Hoi An Musings

One of the weirdest experiences of our trip was the bus we took from Da Nang to Hue. The tickets we booked turned out to be on a "sleeping bus". It was indeed lucky that we only had a three hour trip, because this bus was excruciating.

It was entirely full of reclining double decker cots, designed for small people to recline in. There was a bin to put your feet into, underneath the head of the person in front of you. The cots were three wide, with very narrow aisles between each row. The Vietnamese, being of generally smaller stature, were probably not as cramped as we were, but I cannot imagine that the hard, plastic cushions were any more comfortable for them than they were for us.

The money here exchanges at 20,200 dong to a dollar. A trip to an ATM makes one into an instant millionaire, although we have to remember that 2,000,000 dong is just under $100. American dollars are accepted at most places, although you have to keep a keen eye on the exchange rate they use, because what you bargain down from the asking price you can lose on the exchange rate.

One of the curses of this society is the motorbike. It is the main mode of transport, as cars are too expensive for the average person and therefore rare, and public transit is non-existent. In most cities, there is no place to park, so they are all parked on the sidewalk, which means most sidewalks are completely blocked most of the time. Pedestrians are forced to walk in the street, which motorbikes own. One of the most annoying parts of getting around is the incessant shrill blaring of motorbike horns at close range. Peace of mind is constantly being shattered by these penetrating and incessant blasts, often coming with no discernable purpose other than to drive you to distraction.

Crossing the road on foot is dangerous and brutal, as no one pays attention to traffic lights. There is no enforcement of traffic rules, and the one accident we saw resulted in the guilty party driving away as quickly as she could, without exchanging so much as an "are you all right" with the other driver, who was still disentangling herself from her fallen scooter. Helmets are optional, and most of the ones that are worn are so flimsy that they would be of little help in a collision. The best time to be out is when they block the streets to motor traffic in the downtown core of Hoi An, so one only has bicycles and pedestrians to contend with.

There are over 400 tailor shops in Hoi An, all making made to measure clothes and shoes. They all offer similar styles,

although they will make up any style imagineable. They make suits, dresses, shirts, pants, all manner and stlyes of footwear, and anything else that can adorn or clothe the human form. That industry is the basis of tourism here, although the charming ancient streets

and beautiful waterfront, including an interesting sculpture garden, are also attractive. If only there weren't so many businesses doing the same thing, selling the same t-shirts and restaurants selling the same food, all striving for the same tourist dollar.

There are many expensive developments being built on the waterfront for miles south of Da Nang. These luxury condos, complete with golf courses, are meant to be sold to Vietnamese, not foreigners, and the kind of money needed to buy one is unlikely to be earned in a Hoi An tailor shop.