One of the first things we had to do when we reached Hoi An late in the afternoon was visit a tailor. Hoi An is noted for its quality clothing at good prices and if we were to buy anything, it would need to be ordered upon arrival so that it could be made up and delivered before we left the city. My companions left the shop disappointed with the range of products on sale soon after, which took a bit of pressure off the credit card bill.
The next item on the shopping agenda was jewellery, and once again we had been given the address of a jeweller to visit. We spent a good deal of time and a fair bit of money here before we could move on to explore the historic seaport town.
We walked through the local market. We had visited several markets at this stage and never tired of the sites and smells and buzz of activity as the locals conducted their commerce and purchased everything from plastic furniture and toys to fresh flowers and home made noodles.
Trieu took us on a guided tour of the Old Quarter, a really historic part of town by the river, where no cars or motor scooters are permitted. There are great dining places, craft shops, street stalls and entertainments scattered throughout the precinct. We walked along the busy Bach Dang by the river and visited a Chinese temple and an historic original house. We crossed a beautiful Japanese bridge built in the 16th century. By the end of the afternoon we had fallen victim to Hoi An’s special charm.
On The Road With Garry 