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Hoi An and the hand made Shoes,
Alice has already posted about her impressions of Hoi An. As we only stayed three days, it seems indulgent for me to do the same, however I feel the place really deserves a shout, and so do the shoes...
We almost missed out Hoi An from our trip further south in Vietnam. It lies twenty or so kilometers south of its big neighbour De Nang (complete with rail link to Ho Chi Min City!). Our thinking that it was out of the way, and only four hours from Hue, we should be further south by now, in the sun. We went anyway, and it is amazing! The place has many chinese and Japanise influences - the streets are lit by lanterns strewn from building to building and laid loosley in the occasional trees. The old town is situated either side of a branch of the river and bars and restruants line the streets. So fierce is the competition between the places, happy hours are never ending, the food exsquiset and dirt cheap. Further back from the banks of the river, the streets are full of taylors and shoe makers, all of them eyeing you up ready for a fitting - the quality and quantity are truely staggering - if only I had need for a suit..
Unable to resist the urge to own something custom made, I decided to put my trust and fashionable reputation in the hands of one of the many cordwainers. Full of confidence and the hope that what ever was returned would fill the primary objective of protecting my feet, I paid $20, and hoped.
The next day we went to see the My-Son holly land, a Hindu worship site between the 14th and 18th century. As we walked about the tumble down ruins, my mind wandered to those shoes, and how they would look on collection (2pm!!!!!!!!). With all my might, I wished they would be rediculous, for $20 I didn't expect much, just a story I could tell and the flimsy fabrick on my feet as evidence. At 13.59 I waited paitently at the door, I could almost smell the burning plastic no doubt used as the glue, and they arrived. I was (and still am) shocked, grateful and above all comfortable. I am the proud owner of the finest shoes in Asia....
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