blown away: Hanoi & Hoi An

Hanoi was a rush. The city was old and lovely, but extremely crowded. Houses crowded with family members, hotels crowded with tourists, and the street massively crowded with honking motorbikes, women carrying large baskets on their shoulders, and stores so full of souvenirs that they pour out onto the sidewalk. Most of the Old Quater lacks street lights, so at every intersection you just walk directly into the flow of traffic and hope the motorcycles dodge you. They do. They're used to it.

All in all I really liked Hanoi, but it was hard getting used to the character of the Vietnamese. Vietnames are clever, industrious and opportunistic people. Walking on the streets you see everyone working. Motorbike mechanics, women butchering meat, men soldering metal, and constantly people shout at you offering something up for sale.

Many people speak English here, and it's usually not because they studied they language in school. There are many tourists in Vietnam and to take advantage many Vietamese have learned conversational English. All the spoken English makes it very easy to get around the country. Buying bus and train tickets, a major headache in China, is a snap in Vietnam. menus are translated into English, making dinig a snap too. But, leisurely walking down a street in Hanoi's Old Quater takes nerves of steel and a determined attitude. People of all ages try to sell you books, bike rides, lure you into stores, and it all starts with "Hello! Where are you from?" Casual window shopping is nearly impossible because shop owners trail you and smother you with their hard sell techniques. It can be exhausting.

Now we're in Hoi An, more of a town than a city just 5km from a beautiful 30km long, white sand, sparsely populated beach with warm waters and great waves. The beach, however, is not the main attraction here. Hoi An is shopper's paradise. It's also a fascinating place to visit for people interested in sewing and clothing manufactoring.

In Hoi An there are at least 100 tailoring boutiques where you can have ANY article of clothing you want custom made for your body. Unbelievably the turn around time for a custom-made garment is just 8 hours! The tailoring stores have huge fabric selections, books of endless clothing patterns and some even have internet connections so you can show the tailor images online. Yesterday I ordered a side-buttoned, hooded wool jacket and a lined silk and cotton shirt around 10:00am. By 6:30 pm, the garments were made and pressed and both fit me perfectly! There is no end to what you can order in this town, from leather shoes to men's suits, ball gowns to baby wear. It's just incredible.

Like I said, the Vietnamese are unimaginably clever and hard working! At first I was irritated by the persistent pestering of street vendors and motorbike "guides", but now I am awestruck and impressed of the Vietnamese spirit and work ethic. This country is amazing.