12/8/2012

Made it to Hoi An yesterday via Danang Airport and spent the afternoon getting our bearings by heading out on a reconnaissance mission to work out the best place for tailoring. Hoi An is such a change from HCMC and Hanoi - so much more laid back, more open and less busy. There are still those pesky motorbikes but somehow I don't think they are avoidable but crossing the street is not as life threatening! We commenced this morning with an early morning swim in the hotel pool but the water was fairly warm so hardly refreshing. After breakfast we headed down to the tailor and spent the entire morning working out designs, fabrics and measurements. Our girls would have been in heaven!

In the afternoon we took the hotel shuttle bus to the beach - wasn't that an experience. Thanks to a large contingent of spanish speaking tourists travelling together we were crammed into the bus like sardines made all the more fun by suffocating heat and humidity - thankfully the trip was short. We arrived at the beach to discover chairs were not free to sit on ($6.00 thank you) and when you've been spoiled by Australian beaches the water and scenery was not that great. We renewed our appreciation for the beaches we have and made sure we were first on the bus!

13/8/2012

Lazy day today in between fittings and shopping. We explored the old area of Hoi An, the markets and the newer residential area. Off the beaten track we discovered quiet suburbia and were amazed at the new homes being built and the friendliness of the people we came across.

Tourism seems to have brought money to this town so it would be interesting to come back in a few years. We noticed a lot of "planned" resort hotels on the way from the airport but wondered if the GFC has impacted leaving a lot of projects at a stand still with many projects appearing deserted.

14//2012

It's very hot today so we will lay low, finish our books and pack ready to head to Cambodia tomorrow. I suspect our bags are well and truely reaching their airline weight capacity so perhaps it is time to move on anyway. We have enjoyed the "laid back" pace of Hoi An and our early morning swims in the hotel pool but are well and truely ready for more adventure.