Day 8 - Bye Bye Hoi An *cry*

All plans of a sleep in were dashed when upstairs the plumbers (?) started hammering on the wall or floor above. Today is the day we hop on the plane for Ha Noi. The morning plans were a slow rush to pick up shoes, pack, eat breakfast and explore where we have not been yet. All before 11:30am.

The river had dropped over night and we crossed the bridge that had been flooded the day before, to see the restaurants on the other side and the fishing boats. The children were on their way to school and called out for "photo photo" as I snapped pictures of the boats and buildings. If it wasn't for the hundreds of tourists milling about you could almost imagine what this place would have been like several hundred years ago.

Before


After


The shoes took two attempts to pick up as they weren't ready at 9 and we had to call in again on the way back to the hotel. The boots that they made for Dawn on the off chance she would like them were very construction worker looking and Dawn declined to take them. I had them stretch my pointy toed ones to get them to fit. My gecko and dragon fly shoes are cute though (just reek of rubber adhesive).



Our little lady friend (who we rudely never asked her name) at the hotel gave us friendship bracelets and necklaces. This little lady was so sweet Dawn often imparted quietly to me that she wanted to grab her by the cheeks and tell her "you are so CUTE!". She, the little hotel lady, was as mischievous as other Vietnamese and I saw her once tell a hotel guest with a completely straight face that his companions had gone to the station because they could not wait for him any more as he was late. She had to run after him as he bolted out the door to tell him she was tricking. I like the Vietnamese, they are so naughty!



The plane was delayed for 2 hours and we had arrived about an hour early, so we had time to kill in the heat at a beer garden across the road from the station. The plane was a new airbus and was very comfortable and the flight very smooth. The co-pilot announced that the cabin crew had been working since 4am and were meant to have finished work some time before but had volunteered their time to ensure the flight went ahead.




Remember a few posts back when I said I had the riding in cars in Vietnam thing down pat? Scratch that. The ride in to the city from the airport would rate as one of the most frightening rides ever with a cab driver + peak hour + Vietnamese drivers + drizzling rain + trucks and busses. The cab driver told us (not while he was on the mobile phone) that 60 people a day die in Vietnam on the roads. NO shit Sherlock when you don't wear helmets, seat-belts or obey road rules.