Clothes, motos and the FA Cup, al fresco
Hoi An is best known among backpackers as the place to get great, cheap clothes tailor made. It has also got a really nice old town centre and a good beach. We decided to take advantage of all of these things. It turned out to be two of the most fun days of our trip so far.
We arrived in off the night train, shared a cab with a couple of guys we met and as soon as we had checked into our (very nice) hotel, we were straight to the tailors. We decided to go for the one recommended by the hotel. In the end, we got a very good deal, but I would definitely advise others, especially girls looking for dresses to shop around a bit with regards to styles and materials available in other shops. And given that practically every third shop is a tailor's, there is plenty of choice.
Unfortunately, due to the huge amount of competition for our business, our stroll through the old town later that day was kind of spoiled by all of the shop owners coming out and trying to coerce us into their shops. As soon as you looked slightly lost, someone would be over offering to help you and show you where you wanted to go but it was always just a lead up to "and now you come to my shop?"
The next day, after a fitting of the clothes we'd ordered, we decided to rent mopeds and head to the beach. Unfortunately, there were no mopeds for rent, so we had to go with motorbikes. I was more than a little apprehensive about this prospect, but swallowed my fear and was really pleased that I did. (I did insist on a helmet, however, even if I was the only one wearing one!)There was little traffic on the roads and we rarely went above 30mph, given that it's such a small town. It was just a great way to get out and about. We met up with the guys from the train at the beach and met Rob, a guy from Northern Ireland who we first met in Phnom Penh and shared part of that journey to Vietnam with, then again in Hanoi and the day before in Hoi An old centre! I think the dude was following us! ;)
After a really relaxed day on the beach, it was back on the motos, though not before more nice clothes caught our eye. Toby tried on a ready-made shirt that was slightly too short for his liking, but within 10 minutes they had it adjusted to perfection. We are definitely going to need another bag!
Given that it was FA Cup final night, we arranged to meet the lads again that evening in town. One last fitting of our clothes and we were all set. The match was great craic and not only for the great football that was played. There we were sitting in the middle of a small town in Vietnam, surrounded by Irish and English people all cheering on two teams thousands of miles away. Because of the time difference, the match only started at 9pm here. Then, because it ran over into extra time, last orders had already been called and the barmen were trying to kick us out. They ended up compromising and moved the TV out onto the street and let everyone take their beers and chairs with them. So then it was 30-40 people crowded around a TV standing on the street in the balmy evening, sitting on parked motos and generally enjoying the atmosphere. Until the bar owner turned off the TV, just at the start of the second half of ET!
Panic ensued briefly, until we looked behind and realised that there was a tiny shoe shop still open and with a TV on in the corner. So all 30+ of us legged it across the street and crowded around the entrance to this tiny shop. Needless to say, the Vietnamese owners were more than a little surprised at the unexpected visitors and calls to turn the TV around and the volume up. They were pretty good about it until boxes were moved to create more space and shoes started getting knocked over. We also saw our first sign of Vietnamese xenophobia as one drunk local man started shouting and banging on the bar door with a stick in protest at them showing sports and serving drinks to foreigners. The lady in the shoe shop must've been spooked by this, because as soon as extra-time ended, the TV was switched off. There was then a race to motos and the nearest hotels, as people calculated how long it took to set up penalties and how long to get to the hotel. In the end, ours was that little bit too far away and we missed the end. Quite the anti-climax to a very funny evening!
However, the fun was not over yet, as word spread of a party on the beach. Two moto drivers offered to take four of us there. Now, this meant fitting three of us on the moto, not an idea I relished. But again, I decided to just go with it and hopped on the back behind this diminutive Vietnamese, with Toby behind me. Off we went and it really was quite exhilarating, when I wasn't completely frightened for my life! The party was a bit subdued, so off we went again to another party, on another beach and back on the motos. This was enough for me and I stopped off at the hotel and let the others head on. Apparently, the other party wasn't much better, although there was a guitar, so Toby was pleased!
We're flying to Hanoi tomorrow, avoiding a 12 hour train journey and I have to say that I'll be more than a little sad to leave this great little town.
We arrived in off the night train, shared a cab with a couple of guys we met and as soon as we had checked into our (very nice) hotel, we were straight to the tailors. We decided to go for the one recommended by the hotel. In the end, we got a very good deal, but I would definitely advise others, especially girls looking for dresses to shop around a bit with regards to styles and materials available in other shops. And given that practically every third shop is a tailor's, there is plenty of choice.
Unfortunately, due to the huge amount of competition for our business, our stroll through the old town later that day was kind of spoiled by all of the shop owners coming out and trying to coerce us into their shops. As soon as you looked slightly lost, someone would be over offering to help you and show you where you wanted to go but it was always just a lead up to "and now you come to my shop?"
The next day, after a fitting of the clothes we'd ordered, we decided to rent mopeds and head to the beach. Unfortunately, there were no mopeds for rent, so we had to go with motorbikes. I was more than a little apprehensive about this prospect, but swallowed my fear and was really pleased that I did. (I did insist on a helmet, however, even if I was the only one wearing one!)There was little traffic on the roads and we rarely went above 30mph, given that it's such a small town. It was just a great way to get out and about. We met up with the guys from the train at the beach and met Rob, a guy from Northern Ireland who we first met in Phnom Penh and shared part of that journey to Vietnam with, then again in Hanoi and the day before in Hoi An old centre! I think the dude was following us! ;)
After a really relaxed day on the beach, it was back on the motos, though not before more nice clothes caught our eye. Toby tried on a ready-made shirt that was slightly too short for his liking, but within 10 minutes they had it adjusted to perfection. We are definitely going to need another bag!
Given that it was FA Cup final night, we arranged to meet the lads again that evening in town. One last fitting of our clothes and we were all set. The match was great craic and not only for the great football that was played. There we were sitting in the middle of a small town in Vietnam, surrounded by Irish and English people all cheering on two teams thousands of miles away. Because of the time difference, the match only started at 9pm here. Then, because it ran over into extra time, last orders had already been called and the barmen were trying to kick us out. They ended up compromising and moved the TV out onto the street and let everyone take their beers and chairs with them. So then it was 30-40 people crowded around a TV standing on the street in the balmy evening, sitting on parked motos and generally enjoying the atmosphere. Until the bar owner turned off the TV, just at the start of the second half of ET!
Panic ensued briefly, until we looked behind and realised that there was a tiny shoe shop still open and with a TV on in the corner. So all 30+ of us legged it across the street and crowded around the entrance to this tiny shop. Needless to say, the Vietnamese owners were more than a little surprised at the unexpected visitors and calls to turn the TV around and the volume up. They were pretty good about it until boxes were moved to create more space and shoes started getting knocked over. We also saw our first sign of Vietnamese xenophobia as one drunk local man started shouting and banging on the bar door with a stick in protest at them showing sports and serving drinks to foreigners. The lady in the shoe shop must've been spooked by this, because as soon as extra-time ended, the TV was switched off. There was then a race to motos and the nearest hotels, as people calculated how long it took to set up penalties and how long to get to the hotel. In the end, ours was that little bit too far away and we missed the end. Quite the anti-climax to a very funny evening!
However, the fun was not over yet, as word spread of a party on the beach. Two moto drivers offered to take four of us there. Now, this meant fitting three of us on the moto, not an idea I relished. But again, I decided to just go with it and hopped on the back behind this diminutive Vietnamese, with Toby behind me. Off we went and it really was quite exhilarating, when I wasn't completely frightened for my life! The party was a bit subdued, so off we went again to another party, on another beach and back on the motos. This was enough for me and I stopped off at the hotel and let the others head on. Apparently, the other party wasn't much better, although there was a guitar, so Toby was pleased!
We're flying to Hanoi tomorrow, avoiding a 12 hour train journey and I have to say that I'll be more than a little sad to leave this great little town.
posted by Dee @ 1:13 a.m.
3 Comments:
At 6:35 a.m.,
Anonymous said…
Hi Dee (& Toby), Really, really enjoying your blog (you write the way you speak... if ya know what I mean...and it's like you're telling me the whole story in person...sounds weird but thats me) ...and have skipped over to Toby's once or twice - hilarious!
Will have to meet up when you get back, take care & lots of love to my perfect match over there!!!!!
Máire
At 12:15 p.m.,
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
At 10:22 a.m.,
Anonymous said…
http://eekshop.com
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