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Our 5 hour coach journey took us by vast paddy fields, through mountains, across wide river crossings and alongside the ocean, the scenery is stunning in all cases. Hoi An is a small riverside town, famed for its pretty side streets and cheap tailors.
Our hotel was about 3kms outside of the main town but a pleasant enough walk along the main thoroughfare found us amid the hundreds of small tailors and restaurants. We had done a fair amount of homework on the the tailors and having had a couple of recommendations from people we'd met on our travels, we decided on the shop we wanted to get our garb from.
It was Tet, the Vietnamese new year and many of the businesses were shut, including our shop of choice. So much for the research. Our second choice was open, great! We chose our material and suit designs and as we sat down to discuss final prices, the salesman informed us that after today, like every other tailor in town, they would be closed until 13th. We were leaving on the 12th. b*****.
Who needs made to measure cashmere suits for under $100 anyway.
The town has few options for travellers outside of the multitude of souvenir shops and restaurants. The local delicacy is swamp weed, the super-strong spinach taste is not to everyones palette, in fact only one out of two of us could stomach it. There are a couple of tired looking museums and a handful of beautiful Chinese community centres that practise Taoism, Confucianism or Buddhism, that were packed to the rafters with local families giving prayers and offerings for new year. Hanging from the ceilings were huge incense coils that hung low in a springy pyramid. At their centre, like a clapper in a bell, hung a prayer for a small list of the deceased. The entire ceiling was covered with a hundred or so of the red incense coils, giving the courtyard an surrounding buildings a sweet smell and a sad beauty.
Hoi An is a town of small treasures, none of the architecture, temples or historical sites have the dynamic impact or aesthetic beauty we have seen elsewhere on our travels, but it has a kind of cutesy charm that slowed our pace as we wandered on autopilot. Every shop and home is adorned with yellow and red flowers, both colours are said to bring good luck. There were roads where the different flowers were being sold and the pavement was transformed into a yellow and red jungle. Along with the flowers, kumquat trees are taken into each individual house, flat, apartment or shop, the trees were heavily laden with fruit, again a symbol of good luck. The trees give off an incredible scent and look like highly decorated Christmas trees. The streets are overrun with people, each vying for the best plants or fruit or decorations. The competition is high but there are no squabbles over anything, it really is good will to all men.
The night of Tet, we headed back to town for the billed 'Lantern Festival' and fireworks, the small hub was crowded with locals and tourists alike. In a small square a dance show had attracted a crowd. The bubblegum pop music seemed to keep those gathered round well entertained. We found a bustling cafe/restaurant and were lucky enough to grab the last street side table. From there we watched the hordes come and go across the festively lit bridge. 5 minutes before midnight the balmy evening weather suddenly turned, the wind got up the sky clouded over and a heavy downpour of rain began (a sign of good luck for the new year). A mad rush for cover ensued and people came from every direction to seek cover from the rain. As the clock struck 12 the fireworks began, 15 minutes of fiery blooms lit up the sky. People danced and a little surreally, sang Auld lang syne. It was great to see them letting their guard down and openly enjoying life, the hard exterior, softening in the rain.
We were dealt not such a lucky start to the lunar year of the snake, as the unexpected weather caught us off guard and water got into our camera. We have a dead camera. Happy new year!
Over the following couple of days we were woken early with new year songs being blasted over local radios, ABBA's "Happy New Year" was a firm favourite, with "Xuan da ve" being a close second. We went wandering round the various temples and along the riverside. It was pleasant enough, but Hoi An is not a big town. All transport was over-booked because of the holidays and so we couldn't move on (at an affordable price) for a few days, so we booked ourselves on the first available overnight bus to Nha Trang. From what we've read online the bus journey will be the longest 12 hours of our lives.
- comments
Papas Why would you need a suit?,apart from the price this part sounds mediocre,sorry and what it you and cameras?