Hoi An

Four foot beds and a six foot four inch Joe do not mix very well, hence we didn't get much sleep on our overnight 'soft-sleeper' from Hanoi to Hoi An! Luckily, we had booked a nice hotel to stay in for three nights, and we were soon showered, rested, and under the air-conditioning!

Over the next three days we had a great time which included many visits to the tailor, a day cycling to the beach, and lots of ice cream and 'fresh beer'!

We used a highly recommended tailor and got loads of great clothes made-to-measure. Joe got a lovely suit, four shirts, a tie, casual trousers, and a smart jacket. Jen (who struggles to pick a sandwich from a menu) finally decided on a smart jacket and two pairs of casual trousers. The process involved lots of fitting and re-fitting, but it was amazing how quickly the clothes were made and how great they feel when they fit you perfectly. We were both really pleased with the outcome and the whole experience was a lot of fun!

After the craziness of Hanoi we found the quaint streets of Hoi An very relaxing and a lot less intrusive. However, despite there being far fewer mopeds, Joe did manage to get run over by one! The guy was going far too fast down a pedestrianised street, swerved to avoid a bicycle, and ended up hitting Joe before flying in the air and lying in a heap, petrol leaking everywhere. The driver came off far worse, and Joe was only bruised and shaken up a bit. Looking back, it was quite funny and certainly not surprising!

When we weren't at the tailors or being hit by mopeds we manged to hire a couple of bikes for the day (50p each!), get out of town, and cycle to the beach. We had a brilliant time relaxing in the shade of the palm trees on the beach and cycling through some lovely countryside. Not sure about the granny basket on the front though!

The final factor that has cemented Hoi An as a favourite in our eyes was the unbelievably good home-made ice-cream (three nights in a row) and the cheapest beer to date. It was so cheap we though it would be rude not to drink two quid's worth - so that's 16 beers and an interesting bike ride home!

Next stop...Nha Trang and another dreaded bus journey...