That'll be me. Note that I have been warned it's only one day so not to get used to it. It also happens to be the one day when we didn't do very much.
So we had a lie in......until 8am and then a quick breakfast in the hotel.
On to bikes borrowed from the hotel for a shopping trip into town.
First stop was a tailor recommended by Tu, the food blogging guy from Hanoi. We actually watlked past it last night; it's on the far end of town, away from the main tourist drag and looked none too salubrious compared to others we had walked past. (This included one recommended by Than, yesterday's guide - the whose cheeky chappie charm wore off during the course of yesterday; the pinnacle of which was him enthusiastically instructing me which parts of the fish giblets I should be eating. I declined and he ate the lot. He did make me laugh though when he described Andrew as the Happy Buddha because "he has bald head and big belly". But I digress...
Inside leg measurement taken and I'm looking forward to modelling my new trews selected directly from the Next mail order catalogue 2011 (adjusted for the mature gentleman with a fuller leg). Andrew couldn't be persuaded into a new made-to-measure onesie, but there's always tomorrow.
Very quickly afterwards we bought a small basket used by fishermen as a keep net. (it looks small now but wait until I have to pack it)
This purchase provided much amusement among the locals, especially women street vendors, who would point, laugh and chatter among themselves, occasionally asking us what we intended to do with it. I felt like I was in an episode of Ab Fab, the one in Morocco where Edina is... oh never mind. More looking around the market.
Next stop second breakfast, or mango cheesecake for him and a quick beer for me. (Well it was almost 11am by this time)
Hoi An old town consists of only a few streets built between two rivers. It was a major Chinese trading post with other south east Asian countries.
This is the Japanese covered bridge.
There are more temples...
With interesting ceramic art and dragon sculptures
Andrew tried to stalk another bride and groom but they were a little too quick for him.
Then it was pre-lunch drinks... for some of us and a nap for others. Notice that I felt it necessary to purchase (for 70p) a very useful Edna Everage-style spectacles cord.
Meanwhile I was left to entertain myself taking selfies...
By a stroke of luck we had stopped for drinks/sleep/selfies at the Fusion Cafe where the waiter, who was very nice, told us that we should go to Miss Ly's for lunch. He said he spends a lot of money there and that we should order the crispy wonton and the Cao Lao. So said so done (we had been conditioned by Than to do as we're told). He wasn't wrong. The lunch was delicious.
The rest of the day was spent by the pool of the hotel.
Its time to hand back the reins now but before I do, some items I think should have been included in yesterdays post;
- Beach restaurant menu (Beef squeeze!)
- Toilet at beach restaurant (be grateful this blog is not in smell-o-vision)
- Example of posters found all over Vietnam
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