2022 Summer Vacation: Hoi An & el fin

Welcome to the final post of a 5 part series!
2022 Summer Vacation: Rollercoaster (part 1)
2022 Summer Vacation: Da Nang, Hoi An, Ha Noi (part 2)
2022 Summer Vacation: Ha Long Bay & Cat Ba Island (part 3)
2022 Summer Vacation: Handicraft Villages (part 4)

After a hot, humid, yet beautiful, day exploring handicraft villages, I was able to get a good night’s rest. The following morning, I grabbed a coffee and sandwich, and sat by the lake before I needed to head to the airport.

I arrived to the airport 2.5 hours early, hoping for a smooth check-in process before going through security. The line for the airline was very long. The airline staff would walk around with a sign, showing a flight number and time, usually departing within the next 20 minutes. Anyone on these flights would jump the line to be checked-in. Others would push and shove and try to find a sneaky way to jump ahead. I learned my lesson about being too nice waiting for an old lady to move forward with her family… another old lady pushed in front of both of us.

As I have generally had very positive interactions with airlines, this was a very unpleasant experience for me. I queued for nearly 1.5 hours before I finally arrived at the desk. Thankfully the attendant was kind and check-in was quick. I still had enough time to grab some chicken pho before I needed to board my flight to Da Nang.

Hoi An

I arrived in Da Nang around 2pm, and waited for the driver I had arranged to pick me up and take me to the Airbnb in Hoi An. The drive took nearly an hour but was comfortable and quiet. I checked in to the Airbnb and met my host, Mimi. She was so kind and, really cool. She showed me my huge, comfortable room, gave me some suggestions for places to eat, and showed me the bike I could use for free.

Once she left (she lives next door), I took a shower, rested and then hopped on the bike. I decided I must conquer my apprehension from my last bike ride in 2020, when I joined my middle schoolers for a 50km bike ride. I biked along the streets, which were fairly quiet, and headed toward Old Town Hoi An.

I biked into Old Town, and decided I would go visit my new friend Nick at his bar. I was doing fine, until I came to a busy street (nothing compared to Ha Noi!) where I couldn’t find a safe time to cross while walking or riding my bike. A lady came running over to my rescue, after watching me stand there for approximately 5 minutes. She grabbed my bike, saying, “I’ll help you. Let’s go! You just have to walk out and they will all stop.” So, together, we safely crossed the street… and she guided me to the Hoi An Market, which I didn’t realize was right in front of me!

As I was going to take control of my bike again, and head on my way, she suggested I park my bike, “Because this time of day there is too much traffic and it can be dangerous for you”, and paid the parking attendant. Then, the lady said, asked if I was planning to visit a tailor while I was in Hoi An.. to which I replied that I was thinking about it. She somehow steered me into the Hoi An Market to (surprise) her own tailor shop, and sat me down in front of her tailors.

This caught me very off guard which, lucky for them (unlucky for my bank account), means I am too uncomfortable to walk away. They were very kind and welcoming, offering me bottles of water as I looked through the many books of clothing options. We picked 6 or 7 varying clothing items, and then walked around picking out fabric. They were impressed that I wanted bright colors for the majority of my picks. I was measured, paid for my selections. I was getting: 2 dress pants, 1 casual pants, 4 shirts, and 1 dress and 1 tunic. All of this for a price that I most likely COULD HAVE bargained down, but am too shy and awkward to do so.

While gathering my things, and saying goodbye to the friendly staff, one of the ladies I had been talking to asked me to follow her. Which I did…. (really Kate, when are you going to learn your lesson?!)… She took me to the back of the market where she and her sister were custom made selling leather shoes.

It was the same process.. kind conversation, build rapport, and pick out too many styles of shoes to possibly have made for me.. I had multiple colors of leather to choose from. I was enjoying myself, nearly forgetting I had just spent too much money only 30 minutes before. They gave me prices for each pair of shoes I had selected.. to which I firmly stated I could only afford 2 pairs: a pair of boots and a pair of stylish flats. Again, I am sure a more skilled and confident consumer would have bargained them down, but I stood firm in paying their price…

Hey.. how many times can you say you had bespoke clothing AND leather shoes made just for you?!?! I regret mostly nothing…

Finally, I was able to grab my bike and head to Nick’s bar. I had been in the market for almost 2 hours! I made it to the bar, and as I was about to sit down, I noticed a young lady that had sat next to me on the bus from Ha Long Bay to Ha Noi. She was sitting alone, and when we made eye contact, I smiled, waved and said “I know you!”. She was a little taken aback, and when I explained our short history, she relaxed and invited me to sit with her. Turned out, she was meeting up with 2 other passengers from that same bus that evening! She, T, is French, but lives in Spain. We spoke a mixture of English and Spanish, talking about our lives and work as we drank lychee martinis. The couple she was meeting were Italian. They had originally met on a cruise in Ha Long Bay and remained in contact. When the couple arrived, I recognized them as the two riding in the back of the bus. They kindly invited me to join them for dinner. We went to a fancy Vietnamese restaurant just down the street. We had a beautiful evening, speaking a mixture of English, Spanish, Italian and French while enjoying a flavorful meal and beers.

As the evening was coming to an end, I was worried about returning to my homestay on a bike at night. I didn’t know the bicycle was equipped with a small headlight! We said our goodbyes, they showed me how to turn on the light, and we went our separate ways. As mentioned in a previous post, it is difficult to navigate a strange place while riding a bike or motorbike. I did my best to plan and memorize the path, and carefully made my way home. It was a 20 minute bike ride, but the fresh air was very welcoming. I made it to the house, put the bike away, and went inside to shower and sleep. I had biked approximately 13km that day!

The following morning, Mimi made me a simple omelet served with a baguette. I enjoyed the breakfast, hopped on the bike, and decided to ride around and explore for the morning, as I would need to return to the market at noon to do a fitting for my clothes.

I rode along some of the streets, and found myself surrounded by rice fields that are also visible from my homestay. The views were beautiful in the neighborhood. There were water buffalo grazing or sitting in the shade. There was a man bathing his water buffalo, but finished before I had time to take a picture. I saw them later: man walking alongside his giant pet.. and then, man riding his pet as the water buffalo grazed.

My back started hurting, and I had flashbacks to the “Great Bike Pain of 2020”, so I decided it was time to brave the motorbike. I could rent a motorbike from Mimi for only ₫150,000 (~$6) for an entire day. I hopped on the scooter, and meandered my way back to Old Town for my fitting. I was grossly sweaty by the time I arrived, but even sticky, the clothes fit me well! Only one or two small adjustments were needed, and I could pick them up within a few hours if I wished. As I knew I needed to return the following day to get my shoes before departing from Vietnam, I decided to pick everything up together.

While walking around, I stumbled across Precious Heritage Art Gallery museum showcasing the breathtaking works of the famous French photographer Rehahn. Portraits reflected the 54 ethnic tribes of Vietnam, their costumes, and their stories. He ensured each portrait was introduced with a behind the scenes story. It was a beautiful, quiet gem, and I would recommend everyone go see it. Here is a link to his works: Precious Heritage Collection

I left, hopped on my motorbike and drove around some more. Tired of feeling disgusting, I returned home, showered and rested, to feel fresh for the evening.

The Italian couple had messaged me around 5pm saying they wanted to have an “early dinner”, and imagined they could meet around 7:30pm. I laughed, reading their message. “Early dinner” for me would be 5 pm… and I was actually on foot, en route to a restaurant that boasted tacos. I let the Italians know I would meet them after I grabbed MY early dinner. I walked nearly 45 minutes to try these tacos, which reviews had said were delicious.. They weren’t delicious and were very disappointing. The chicken had no seasoning at all, and the tortilla was filled with shredded cabbage and a piece or two of unseasoned chicken breast. *Sigh* Oh well.. I only spent $5.

I grabbed a Grab scooter to take me the 15 minute drive back into Old Town. As we were driving, the young man kept looking up to the night sky, which was showing signs of rain. Sure enough, as soon as he dropped me off as close to the restaurant as he could, the skies opened up. I had another 10 minute walk in the pouring rain. I was loving it, feeling soaked and refreshed, while people were running about trying to find shelter or buy an umbrella or poncho. Multiple vendors tried to sell to me, but I would just smile, shake my head and keep walking.

I finally arrived to the restaurant, shook myself off, walked inside and joined the group for a few beers and dessert. The following day, they were all heading on to Ho Chi Minh, while I would be heading home to Daegu. They would all be heading to the airport early, so we ended our evening by 9pm. I grabbed another Grab scooter back to the homestay.

When I arrived, the house gate was closed, and I had no idea how to open it. As I was quietly trying to figure it out in the dark, hoping not to disturb anyone’s sleep, I was very aware of the couple standing less than five feet away from me, hugging and kissing and trying to have a romantic farewell, and there I was, pushing and pulling on an iron gate. I found it quite comical, especially when I was finally successful in opening the gate and getting inside to my room.

The next morning, I took my time repacking all of my items into my travel bag, and a carry on luggage I had purchased the day before. I knew, with all of the new clothing and shoes, I would need that extra bag. I bought it for perhaps $10. Mimi made me a chicken bahn mi sandwich for my breakfast, and we settled my bill: private car and motor bike rental.

After I left the Airbnb, I grabbed a car to take me to the market. I arrived to the welcoming fanfare of the tailor shop ladies, who helped me pack my clothing into the new bag. I then hopped to the back of the market to visit the cobbler shop ladies. I tried on the boots, which fit me comfortably.. but the flats were a little lacking in width. The one sister’s husband was there, and said “Don’t worry! It’s an easy fix!” He then invited me to go with him to where they actually made the shoes. After securing my luggage with the tailors, I hopped on the back of his bike and we rode perhaps 10 minutes down the road to the “factory”.

There were 2 young men, and an older gentleman who were making shoes, leather and materials strewn about as they worked. There was a notable silence as I sat in the open-aired room observing them. I asked the husband if they didn’t listen to music while they worked.. and, after he translated my question, they all laughed. Of course they listen to music, but at this hour (perhaps 2pm) neighbors are taking their naps. They turn off the music to not disturb anyone. They finished stretching the leather of my shoes to fit my feet more comfortably. It took perhaps 20 minutes for them to finish.

During that time, the husband and I talked about my need to rush to the airport super early in order to get my PCR test, a requirement to enter into Korea. The only research I had was telling me to go to the airport, where free PCR tests were offered with a 15 minute turn around. I had found no operational hours on any website, and was worried they would not be available for my midnight flight. He assured me that I could get tested at the local hospital for less than $15, and I would not need to feel rushed and waste 7 hours in the airport. The husband even set up a private driver to take me to the airport that evening, for less than Grab was quoting

After finishing with the shoes, he drove me to the hospital, translated my needs, and I was able to get a PCR test and results in English within 30 minutes. All less than $15! Now that I had plenty of free time, and my luggage was not slowing me down, I walked around and decided to try the famous egg coffee of Vietnam. I stopped in a corner café, and ordered the drink, unsure of what to expect. Once I settled into my comfortable chair, next to the corner windows, the skies again opened, and rain poured down. Soon after, my drink arrived… I took a sip and.. it was delicious!

Egg coffee consists of egg yolk whipped with sweetened condensed milk and then mixed into coffee! It was creamy, sweet, and I could have indulged in more! Adding it to my list of things to try in the kitchen, whenever I have a coffee maker on hand.

I enjoyed my egg coffee while enjoying the sound of the rain. I finally caved and purchased a humungous poncho, accepting that I would be doing some more walking, and didn’t want my travel backpack and belongings ruined by my stubbornness. I didn’t buy an umbrella, as I had my Non La on hand, and they can be used to shield one’s head from rain!

When I left the café, I wore the poncho and the Non La, and calmly made my way back to the market to grab my belongings. I would hang out at my friend’s bar the remaining few hours, and enjoy observing people in the quiet plaza I had come across my very first night in Vietnam over a week before!

My friend, N, talked of his aspirations for the bar, and other entrepreneurial ideas he had for the future. I had a couple beers, but he and the staff would bring me iced peach tea, not pressuring me to spend any money.

I wanted to order a meal before I would need to head to the airport. As N had been the one to suggest cau lau on my first night in Vietnam, I decided it was a great dish to end my time in Hoi An. Turns out, his aunt was the cook at the restaurant next door. She prepared the cau lau, and I enjoyed every tangy, sweet, and savory bite. It was delicious.

At 8pm, I needed to make my way to the airport. I found my driver, and we drove the 45 minutes. I waited in line to check in, and was denied, because my PCR test reflected the date prior. I almost cried. I had been so relaxed after going to the hospital, I didn’t think to check the date was correct. The airline employee was very calm, and pointed behind me, where there was a PCR testing site currently being set up. I breathed a sigh of relief, ran over to be tested a second time and prayed for a negative result: granted!

I finally crossed through security, and had 2 hours to spend before my flight. I was still hungry, so I grabbed a nearly $20 hamburger combo (I know… I know… it’s outrageous) from the airport Burger King. To be fair, the price was misleading on the sign. They reflected the amount in dollars, without showing a US dollar sign.. I thought I was buying a ₫19,000 meal, which would have been a steal!

After completing the overpriced meal, I walked to the gate and hunkered down to read a book. The flight back to Korea was smooth and without issues.

I went through customs quickly, and returned my Korean SIM card to its rightful place in my phone. I went to a nearby community health center for my return PCR test, and then found a Taco Bell (only in Seoul) for some comfort food.

I had a 2 hour train ride back to Daegu, and then a 30 minute taxi home. I completed my Saturday with a long shower, and sleep. Sunday was for unpacking, and beginning laundry. Monday, back to work!

I had an exciting, educational vacation in Vietnam! Thanks for joining me for this adventure!