Hoi An

We had previously agreed that we would stay more than a couple of days in Hoi An. We only pre-booked the first night, because that’s how true backpackers do it 😂 When we realized how lovely it is here, we requested to extend our stay by 5 nights - oops, that wasn't immediately possible. Well, no matter - off to the other hotels - which also didn't have available rooms. Somewhat disheartened, we complained to the receptionist at our hotel, and with great kindness and cleverness, she managed to secure a room for us for the five requested days. Admittedly, one of the couples had to change rooms after two nights, but they ended up with the best view of the ocean and the river. So that was settled.

I woke up very early - around 04:30 and suggested to my other half a morning swim. It didn’t get the desired response, so I took a walk alone and seized the opportunity to experience the little beach town waking up. The rest of the day was spent relaxing with a book from the hotel’s exchange shelf and swimming at the long, white sandy beach - no stones either on the beach or in the water. Pure luxury. What we probably didn’t fully keep track of was the sunscreen factor, which here is way higher than very, very high. So even under the parasol, ‘some’ of us got a bit sunburned. So now with sunscreen factor 80+ 😳

Even though Hoi An is a town with quite a few tourists, it feels pretty authentic where we are staying, although it's a bit away from the actual town. It’s quite calm and quiet with coffee shops where the locals (men) linger over a cup of coffee/beer or a pipe of tobacco - not quite sure how fun that is 😜 The women, on the other hand, are busy with shopping, children, and the garden more or less simultaneously.

On the second day, all four of us were in the old town of Hoi An - free shuttle bus from the hotel to there. Breakfast was taken at a street kitchen. Good coffee, bread, and something between scrambled eggs and an omelet served in a steaming hot little pan. Very delicious and filling.

I have long wanted to have clothes made by a tailor, so now it was time. I had found a tailor online - which actually wasn't necessary, as they were lined up side by side like pearls on a string. I got measured for pants and shirts - and was convinced to order a jacket as well. The material is linen and silk - lovely qualities. When I heard the price, I regretted not ordering more. It was so inexpensive that I couldn't bring myself to 'haggle' over the price, even though everyone says you should.

Once the tailoring session was done, we walked through the old town, where the gentlemen found a nice t-shirt, which they will need for gym lessons at Nivå Gymnastikforening. They will surely get some comments 🤣

The heat was really oppressive, so Allan and I decided to head back to the hotel and take a siesta. We wandered around for quite a while looking for a taxi, as the entire old town is car-free. A really good idea, as long as you don’t need a taxi 😊 When we got back, we jumped into the pool to cool off, where we waited for the rest of the travel companions to return.

Drinks at the restaurant right next to the hotel and dinner at a seafood restaurant by the beach. The fish was completely fresh - I could almost point it out in the pools they had the fish swimming in. I thought the fish looked scared - Allan thought they were aware they were on 'death row' 🙈😳😂 But it tasted good, and everyone was more than full.

Just as we were almost done eating, the rain came - a warm and gentle rain. We sought refuge at our favorite restaurant and sat under their awning enjoying a nightcap. I’ve developed a taste for Mai Thai.

On the third day, Allan and I again took the shuttle bus into town - I had a fitting at the tailor. I had been in extensive negotiations with Allan regarding the distribution in the backpacks, so I could order a bit more from the tailor - and as a 'big customer' got a nice discount without 'haggling' 😀

This time we found breakfast at the small place where we had had something cold to drink the day before. Wonderful cold Vietnamese coffee with milk, bread and jam, and a pancake. We struck up a conversation with a woman from Greece. She is a lawyer in Athens but was born and raised in Crete. It is fascinating to hear others' stories - very enriching, and a big part of traveling. Quite coincidentally, another couple joined us - they were from Victoria in Australia, so suddenly there was also something to talk about with them. A really cozy morning.

Speaking of Australia, a scooter stopped with a couple by the sidewalk where we were walking - I thought they would ask for directions - but he just wanted to know if we were from Australia because he thought we looked like…🤗😎☺️ He just wanted to find some Australians to chat with. Odd.

Another oddity was when the guard at a bank, where we withdrew money from an ATM, asked what currency we had at home and what the exchange rate was. It seemed he was collecting that kind of information - but the poor man has to pass the time somehow all day outside a bank, dressed in proper uniform in the scorching heat.

We walked a bit more around the old town and bought a couple of souvenirs - including a straw hat. It’s actually quite nice to wear - provides good shade, and surprisingly fits well on the head. I’m thinking it’ll live in the allotment garden when we get home 🌞

Back again at the hotel, we took a couple of hours in the cool room before we met with our travel companions at the beach. The water was wonderful - cooling and nice, so we spent the rest of the day there.