Day of rest today. After breakie we headed over bridge across Perfume River to the Co-Op Mart a form of department store for a browse. On the way Kevin stopped at an glasses shop and ordered a pair of readers. Cost 500,000 dong ie $25. Told us they would be ready in 30 minutes. We wondered around the Co-op and I bought some knives and a couple of caps. Decided to change some money at the gold shop money changer. Was located in the market complex and I had noticed the other day that the locals were going to this gold merchant and changing money. None of the others in the vacinity were. You just have to be observant as it is the same in most Vietnamese cities. The rate was $1 = 19,500 dong so the rate is now below 20,000 which is an easy conversion. Bloody Aussie $ dropping while we are away. This is the first money we have changed other than HCMC were we changed $500. On the way back I left Kevin to go pick up his glasses and went wondering the shops on my own. Went to another glass shop and found a pair of sun glasses that I wanted made up with script. Quoted $125 fixed price. Would be ready in 2 hours. Bought a pair of bathers for $15 in port power colours. After lunch of a bagette we headed to the Houng Giang Hotel to use their pool. There was a young couple from South Africia who had been travelling thro Australia, Bali, Singapore, Taiwan, Phillipines and now Vietnam. They are on a 9month trip and still have Loas, Cambodia, Thialand, Tibet and India to go before heading home in December. Very interesting couple to talk with. Kevin decided to have a pedicure and his ears cleaned at the hotel. This took a good hour. Kevin then sat and talked to the South African guy about his travels in the 70's throgh the area. I went off to pick up my glasses and buyer beware - they were crap. Couldn't see a thing. The guy didn't speak any english so very hard to communicate. After an hour I told him I would just buy the frame for 650,000 dong ie $32.50 which is 10% of the cost of frames in Australia. Decided to go to Shiva Shakti Indian Restaurant and sat in the outside courtyard area. Kevin ordered Butter Chicken and I had Chicken Korma. The meal was delicious, flavoursome and certainly authentic indian. Kevins Butter chicken certainly had a little kick to it and he broke into a sweat while eating it and had burning lips. He said it was the best he had ever had!! Had to order a beer to cool off.
