Charming Hoi An

Diana and I left Saigon on Monday morning and took a quick flight up to Danang which is the closest airport to Hoi An. The drive to Hoi An was a short 40 min. As we drove into the town I quickly noticed the difference between the frenetic pace of Saigon vs Hoi An's sleepy and quiet feel. The town was more rural than I envisioned it to be but that does not mean to say it disappointed. I found Hoi An to be an extremely charming town with friendly people and endless rows of interesting shops and sights to peruse. The town has a population of about 76,000 and it is said to be one of the most charming and cultural spots to visit along the coast. It is easy to see why and I found it very easy to spend 5 full days here.

We were pretty lucky in our random selection of hotels as ours was right in the city center complete with pool, spa, travel center and outstanding breakfast where we indulged in eating dairy again (pretty non-existent in Korean food). For all that we got, the rates were surprisingly cheap @ $40/night.

Hoi An Hotel:

Some images around Hoi An:

Hoi An is famous for their tailors and many tourists come here to get custom clothing made at very affordable prices. Not surprisingly, I was very excited about partaking in this experience. However, a lesson learned is that in order to maximize your experience with the tailors, it is best to be very specific about what it is that you want made. Many of the tailors have stacks and stacks of fashion books that you can peruse but many of their styles are outdated. Therefore it is best to bring photos of the clothing you would like made and to be very clear about color and fabric. Unfortunately I did not take the time prior to the trip to do this (kicking myself now) but Diana did. So I ended up capitilizing on her effort (thanks Diana!!) and chose a few styles that she had picked out.

The end-to-end process is unique and fun - I highly recommend it to anyone who visits Hoi An. You are immediately greeted by a personal sales assistant who consults with you on your desired design and fabric and then provides a price quote. Once agreed upon, she takes very detailed measurements of your figure. The shop that we chose (Yaly, 47 Nguyen Thai Hoc) had a "high-tech" human grid where they take your photo standing face-forward, sideways and back-forward. They instucted us to return in 1 day for our first fitting. In general, the process involves 2-3 fittings total over several days depending on the complexity and volume of your order. I decided on 1 dress and 2 tops. Overall I am pleased with the outcome based on the amount of effort I put into it. I'll show and tell when I get home!

Our sales consultants 'Alice' and 'Jane':

Standing in the Yaly shop:

Another fun activity that we participated in was a cooking class at the Red Bridge Cooking School. The course was a half-day program where we started bright and early by meeting up at a nearby cafe for a breakfast drink. Our group comprised of about 27 people with the majority from Australia, a woman from Israel and several Americans. It was fun to meet other travelers and our smaller group included a gal from San Francisco and another from Seattle!

Touring the local market in Hoi An:

New friends Kyoko and Anabelle:

The 'Red Bridge' at the cooking school:

Our sardonic yet entertaining cooking instructor. His vocal intonation was exactly how Howard Cosell would sound with a Vietnamese accent:

At our cooking stations:

Enjoying lunch!

Menu comprised of:

Warm squid salad in half pineapple

Vietnamese eggplant in clay pot

Fresh rice paper rolls of shrimp

Hoi An pancakes

Steamed ocean fish on a bed of fresh vegetables

We spent another half-day touring the ancient ruins of My Son (pronounced Mee Son) which is 45 km west of Hoi An. My Son is one of Vietnam's most ancient monuments (late 4th century) and was declared a World Heritage sight by UNESCO in 1999. It is small in comparison to the temples of Angkor Wat and much of it was destroyed in the recent Vietnam War. The ruins are definitely worth seeing however they would have been much more appreciated in non-scorching temperatures. We were withering in the heat on this day!

Our guide having fun explaining the fertility stone:

Our last day in Hoi An and we have shamefully not seen the beach yet so we hired 2 cyclos to take us there and back (~3 miles). The ride was fun but I couldn't help feeling a little weird and guilty to be shuttled around at the expense of alot of energy exerted by our petite drivers. I often have moments of guilt as a tourist especially in countries where there is so much poverty. While I realize that the tourism is helping to boost their economy I still feel bad at the inequality that life has seemed to deal to people. However, it is simply a matter of personal perspective isn't it? When I was in Saigon, I commented to Gloria how despite the poverty people in general seem to be happy and positive. It is a surface observation on my part but it is a sense you get when you visit a place. For example when I visited the Soviet Union in the late 80's I definitely felt a distinct feeling of grimness without a hint of vitality for life. It was apparent in people's expressions and the overall lack of energy felt. This is not how Vietnam feels at all. While the people work very hard mainly in tireless labor intensive jobs, they seem happy and optimistic. There is an energy of vitality here. I wouldn't be surprised if their life situation allows them to focus on the present moment. We in America seem to be continuously brooding over the past or worrying about how to prepare for what's next. It's ironic how many (self included) are turning to practices like yoga and meditation to help us focus on the now! I recently read a study where America reportedly had the most unhappy population. I take these studies with a grain of salt but it certainly didn't surprise me. Hopefully the price to be paid for progress will not also equate to a loss of cultural vitality for Vietnam.

A shot of my cyclo driver:

At the beach:

Last note:

I had an interesting conversation with my taxi driver on my way back to Danang. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk one on one with a local. As many Americans must feel, it is a bit awkward to bring up the subject of the war even though many of us want to talk about it. His parents were both Communist soldiers during the war. He offered a great perspective and said that they like many others do not hold much resentment about the war. While yes it was horrible it does not do anyone any good to harbor bitterness about the past. What happened happened and we cannot change it. I had heard this same sentiment from several friends who have recently visited Vietnam but it is still good to hear it from a local.