Damn Hot (Hoi An, Vietnam)

I last posted just before heading out for two days on the water in Halong Bay. After Halong, I shot back to Hanoi briefly, and then spent about 36 hours apiece in Ninh Binh and Hue. I'm now writing from Hoi An, on Vietnam's central coast. For once, I'll be spending consecutive nights in a Vietnamese city.

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Halong was another must-see spot in North Vietnam, located along the well-beaten tourist trail. I met a handful each of Aussies and Germans on the boat, plus my two new Dutch friends, Frank and Desiree, with whom I ended up staying in two more cities. (I've met few Americans in any city so far).

We sailed, kayaked, swam, ate, drank, and karaoked amid the hundreds of rock karsts that dot the water in Halong. Karsts are a fixture of the landscape of Southeast Asia; the most scenic spots are differentiated by what's underneath them--water in Halong and rice paddies in Tam Coc (Ninh Binh), for instance.

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It was necessary to backtrack to Hanoi after Halong (I bought an "Open Bus" ticket that will get me from Hanoi to Saigon with multiple stops in between, subject only to my own chosen schedule), but Frank, Des and I were able to grab a late bus to Ninh Binh that night. We woke up the next morning and rented bikes to explore Tam Coc ("Three Caves"), which is a few kilometers outside the city of Ninh Binh. Yet more karst scenery, temples and pagodas.

That day was the first of several scorching hot days (high 80's and low 90's, and humid) that haven't let up since.

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The three of us took a night bus from Ninh Binh to Hue (trip time 11 hours). (I am starting to detest night buses and trains--they're dirty and claustrophobic--but they do provide a good way to see a lot of places in a short period of time).

Hue's a neat city, and in fact was Vietnam's capital for most of the 19th century and almost half of the 20th. Most sightseeing is centered around the imperial architecture--which suffered severely from the effects of war--from this period.

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Yesterday, I took an afternoon bus to Hoi An--the world's greatest city for cheap, tailor-made clothing. Within a few hours of my arrival, I had put down a 50% deposit on: 3 suits, 3 sport jackets, 2 pairs of pants, and a (free) shirt. Today, I bought 2 silk robes and 2 pairs of pajamas. Turnaround in under 24 hours. Total cost less than $1,000. Unbelievable.

I can recommend a good shop (among the dozens of not-so-good ones here) if anyone's interested: Yaly, at 358 Nguyen Duy Hieu Street. Attentive service, high-quality materials, reasonable prices, and good English. Mick Jagger (apparently) shops there.

For tomorrow, I've hired a motorcycle guide to take me to some of the less trafficked spots around Hoi An--waterfalls, old Cham ruins and so forth. If nothing else, being on a cycle will help mitigate the heat.

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Devoting significant, specific attention to the food I've eaten has proven difficult in Vietnam, only because all of it has generally been outstanding. The seafood is fresh, the spring rolls have plenty of variety (papaya, mango, chili peppers, corn, fresh mint, and other ingredients, in addition to the usual shrimp, pork, rice noodles, etc.), and nothing lacks flavor. One of my favorite dishes of the past week has been goat cooked with lemongrass and sesame seeds, then wrapped in rice paper with mint, pineapple, an unfamiliar green vegetable, and a spicy peanut sauce. I've eaten my fair share of pho, as well--no complaints. Few, if any, of the places I've eaten (whether roadside stands or reasonably upscale restaurants) would pass a health inspection back home, but it doesn't seem to matter.

If anyone's wondering, I haven't yet eaten dog or snake, but both are on my list.