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Editors Pick

We need bigger bags (and muscles)

From Crossing borders & pushing boundaries in Hoi An, Vietnam on Apr 25 '07

Keren has visited no places in Hoi An
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Tailor shops in Hoi An - there are blocks of these places where you can pick a style from a mannequin or from a magazine and they will make it up for you
Tailor shops in Hoi An - there are blocks of these places where you can pick a style from a mannequin or from a magazine and they will make it up for you
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We had wanted to take a train from Nha Trang to Hoi An, but due to it being a Vietnamese holiday we were stuck on an overnight bus.  To make matters worse I was on the elevated non-reclining back seat with the fully reclining seat infront of me on my knees, making slouching enough to get my head on the head rest practically impossible without some strange contortions.  I spent most of the night pondering how I, being probably the 4th or 5th tallest person in the bus, got the worst seat.

Heritage sites in Hoi An - we didn't actually visit any as we were too lazy.
Heritage sites in Hoi An - we didn't actually visit any as we were too lazy.
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But Hoi An was worth all the pain.  It is a cute little town on the coast, saved from bombing during the war so has retained its original archeticture making it a Unesco World Heritage site.

But we weren't here for the buildings - we were here for the clothes.  Hoi An is home to many tailor shops, able to whip you up a made to measure whatever in the same day or overnight.  I purchased a suit (jacket, pants and skirt), a casual jacket, casual pants and knee length boots all for under $NZ200 together, without bargaining.  Crazy!  If I make it back here again it will be with an empty bag and a full wallet.  As it was there was much cursing going on as we tried to pack our bags with our new clothes, and then try to lift them.

Hoi An at night, reflected in the river
Hoi An at night, reflected in the river
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We didn't realise it until we got here, but Hoi An also has a lovely sandy beach - which stretches 30ks to the north and includes China Beach of the TV programme.  The beach reminded me of home - there were actual waves and the water wasn't perfectly clear, and even a little cold when you first got in - how sea is supposed to be!


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