What a wonderful piece of luck, my plans were delayed by Giang dropping in for a week meant I was near Saigon Airport when Alastair and his lovely girlfriend Candice were going to be in Hoi An as part of their SE Asia break.
I parked the bike and most of my stuff in South SGN city for 7 quid a night. The hotel wobbled alarmingly when a large truck went past, not great in a cement building. Local food was nearby and a huge market just behind BUT the VN never get off their motorbikes and you cant really enjoy any market here in VN outdoor or indoor as you are constantly being beeped and forced to step aside by the bloody motor bikes.
Hoi An HA is full of touts but occasionally some smile especially when you buy something like 3d pop up cards. Lashings of cold strong beers was the order of the day.
I was in for a fullon few days with the kiddies. So we went on a well organised short bike ride tour around Hoi An to experience the country-side, making rice-milk pancakes and noodles, carve sandal wood, watch hand-made grass-mat making and see some lovely beef cattle.
Hoi An floods and occasionally the floods are quite deep but most times its a few inches according to my nail lady. In the wet season, the livestock are taken to higher ground, hay and straw is kept more than a metre above ground. Many older wooden properties were up on stilts.
On the way to the wood carving we passed many active dockyard boat repairs. The carving men had many souvenirs for sale so while the tour group and teh kiddies were chiseling away I went to admire the larger carvings and to buy some of the smaller carved souvenir items.
It was then off to cook rice pancakes & pasta!
Onwards to the mat making and then Banh My Sum a subway with class. Then to the tailors as Ali decided to have some shorts made by a tailor.
Then its beer oclock and sightseeing time. The lights of all the lanterns at night on the boats and in the shops is beyond my samsung phone.
Last day was to be spent in a hand made wicker coracle. Sadly only 2 passengers allowed. There were hundreds of them which is good for jobs and causing little or no harm to the coconut islands.
More beers followed until I legged it for the plane back to Saigon
