardrobe of silk winter dress, and two shirts from Yalys, and it all became ready today after about 4 fittings! They really are perfectionists which is great when you playing with expensive fabrics. My seamstress Lynn spoke good English and was very obliging. She had worked there for 4 yrs and it sounds like her boss treats her well. Mr Xe around the corner has a dodge reputation for pilfering money from foreigners however, and is not recommended (Trip Advisor) to be meddled with!
I had an interesting altercation with a member of the beige brigade today. He whistled me to stop before entering Cao Dai beach area, gave me a swift talking to about 'you no enter, you can enter' (ambiguous I thought?) and when I challenged him he got aggro and promptly hit my rear wheel with his metal baton which I since found out got buckled. I insisted I take my bike and helmet with me
temple
Slowly becoming enlightened and templed out in Hoi An - knowing my reputation for retaining bikes - so I could keep watch while I swam in the Sth China sea with my fishy friends. The belting with the baton was his way of cursing me onwards, but then the same process repeated itself 50 metres ahead with another beige dressed official. I later found out that he tries this on with every Westerner to see who will bend, and charges them to 'watch' their bikes away from the beach. The words bueaucracy and corruption spring to mind, not to mention scam.
I have had even more interesting encounters with stall owners and kids trying to sell something (how much is adult driven I wonder...), they all end up similar - dialogue something like....
Hello motorbike?
Hello you buy?
Foreigner: No thankyou
Hello motorbike?
Hello you buy?
No, I don't want to buy.
repeat until one party gives up.
And school kids riding to school in lovely white uniforms with red ties and blue hats the dialogue is like this ...
'Hello/ sin ciao' (include a wave)
Hello, how are you?
He he he he, ffhlk jdasih auyfiouopdklj (vietnamese for 'what an idiot, she is wearing a helmet')
Off to Hue, Marble mountain and China beach en route tomorrow by bus, then overnight train to Hanoi the following day.
Until next time...
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