| Jun 23, 2005 - Hoi An
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 | | Hoi An Open Market | | We visited a silk shop (with silk worms in bucket) in Hoi An | | Doing our part to support local tailors :) |
| Our next stop was Hoi An a town set by a river on the coast of Vietnam. This is an artsy town. Japanese, Chinese, Dutch and Mediterranean countries used to trade spices, ceramics and other goods here starting in the seventeenth century. The old trading storefronts have been transformed into art galleries, handicrafts shops and cafe and bar/restaurants. We happened to be there on the full moon and on the main streets they shut out the lights and illuminate their shops/restaurants with paper lanterns. The streets had red and yellow glow with lanterns and candles and the smell was burning cinnamon and smoky incense (probably related to a Buddhist practice but not sure.) This town has a lot of character.
Girlfriends, this is a shopping town! Every other storefront is a tailor. Believe it or not it is quite a mental exercise to think of what to have made in what fabric and communicate this to the tailor who speaks mostly Vietnamese. In this heat it's hard to imagine ever needing clothes again, much less in breezy cool San Francisco. After minor adjustments to about half our chosen items, both Paul and I walked away with some new threads, He: 3 pair trousers, 5 shirts Me: 1 jacket, 2 dresses, 1 pair pants, 1 shirt. Collectively we probably spent less than $150.
Our last night in town we tried a restaurant recommended by a few different individuals, Cafe Des Amis. The restaurant was simple, set by the river and adjacent to the local open market. We picked a table on the sidewalk. It's a price fixe menu ($4 for four courses) and believe it or not 'expensive' for these parts. The choice is between meat, vegetarian or seafood and when we inquired further were told "it's a surprise." Friends, to our surprise this was the best meal we've had in Vietnam! Crispy spring rolls with tangy, salty dipping sauces, delicious soups (one creamy another clear), savory dumplings with peanut sauce and noodles with great sauces. They even gave us free mini creme carmels for dessert!
Sometimes it just takes some good scenery, new clothes and great food for under 150 bucks to make you feel like a million bucks! |
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