i've totally lost track of dates and times. i don't have a watch- i can check my ipod or cellphone if need be- i mostly needn't. i don't really know how long i've been in hoi an, either four or five nights, i think. it is 9pm friday, november 20th, i have two weeks left on my vietnamese visa and i am paying closer attention to the date.
i've spent more time than i intended in hoi an and enjoying it greatly. hoi an is a smallish town which is overrun by tourists and the tailors caterring to them. it is amazing how many tailors there are. most shops house tailors- those that don't sell art or food to those who are waiting for their fittings. within the tourist core, hoi an feels very insulated, westerners seem to outnumber the locals and what is authentic to central vietnam and hoi an can be found because it can be sold. can lau (a style of noodles particular to hoi an), ban xeo (shrimp filled fried rice pancakes) and the 150+ year old 'old town' are thriving because they are supported by us tourists. it is good to see that there is some authentic traditional culture here, sad that it doesn't seem to extend beyond a page of lonely planet highlights.
the most memorable and certainly the most surprising experiences i've had in hoi an were my walks outside of the old town and tourist center. all of the temples, pagodas, stores and markets seem to be contained in the small tourist sector- beyond that people live. i was really amazed to see the quality of life of many of these people. there are many 'shanty' like houses- with corrugated steel or found materials for walls and roofs, but unlike saigon and and delta, these were not at all the norm. i a preponderance of nicely designed and constructed homes- all pretty new. i have also seen far fewer children selling souveniers or wandering during the day- many more children in school uniforms.
in hoi an i've seen both sides of tourism- we seem to have taken over their downtown and much of the 'old town', but in exchange it appears that many families are enjoying a really decent quality of life.
Hoi An has been, by far, my most comfortable stop in vietnam. i would recommend a much broader set than the parts of the south that i have seen- there is the romantic quality of a sleepy town on the river, the people are very warm, the food is fantastic and the tailors will make your fashionista magazine dreams spring to life for barely the cost of the fabric.
Tomorrow i will make my way to Hue via Danang. I will take either a bus or a motorbike to Danang- its been raining for days, and it may be time for me to get on one of the airconditioned tourist busses that i have loved to hate. From Danang, I will take what is supposed to be an amazing train ride to the old imperial capital of Hue. I think that it will be my first time on a real train.... but first i've got to send home all the clothes the tailors sold me...
