Sun stroke!
To sum up the next morning of driving all I have to say is: hot, hot , hot!!!
Coming out of the mountains the cool air vanished and we were hit by the sun and heat. As the grounds flattened we entered longer straight stretches that gained more and more traffic. Within two hours we were in full on ah1 traffic nightmare. My confidence in driving had vastly I proved but I was still not fully comfortable. We missed the hot an turn off three times and thought we were going to pass out. The sun was literally cooking us. I have never wanted to reach a destination more in my life. We finally realized we couldn't get to the road we needed because we were on the bypass part of the highway and not the business one.
Realizing our mistake we sped off to the right turn off to get on the right highway. We were women on a mission and would not stop until our destination. This was not because we were determined but more in fear that if we stopped we would not be able to continue on.
Dropping sweat we reached hoi an. Looks lovely but in our miserable state all we wanted was an air con room. So many were full and we finally landed on one when our British Chinese friends spot us. They come running up and want to get a picture of all of us on our pics. Morgan and I let out audible grunts of protest. I. Need. Air. Con. And. Water! We end up taking the picture which I have to admit I enjoy having it now.
After dropping off my stuff and chugging water we went straight for food. The traditional dish in hoi an is cau lau which is a pork, noodle, salad, and soup mix. Delicious. Stomachs content I set off to explore the city while Morgan slept off her exhaustion. We had planned to spend this one full day and leave in the morning but I could already tell that was not going to happen.
Day one was spent with a very diverse group. I met them while sitting on the hotels steps outside. We ate lunch down one if the shopping streets. The lady who worked there was incredible. We immediately became friends. I ended up eating there five more times!
Next came the shopping for that evening, the whole next day, and the next day. Hoi an is a shopping Mecca. If you can dream an article of clothing they can make it. The streets are lined with tailors selling fabrics to make your dream dress or suit. When you enter the typical store either has samples to choose from so you can see the style and then choose the fabric. Or many will sit you down upon arrival and hand you a magazine to choose from. Lets just say they love James Bond suits.
I was not going to have anything made except a traditional dress. A Canadian girl and I tried as much street food as possible on the way to the main market. I chose a cute little stand that had gorgeous fabric. I looked through and found a remarkable blue fabric with oriental designs that changed to pink in the light. The lady fitted me and said it would be ready for thirty dollars at my hostel by the evening. No way! So cool!
If you haven't already guessed I spent the next two days shopping and having clothes tailored. I had all of mine done by the same lady. A tiny little thing, she was super friendly and loved to talk. On day two Morgan I picked out beautiful coats and I had some dress pants made. After we paid I sat for two extra hours learning about the Chinese conflict from her. She explained to me her views on the situation and taught me so much.
In the evening the waterfront swarms with tourists and vendors. The streets glow with beautiful lanterns and the river glistens with floating prayer candles. The vibe is incredible and it was an experience to just sit and watch it all go by.
All in all I loved hoi an. It was very touristy but had an amazing charm that shouldn't be missed. I also can't complain that I'm coming home with an entire tailored wardrobe.
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