Vietnam the third: day 10, Hoi An

For the right price, I’m not sure there isn’t anything that Hoi An can’t make. Clothes like business and casual shirts? Sure. Leather shoes and bags? Not a problem. Jewellery? We got that. Possibly the world’s best sandwiches? Come back tomorrow and I’ll probably have a post then. A house? Hoi An can probably make that too, possibly with an extra charge if we need two scooters to transport it. Make this paragraph’s first sentence with all the multiple negatives make sense? They can probably make that too.

Our first stop this morning was a regular haunt, Yaly Couture. We’ve been getting clothes made here since our first tour in 2014 — and other than a couple of the shirts starting to fade, still wearing those clothes in 2022. They aren’t the cheapest, but we’re lead to believe they have good business practices, aren’t a dodgy sweatshop, and definitely deliver quality. The staff are always cheerful and helpful, and aren’t pushy. Which is good and bad, as it seems that when I’m presented with hundreds of fabric choices, and being helped by friendly staff, I seem to grab a couple more fabrics, and hence end up with a couple more shirts, than I originally intend.

So while L was off discussing what she wanted, I was left without adequate supervision to look for at material to get a few shirts made. I am a fan of the linen shirt when it comes to holidaying in tropical climes, and decided to get 3. Needing a few new work shirts, I browsed swatch after swatch, and narrowed that down to 4. The average price worked out to around $40 USD, so a bit more than the $25 I paid in 2014, but for custom made shirts that will fit my thick neck and be the right length in the arm, they are worth it. Measurements taken, the first fitting will be tomorrow.

Second stop was to the Friendly Shop, so L could get some shoes made. They basically do leather, shoes and bags, not really my thing (I like the look of leather shoes, but my feet tend to get sweaty, so I stick to Doc Martens where I can). This time it was L who couldn’t decide, so she ordered many. While we were there the owner turned up with her very cute white fluffy dog, so I had a bit of a chat with her while L did her thing. The owner is only 37, and is very proud of the empire of 3 stores she’s built — they do a lot of online sales, and seem to have bounced back well this year.

Lunch was a little place down the street — I probably should have mentioned that Hoi An is very hot at this time of year. I’m sure that’s where the name comes from: hot in June (it actually means “peaceful meeting place”, but that was before the introduction of calendars and traffic I’m sure). Today’s temperature was around 38-39, but with a “feels like” of 44. Hot enough that we didn’t want to walk too far, and while we wanted to eat, didn’t feel like anything substantial so we settled for a couple of different types of spring rolls, Hoi An style and seafood. The rice paper wrap was netted, looking like vermicelli, and giving a lovely light and crunchy texture when deep fried. Hoi An style feature minced pork and mushroom in the filling, and both came with the standard, nuoc cham lovely dipping sauce.

Then it was time for a massage. The Friendly Shop owner had recommended a nearby place, Lemon Tree, so we went there. They are currently offering 30% off, making a 1 hour massage about $20 AUD. I think yesterday’s airport queuing, where I just had my backpack resting on my shoulders, not with the waist strap to support the weight, did my neck and shoulders no favours, so was looking forward to getting some attention there. The good news is that only my left calf is still sore from the stair climbing back in Ninh Binh. Our massage included drop-off back at the hotel, and as it seemed their driver/regular car was unavailable, that meant we could get dropped back via scooters driven by our wonderful masseuses.

After navigating a maze to drop off our laundry, we headed into the ancient town for dinner and general wandering. The weather had cooled a little, and there was a breeze, so for a few moments the surface of the sun was bearable. Lots of people were out and about, which was good to see. There aren’t a lot of western tourists back here yet, so it seems that the gap is being filled with domestic tourists, who seem to want to stop and take pictures, and visit, and eat, but they don’t seem to do a lot of shopping at the various stalls. This means that we still get a fair amount of attention from stall holders wanting to make more sales.

Dinner was at a little local place, where they readily suggested two of the local choices: cao lau and com ga. Cao lau are local noodles, made with water from a well in the town, and mixed with ash from local trees. The result is a rich flavour and chewy texture, which combines perfectly with thin slices of roast pork, fresh greens, crunchy squares of deep fried noodle, and a little pork broth. Com ga is chicken rice, Hoi An style, with shredded chicken, a little turmeric with the rice, and more fresh greens and thinly sliced onion. Both were delicious, and went well with a Larue beer, which is Heineken’s local drop.

We finished off with some cool drinks at Ivy’s, on a very busy corner at the edge of the ancient town. Matcha bubble tea for me, as we sat in our little chairs, enjoying a bit of the breeze, while watching cars and bicycles and scooters and pedestrians all attempt to get to the other side.

Tomorrow is more shopping day, as I think I need some more clothes.