Tuesday 8th April
I was up at 08.00 and had some breakfast before going to pick up some clothes that I had ordered the day before. I had a few things to sort out on the internet which took me up to lunchtime and then I had to move hotels, having been kicked out of the 'Dai Long' because they told me they had forgot to inform me that the place had been block booked for the next few days (likely story, they just wanted to fill a room for two days!). Anyway, they helped find me another similar room at a place down the street at the 'Hop Yen Hostel'. It wasn't as good but it would do for the one remaining night that I intended to stay in Hoi An.
After lunch of 'White Rose' wantons (crispy wantons, beef and fried vegetables, a Hoi An specialty which was unusual but really good), I went back to the clothes shop for a final fitting of my clothes. The staff were always busy, two of their ten or so shops standing on either side of one of the main crossroads in the middle of town. They must make a packet.
I spent the next few hours on the internet, trying to sort out my online application for my Australian visa, and was told to contact the nearest Australian Embassy to push the application through. I wasn't sure whether it could be done quickly in Hanoi or whether it would be more convenient to go through the embassy in Tokyo, given that I had less time to sort it out in Vietnam. With all this going on, I was kept away from a trip to the beach. Travelling sometimes involves a bit of work now and then, it's not exclusively fun and games.
After a rest back at the guesthouse, I went back to the clothes shop to pay for my order and arrange for them to ship it all back home (which they did for an extra $40). All in all, it had been a good deal for me (and the shop owners) and it means I have taken care of a potential pain in the ass when I get back home.
After dinner, I booked a flight from Hué (in the direction of which I was heading next) to Hanoi for the coming Saturday morning. It would appear that this leg of the bus trip is quite unpleasant and it makes more sense for me to pay $60 to get to my final destination with only a few days left in the country. I went back to the hotel and started my research into Japan as it was less than a week before I was due to fly there, and I was starting to get excited about that. However, there was still a lot to do and see in Vietnam, including a trip to the former Demilitarized Zone where I was headed to the following afternoon.
