Hue to Hoi An

Climbed onto an “Open Tour Bus” today, which is basically a condemned coach with more passengers than seats, eventually some got off and the rest of us settled down to an hour of driving in circles around Hue picking up parcels before actually leaving Hue.  These buses seem to be an unofficial parcel post as well as cheap transport between towns.  The speed limit is 60kmh and the driver stuck rigidly to it, except on the hills when he had to switch off what was supposed to be the air-con to give the engine a bit more power to actually get to the top of the hill. Even the mopedswere overtaking on the up hills.

Fascinating scenery again, huge empty beaches, mountains , big rivers and villages.  The Postman Pat driver deviated off the main road so we got to have a look some of the smaller villages as well whilst he dropped off the parcels.

The bus dropped us off near the centre of the town and as we looked for a taxi, a couple of Xe Oms, the moped taxis, offered to take us to the hotel for a couple of dollars.  The bags were stuffed on the footplate between the drivers legs and we jumped on the back for a ride around the town. My driver went head on into another moped at a manic junction, stopping  just as the wheels touched; Carole disappeared into the distance. She got to the hotel well before me, and refused to pay her driver until we arrived.

Nice hotel by the river, £25/night for B&B which is pretty expensive for round here but the place would £100/night at home. 

Carole dashed to the bathroom when we got in and foud this baby watching her from the loo seat, never seen her move so fast!

Hoi An is famous for its tailors and Carole had set her sights on some made to measure clothing.

We wandered into the town in the afternoon to recce the place only to find that once we’d chatted to a lady at a t-shirt stall and asked about a good tailor we were taken from stall to stall to be measured for blouses and trousers and a couple of shirts, as well as a pair of made to measure shoes for Carole.  We knew we were being fleeced but it was almost a pleasure to be fleeced by such professionals.  And it was still really cheap!  I nearly called the ladies “seamstresses” but anyone who reads Terry Pratchett books would make entirely the wrong assumptions as to what services these charming ladies were providing.

We even got dragged to a lady who told Carole she would take ten years off me – much to Carole’s amusement she used some fine thread and “shaped” – is that the right word? – my eyebrows.  An experience not to be repeated.  Do women really go through this voluntarily, and regularly?  Carole insists it’s an improvement, hmm.

We’ll pick the clothes up tomorrow so we’ll see how good these ladies really are then.

Saw the first rain today and boy did it rain – did what any self-respecting Englishman would do and found a bar to wait it out.

Bob and Jan's tenner at the hotel bar admiring my eyebrows - I now have two rather than just the one!