Hue - beans motorcycle diary & Hoi An

Hey all,

Well this is going back a bit so apologies if it is a bit short and sweet!

As mentioned in my last entry, we were experiencing less than perfect weather in Hue and were planning to go on a motorcycle trip the following day.

Well we did and it was one of the bst things i have done so far! I was really worried about jumping on the back of a motorbike with no helmet and the mad vietnemese traffic but i was soon loving it. To begin with we were having to travel through busy streets, squeezing through tight gaps and dodging other motorbikes. Soon we ventured into dirt tracks and through woodland. We drove past a temple where there were many tourists so we headed onto the next sight. This was the bunkers that still stand from the Vietnam war. There was around 5 of them and they were located right next to the perfume river. Across the river is the famous 'Hamburger hill' from Apocolypse now fame. By the bunkers are tombs of the dead rich and the mounds of dirt for those buried there who were poor.

Onto the next sight which was the Tu Hieu Pagoda. In itself it was a building of beautiful architecture but we then were treated to the rare sight (due to having a good guide who liked talking about bananas and coconuts...use your imagination!) of monks coming to prayer. We saw the families and friends of the monks and they were dressed in grey. One monk at the top of the hall spoke (over a microphone!) and a bell was rung several times. They then all ate.

Next up was Tu duc's Tomb, the king of Vietnam. The weather really did start to get worse. Luckily there was lots of rooms and relics to see under cover before we walked around the kings, his fiorst wifes and his nephews seperate tombs. For sheer enteretainment you could get dressed up in traditional Vietnemese dress. Emily and Lucy endulged and looked great. They wore long robes, baggy trousers, headdresses and pointed clogged shoes! They looked hot. There was a carriage and a throne to sit on for photos.

We then went to Thien Mu Pagoda. This octaganal roughly 50ft tall building was vibrently decorated and surrounded by 5 much smaller buildings which each contained a bell.

We were told the story of the monk that belonged to the Pagoda who set himself alight in protest. The car that he drove is held at this temple and the original photo of him on fire is also there. There is also a tomb of a young monk who died recently.

I enquired if we could be dropped off at the Citadel rather than back at Thu's. The guide took this as visiting it next so we drove into the Citadel and had a chance to take picture of the main square and the main building within it. The weather really did start to chuck it down by this point. We were now driven to the countryside to see the Japanese bridge. The ride to it was amzazing as I could see all the others on their bikes ahead of me across the land on the country lanes. We went through a village which had a small river running through it. Seeing the locals going about their daily business and driving through the paddy fields was such a great buzz.

By the time we got back we were all soaked through but had all had a fantastic time.

The evening was spent in Thu's, chilling out, eating and drinking preparing for our early morning bus journey to Hoi An

After a 4hour journey we arrived in Hoi An. We were taken to a nice hotel that in hinesight i wish we had stayed in but we checked into a place not far from there (this was after checking out a few other places across town) called Greenfields Hotel. Can't complain though as we had a swimming pool, free cocktail hour each night and free internet access.

There isn't much to tell you about Hoi An apart from it was evry girls dream (apart from the wind and rain). For 4 days all we did was shop, eat and drink!

We had been told it was the capital for tailored clothes but i don't think anthing can prepare you for the amount of shops there are. The streets are just store after store, each only a few metres by a few metres big crammed full of fabric and examples of the clothes you can have specifically made. The first day we just checked out the actual shops but the econd day we ventured to the market. Not only was there your normal maze of markets that we have become accoustomed to in S E Asia, selling everything from fruits & veg, plastic cups to knocked off designer label clothes and an assortment of souveniers, but also like a sweat shop market hall of stores. There must have been about 50 different shops within a building smaller than your tesco's local. At one point i had 4 ladies round me telling me that i was beautiful and that they could make me this that and the other. I coldn't take it and had to get out of there! The main difference with the market is that there are no samples to go from, here they just show you clothes catalogues. From my experienc of home shopping i decided to steer clear! However me and Lucy were talked into having our legs threaded by a little lady, maybe a relative of one of the store owners in the market hall. Now threading is a way of de-hairing the legs, by means of a piece of thread pulling each one out! It really wasn't the most pleasant experiences but left my legs silky smooth..and also saved us from the terrential rain. The beauty parlour was about 1m x 2m big and again there was a whole two lines like a street of them. They are literally big enough to have a small storage area and a bed. All very strange but at the price of $2 who's complaining!

The deal is that you find what article of clothing you want, you then chose what material you would like, they take your measurements and then you go back for a fitting the next day.

I ended up having a pair of 3/4 length linen black trousers, a strappless billabong style print top and a chinese style dress made. All three cost me $30. Amazing!!!

The nightlife was ok in Hoi An. We had one really good night out. We asked to go to one bar but were taken to a latin/mexican stle bar that we had already been to for breakfast. There was a pool table and a football table which i had a very drunken match on! Needeless to say i sucked! We were then taken by motorbike to the full moon bar which again had the main feature of a pool table. A crowded dark and small bar where a few more drinks were consumed.

Hoi An's best feature was the old town It was so very beautiful and we got to see it slightly flooded and then when the sun had come out to play. There was so many quaint art shops and cafe's which filled the narrow streets. The buildings were painted a yellow color and many looked ready to fall down. It really was a maze of streets of identical looking shops selling an amazing range of clothes, bags, art, dinner wear and lighting. Being by the river also added a certain charm and we had a few meals at the restaurants with balconys overlooking it. One waitress invited us back to her home to meet her family. She and her 2 teenage children lived in one room 5m x 5m. They had a space to sleep, an area to sit and the rest was taken up with a wardrobe, desk and tv stand, complete with tv, dvd and telephone.

The girls decided to escape the 12 hr journey to Nha Trang by getting a flight from Danang. I decided to get the bus as I would be able to sleep as we were travelling through the night. Before I left I had the best meal that I had eaten in Hoi An. Just a simple chicken with rice but it was amazing. The owner, Mr Chong seemed like a well liked man judging by all the nice notes i read from other people which were under the glass on the table. I had a chat with him and his wife brought me a vietnemese tea to drink. What a lovely way to leave Hoi an.