Asians don't wear swimsuits. Day trip to Hoi An and Da Nang beach

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We got up early and we picked up by Anh's 'uncle' (I'm gonna stick with that cause it's shorter than cousin) and we headed to a nearby old town Anh had told me about. I didn't realize Hoi An is a tourist destination in and of itself, but then, I don't know much of anything about Vietnam except the American involvement in the war part.

We stopped just outside of town for breakfast with more cousins or aunt and uncle who live in Hoi An. It was a little local place where you sit on child size plastic stools at a low table. We had pho, Vietnamese noodles with some beef on top. It was quite tasty, even though Westerners don't eat noodles for breakfast. And I was happy to be surrounded by locals, a sure sign your getting the real (delicious) Vietnamese food.

After breakfast, it was a short drive to where her uncle dropped us off to go tour the area while he went to spend the day elsewhere. There were guides and cyclo drivers there pushing tours, and they gave us a brochure with a list of places to visit in the town and we could pick any number of them for a set price. Only 3 of them really looked interesting, so we decided, bought all the tickets at the entrance to the old streets, and hopped in our cyclos (what they call the bicycle rickshaws here). It was an oppressively hot day, so I was happy to not be walking and that my cyclo had a little sun shade. Anh had negotiated a rate for the cyclos to take us where we wanted to go, and any stops at the shops on the way (and let me tell you- there's lots of shops).

I believe our first stop was an ancient (or maybe just old) house. The lady who greeted us was descendant of the family who had it built way back in the day. We were sat down in the entrance of the home for tea and dried coconut candy/snacks. She gave us the brief background of the house, and then took us for a tour. The tour lasted for the temple area of the house, and then turned into a gift shop, as most the rooms were now displaying various tourist nic nacs for sale. Everything was a little pricey for me, and the lady seemed disappointed when I didn't buy anything.

As we left, I turned to Anh jokingly and said, "Did we just pay to get into a gift shop?" to which her face dropped, and she let me have it. "Don't say that!" She cooed sadly, "It was a cool old house! You make me feel bad..." and that made me feel awful...
Here she is, taking time from her break at home with family and friends to go to tourist sites she's seen plenty of times before just to be a good host and show me a good time in her country. I sadly realized this probably wasn't the first time I had come across as ungrateful or unhappy, even though I am.
I've been having a wonderful time, in large- if not entire- part thanks to Anh and her family's generosity, but I've developed some communications or personality flaws over the years, and one of them is just saying the things that come to my mind (as statement or observation, not meaning criticism or dislike) and they often come out sounding quite negative and bitter... I've been aware of this problem of mine for some time, but have had little success in altering the behavior. I was devastated that it might have hurt Anh's feelings. Anyways, I made a note to myself to drop the 'tude and just smile. I was having a great time, I needed to act more like it. And it's true what they say, smiling makes you happier. Even if you at first put it on for company (as in waiting tables), it quickly becomes genuine. Besides, everywhere after that place was genuinely cool.

As we were leaving, there was a tailors shop with some cute samples on display, and we checked it out. Being the first customers of the day, the lady was willing to give me a 'discount', plus I was looking at three items. I thought the price seemed pretty steep, but after shopping around afterward, I realized I had gotten a good deal (which Anh assured me of at the time when I was hesitant to buy). I got a dress, a blouse, and a pair of shorts (which I desperately needed as I had none) for $60 USD. I said if I bargain shopped in the states, I could find it there for that price, which they countered with it not being tailor made for me. I countered with not needing tailor made clothes in the states as they sell my size in most stores. However, at the end of the day, several people made their days wages off my purchase, and I walked away (when we returned several hours later) with some cute shorts and a dress I will actually wear. Something I have not done (aside from formal events) since I was a tween. I was quite surprised, as I was measured so hastily, that the shorts and the dress fit perfect without additional alterations. The blouse however, since I had chosen a different type of fabric that laid very different than the sample one. It needed altered three more times to fit proper.

So, after the ordering the clothes, we went on to the next site, an old temple (across a cool covered old bridge) where the influence of the Chinese and Japanese living and trading in the area at the time could be seen in the architecture. On the way to the next place I saw some cute sandals and was very happy when I heard the price- $3USD. Now, normally you bargain for everything at these places, but $3 seemed pretty reasonable to me for such cute shoes. I bought two pair of the flip flops and walked away happy. The ones I had brought with me were turning out to be rather uncomfortable to wear when walking for hours at a time, but in the heat, you want as little on your body as possible, so I'd been avoiding my other shoes.

Then we hit another old house with a gift shop built in where they make hand embroidered items and then a museum type of place with some of the historical items that have been uncovered in the excavations of Hoi An by a Japanese archeological group, set up in the first old home they restored.

One of the things mentioned in a caption below a map of the old town was that the local handicraft industry was declining, as most the buildings now were being turned into tourist shops with goods from elsewhere, which was clearly evident walking down the street. We passed *many* other tailors shops too, many with other cute items, but the prices were never as good as I got before and I had already blown my budget for the day.
We stopped for some fresh juices and to cool down an hour or so before lunch and I found a shop selling the Vietnam Lonely Planet Guide, which I had been hoping to find as I was leaving Anh's company soon and most travelers I've met abroad swear by their LP books. (I wish I had taken one to China- I didn't realize they were banned since they mention Taiwan as a separate country).

After lunch and grabbing my clothes, we were picked up by Anh's uncle and he drove us to where he was playing tennis; Anh drove us 'home' from there. We went to change to go to the beach, and I mentioned that I still couldn't believe she didn't bring a swimsuit. She looked at me and then down to her little shorts and Mickey Mouse t-shirt and said, "I'm fine. Asians don't wear swimsuits." We both smiled broadly, and I felt great relief that she would be joining me in the water after all. We headed to the beach as it was nearing sunset, but it was still hot and the beach was crowded. We went with several of her younger cousins (teens to maybe 20) on mopeds, me on the back of Anh's.
I got a lot of stares on the beach, as I was the only foreigner around, and also one of maybe three girls in an actual swimsuit. Anh was right. Maybe it's more in Vietnam than Asia in general, but the babies were swimming naked and almost all the females were swimming in clothes. Most were similar to Anh's- short cotton shorts and a fitted t-shirt. It did make me a little uncomfortable when it was time to get in the water, as aside from my super pasty white skin already drawing attention, I was also showing more skin in my tankini two-piece than any other girl on the beach.

Anyways, there wasn't much time before it was dark, so we swam while we could and then I fell asleep on the beach while Anh hung out with her cousins. We went to dinner after changing and dropping off the moped. I took the bottle of wine I had brought as a gift for Anh's parents. I had asked her on my arrival if it was appropriate, and she said her dad didn't drink (medical), so I kept it for us. Anyways, we found a little Italian restaurant that smelled delicious and tasted alright and they brought us wine glasses and a bottle opener. From there we were exhausted, so we headed back to the room.

Her uncle went ahead and booked me on a train to Saigon for tomorrow, leaving a few hours before Anh flies back to Hanoi. Sad to be leaving her company, but excited-as always- to see a new place.

Anyways

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Photos

i wonder if they know...
funny shop sign in Hoi An

Same Same But Different
cute shop sign

Comments

[Ammers]

Funny name!