After leaving Tokyo, we flew to Da Nang and proceeded to Hoi An. We checked into our lovely homestay, got a Vietnamese sim card and walked into town. We were surprised how challenging it was to walk around traffic. Life was taking place on the sidewalks, whether folks were preparing, selling and consuming food, or selling other wares. There was even a daycare that had sidewalk space! Anywhere there was a blank spot of sidewalk, someone parked their motorbike. We had heard of the traffic in Hanoi, but did not expect so much traffic in Hoi An. It was difficult to cross the street, but of course nothing compared to Hanoi!
Hoi An is known for custom-tailored clothing and shoes. They can make anything you can dream up. The custom items vary widely in quality and price. Our homestay host wanted to discuss with us exactly where to go to get clothing made, but we were in Hoi An to visit the Ancient Town, not for clothing. If you do want to get clothing made, the prices can be quite reasonable, but try to get a trusted recommendation to make sure your item will be well-made and last.
It rained the entire time we were in Hoi An. Despite the rain, the Ancient Town was full of people. There were large tour groups as well as smaller groups. We were surprised by the crush of people. Despite the crowds, we really enjoyed exploring the Ancient Town. We purchased Ancient Town passes. The passes entitle you to enter five sites of your choice out of the 22 historic sites available. We did not understand this process; at some sites they wanted to check our tickets, at others there was not even an attendant. We were disappointed that the Japanese covered bridge was closed for repairs, but we were able to see the work in progress and we just had to show that we had tickets, not use one of our five entries. Several historic sites were so busy that we had to visit another one and try to come back.
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