Made in Vietnam

I really dig this town! Hoi An is a quaint little Vietnamese town on the coast about half way down between Hanoi and HCMC. There is a definite French feel to some parts of the town, and somehow this mixes well with the Vietnamese parts. The beach nearby is great, and there are wonderful little French cafes down by the river. But the main attraction is definitely the shopping...

Tailor shops abound here by their hundreds. You can have absolutely anything made at rock bottom prices. Today alone I have ordered 3 suits ($40-$77 each), 4 pairs of hand made leather shoes ($8-$30), a funky jacket and tailor made jeans. This whilst driving around on a cute little scooter between coffee shops in the sunshine.

Decisions, decisions. Eric at the tailor's.

Getting some shoes made (just for good measure...)

The trip down from Hanoi was wonderful too. I joined Eric (from my Ha Long trip) and his buddy Eytan, also from Montreal, on the late night train out of Hanoi. I was in a different carriage to them but the cabins were comfortable and the Vietnamese locals were very friendly so i enjoyed myself anyway. The journey to Hoi An took just over 16 hours and passed through some gorgeous countryside. I really do love traveling by train.

Some of the lovely Vietnamese countryside en route from Hanoi

The train runs along the coast between Hue and Da Nang

My cabin mates on the train...

We're staying in a great hostel (more like a hotel). It has a swimming pool, free internet and free breakfast, and our rooms have cable TV, hot water, air con and fridge. All this for $7 a night. I think I'll stay a while...