When we finished up in Hue, we drove down to Hoi An … well, we didn’t drive … the driver drove. Lol. Up through the “mountains” (it was raining so hard to get a good picture), over the pass, and down into Hoi An.
We arrived at our Hotel (La Siesta) and proceeded to settle in … we enjoyed a late lunch … beautiful location.
Late that afternoon we walked to the Old Town to visit a couple of tailor shops … this is the place to buy clothes (handmade or otherwise). Hoi An was one of the original gateways to Vietnam (a fishing village at first and then a trading destination). The city grew a tradition around tailor shops (both wholesale and otherwise), specifically specializing in silk and cashmere.
Of course, James had to have some clothes made … He had a wool/cashmere suit (with silk lining) and three mandarin style shirts (linen/cotton) all handmade. After two fittings they were ready to go! We had them shipped back to Canada — we only have so much room in our bags! For the suit, 3 shirts, shipping and customs, the total came to $245. Crazy … plus, they kept James’ measurements … now he can order new clothes any time. That might be dangerous!
The first night we visited the local night market … what a beautiful city. The pictures don’t do it justice.
These two days we were basically on our own, so we spent the time resting and catching up on things before we continued the journey! The food at the hotel was excellent … and so were the drinks. What a relaxing time … (Yeah, we also had laundry done … ) We were up early on the 16th day (departed hotel at 0600… bleh) to catch a plane from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh city … the fun continues!
Stumbling Piper
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