Skip to main content

Ugh, more shopping.

Hoi An is basically just a bunch of stalls lining the streets. There are some heritage buildings dotted throughout but it's pretty rural, without a whole lot to do except shop. The girls are on some kind of spending spree. Like, I know $7 isn't really a lot to pay for a fitted skirt, but they're stopping at every single shop and stall that we pass. The people there, they give out business cards like it's the newest big thing and the girls just keep taking them. They stop and point at a dress casually and suddenly there's an attendant taking it down and offering to let them try it on. 'Come in, try, no worries'. They clearly know not to bother with me, although I still have to wave away about twenty motorbikes a day.

Today I have been promised a frozen yoghurt if I put up with all the shopping. They wouldn't let me get it on credit, so I have to wait until I am exhausted and sweating like The Hulk after a showdown with an Apache Helicopter or something. I mean it, it's fucking hot here. You have no idea. We go through about 4 or 5 litres of water a day, but we ain't doing any wee. It all comes out in our sweat. Luckily for us laundry is only 8,000 Dong a kilo (75 cents). I'm getting some eczema on my wrists, probably due to the humidity. I think it's hotter here than it was in Saigon, but I have no way of telling - actually I'm avoiding the weather channel. I think it would just depress me.

Last night was some kind of special thing. We have no idea what it could be, and we can't be bothered finding out, but everyone was burning little bonfires in the gutters. There was smoke all over the place.

Tomorrow we'll do a tour around some interesting stuff, and then head off the day after, toward Hue. Until then I guess I'll just follow the girls around, from shop to shop while they take advantage of the exchange rate and the disgustingly cheap clothing. I'm going to wait until Hanoi before I do any of my spending. So far I'm surviving on around 200,000 Dong a day. If I keep it up, I'll spend less than $800 for the whole month.

Go team me!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hey guys its mena, justw anted to say howdy, sorry about the sunburn and jellyfish...great photos, it all looks so interesting. when are you guys back again? Take care of yourselves. (this means sunscreen, bec)

Popular posts from this blog

It's been a while

Well it's that time of time again! Paul and I are in the final stages of insecticiding our clothes and stuffing our packs and trying to break into our own combination locks. The plan is this: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam. 75 days. 3 border crossings. Some beach, some rivers, some lakes, some sub-zero mountain towns (Can't think why) and some runs diaries volume 2. This time round we're armed with a spanking new Nikon D90, bringing you the latest in photomatica and filmographity. Let's not forget two iPods totalling 160gB, two laptops (tiny ones) with another 40gb between them, and three, count them, three 16gB SD cards. Who said we'd be on holiday!? So stay tuned and live vicariously through us as we tread the path untrod. Well it's probably well trod, but nowhere else will you find such regular and informative blog entries. Peace-out! Bec Melbourne 2 days till launch

Theory

So Bec, I have been thinking...following various circumstances involving food poisoning i have come up with the following theory! I have realised that the only times i (and many fellow travellers) have been sick has been when i have eaten at restaurants...we have the veggie spring roll ordeal in Sapa last year and Kaz and i had the killer seafood in Koh Chang, Thailand. This trip i have been mainly eating at food stalls in markets and roadside and never been sick (not including the koh chang prawns of death). my theory goes as follows: The restaurant is more likely to carry bacteria and have cross comination due to the fact that it isn't packed up, cleaned and moved everyday like food stalls. Also you can't see how they cook the food or how the food is stored! The food at stalls is fresh everyday because there aint no fridges! So far my theory has proved me right, though i won't hold my breath! ;)