We are in Hoi An now, got in yesterday morning bright at early after a night time train ride up the coast from Nha Trang. We took a bus out to Nha Trang the day before, and took the train out the same day, but we had enough time to check out the beach in Nha Trang and get caught out in a surprise downpour.
The beach was beatiful, I can tell why Nha Trang is a popular scuba/snorkling destination, but we were only out for about 10 minutes before a crazy rainstorm came through and soaked us in less than a minute!
We were able to book a night train up the coast to Hoi An, and as soon as we got on the train I took an Ambien to help me sleep, instead, it turns out that I am one of those people who gets the crazy side effects and it made me hallucinate like crazy! I think I slept but I was still really, really drugged in the morning and I can’t really remember getting off the train or getting to our hotel here in Hoi An. (Miles and Leanne said that I really wanted to brush my teeth in the morning and I that I wandered around the train station toothbrush in hand looking for a bathroom.)
I felt a lot better after we got into our hotel and I was able to take a nap while Miles & Leanne got some breakfast. After they got back from breakfast we ventured out in search of a good tailor. Hoi An is located on the old silk road and is famous for both its tailoring shops and silk. There is a tailor shop every five feet throughout downtown, but we headed for one that had been recommended both by our guidebooks and by a nice French couple we met in Dalat who had also recommended out hotel here.
I looked through a bunch of pictures and picked out 3 dresses and a skirt to have made at Yaly, and after walking around more and checking out the sights also had a pair or leather flip flops made for me ($10) and found a good size knock off North Face backpack ($11). Since M&L only have carryons and I have been carrying significantly more stuff, I had been wanting a smaller backpack. So after we pick up our finished clothes later today, Leanne and Miles and I are planning on finding a post office and mailing our new clothes and my existing bags back home, so that I too can have just one carry on size bag for the rest of my trip.
Today, M&L rented bikes to ride out to the beach, but my ridiculous sunburn has blistered a bit so I am taking it easy at the hotel and hoping it will fade better if I stay mostly inside today.