The Ancient Town of Hoi An Part 1

I was transferring some posts from my other blog and I forgot to publish this one. This was from my first Vietnam trip.

Day 3 – 4

I arrived at a little before 6pm and it was already getting dark fast. This is the only Vietnam stop that I hadn’t booked a hotel in advance for since I wasn’t sure if I would stay longer in Hue. I shortlisted two hotels however and looked around for a cab. I saw a couple of Mai Linh Taxi but they were both occupied, I had no choice but to get on a motorbike. Of course it will be for 50.000 VND. I did not bargain anymore, I just showed him the address of the first hotel. I sent this hotel a last minute email but I didn’t get their reply in time. When I got there, they politely told me they were fully booked. On to hotel #2, I figured if they don’t have any room available I’d ask the driver to recommend some place. I got to Phuoc An Hotel and I hurriedly went inside the lobby. The moto driver trailed behind me since I haven’t paid him yet and there’s a chance we have to head out and look for another place. Fortunately, they had a room available so I paid the driver another 50.000 VND. My pocket money has diminished somewhat and I hated seeing another 100.000 VND go just for the fare. I was thinking I was getting ripped off but I had nothing to compare it with. I tried asking a receptionist before how much it normally cost to get from point A to point B but she had no idea since she never had to pay for a moto ride. With almost 6 million people driving their own scooter, that explains it. Sigh.








So anyway, I dropped my bags in my room (I loved it, more on a separate post), went out and rushed out to witness as the night falls over Hoi An. And capture it on digital film, of course.

Night Falls.

I hurried downstairs and grab one of the hotel cards with a map at the back and had the receptionist mark my destination with a pen: the river in the Old Town. It was a nice walk from 39 Tran Cao Van St. to the Old Town. Compared to the controlled chaos of Hanoi, it was a laid back and charming town and it soon became pretty apparent why Hoi An is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was a fascinating combination of Chinese and French architecture. A trading port dating back to 15th century, the narrow road sides were lined by textile boutiques and restaurants and other rustic shops. As I get closer to the river,  I entered a Walking and Cycling Zone. It was easily the BEST walk I’ve had in my life.












It rained just when I was starting to indulge in full-blown photography mode, I didn’t even get to see the Japanese Bridge. I asked a moto driver to get me to Cafe 43 instead ( for the life of me, I don’t know why I didn’t call a taxi instead, it was drizzling and I was getting soaked in the rain). Surprise! I was back where I came from! Cafe 43 turned out be right next door at my hotel. I got down and handed the driver 50,000 VND (I swear,  a vulgar amount of my pocket money went to the scooter drivers). I have nothing against them, after all my father fed and clothed and sent us to school working as a driver too. It’s just that I knew that I was spending far more than what’s right.


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