We arrived by bus in the afternoon and said our goodbyes to Manu as she had booked in to the 'Sunflower Hostel' which was in another direction.
By the time we got to our hotel we were ready for some food and a bit of a rest so we headed out in search for something to eat. The hotel had a free shuttle service that took you to the old town as there wasn't much around the hotel. We asked where to go for food and they suggested the shuttle into town but we weren't ready for another road trip just yet, she then suggested eating at the hotel so we took a seat and ordered what we felt was quite a healthy and typical Vietnamese dish of steamed green vegetables and some rice paper spring rolls to share.
As Hoi An was well known for its good tailoring we had already planned to get an outfit made, so that was the plan or the evening. We took the shuttle bus to the 'Old Town' and randomly picked out one of the many million tailor shops. We pretty much just went for one close by, walked in and was greeted by a very cheeky and pretty Vietnamese tailor. Was safe to say she was a little bonkers and loved chatting to her customers, taking a great shine to Becky and her ... well lets just call them assets haha shocking Becky a little but still full of giggles.
We chose our designs, colours and material. I haven't got the best imagination so took the easy option of asking her to replicate a play suit I already had. Didn't think it could go wrong that way either! A deposit was paid and we left it in the tailors hands, but before leaving we asked where we could grab some dinner, she recommended a place where here family worked - 'An Hoi' just over the bridge further into the town, it wasn't far away and we got to see the real heart of Hoi An, a place protected by UNESCO (the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organisation). It looked amazing in the dark cover of night with its well lit shops and streets.
The bridge took us over a river that was filled with floating, candle lit lanterns along with its traditional fishing boats. We bought a lantern for $1 and set it off down the river making a wish as it sailed off. it didn't get too far before it made its way back to the side of the river, joining many more colourful lanterns, but still it looked pretty with its flame reflecting off the water.
We took a seat at An Hoi and flicked through the menu, as the papaya salad had been recommended to us in Hue bu Lynn we chose to have it that evening and jeez was it good!! It had some really great flavour. Up to now the food in Vietnam has been a little bland in flavour in comparison to the spicy Thai dishes so we were ready for something like this. The salad pretty much consists of shredded salad, onions, papaya, mint, lemon juice and peanuts. With that polished off we walked back up the streets but had to get a taxi as we hadnt been ready in time for the last shuttle back. It wasnt far to the hotel, nor expensive in a taxi.

The following day we set off on a mission walking round the back streets near our hotel in search for the Japanese tombs that were supposedly in the rice fields behind us. As we walked along the rice fields in search of the tombs we saw the rice field workers picking their crops, all dark skinned with worn and tiny bodies. one of the workers kept making a hand gesture calling us over and pointing at something in his field. as we looked closer it was a tomb so we crossed over and met the male Vietnamese rice worker, he guided us round his fields trying to explain and show us things, in Vietnamese!! He really made me giggle as he repeatedly used the multi-functional words "chop chop, wap wap" sometimes making sense, other tomes not having a clue what he was trying to say. He pulled out some of the green grass looking crops from out of the water ridden fields to show us the rice, i had always wondered how it worked and what it looked like at that stage. At the root of the grass there were a few grains of brown rice shaped seeds. they have to pick a hell of a lot to get a good amount of rice thats for sure. they work so hard out here, long days, bade foot and up to their knees in muddy water, bent over for hours picking crops. After I had picked some rice he then got out his catapult which i think from what he was saying was to scare off the birds. Becky was quick to have a go aiming at a bird in the distance, close but not close enough!
The tomb in his field was for a Japanese worker, we showed respect by bowing 3 times as requested, lit an incense stick and placed it on the grave top ....... then he asked for some money!! Slightly annoying as we wanted to give him a small token for his help anyway but the minute someone asks you don't feel as happy or willing to hand it over, but we did and then left!

Back to the old town on the shuttle for another tour round this time we decided to see the sights by taking a ride on a tuc tuc bike. Half an hour later and we were dropped back off at the bridge we had crossed the following night, just up from that was the Japanese bridge, this is an attraction for many tourists.
On our way back to the shuttle
pickup point we went for our second dress fitting, Becky hated hers, so we suggested tucking it in here and there, getting rid of this and that and then try it again once the changes had been made. Fingers and toes were crossed. Mine seemed to be going as I wanted and asked so no complaints from my side.

Whilst we had been travelling down to Hoi An Lynn had met some more people and asked of we fancied meeting in the evening for some food. We met at 'The Mermaid' restaurant, one recommended by the lonely planet guide. with Lynn there was Ashley from Surrey, Ross from the US, Craig from Australia and Oriste from Italy. We tried the local beer and all ordered varying vietnamese hot pots. I've got to say that mine was amazingly good - chicken, chilli, lemon grass served with a plate of noodles.
Oriste had rode down to meet us on his bicycle, which after the food Becky had lots of fun racing up and down the streets on, adding to the sounds of car and moped beeps with her bicycle bell haha! To finish the night off we grabbed a few drinks in the backpackers bar. The group shared some mint orange shisha and made the most of the buy one get one free deal. As the night went on the drinks started to taste stronger and nothing like the vodka we has asked for, this stopped me from drinking as I was a little dubious as to what it actually was, probably just some really cheap local spirit but not keen on the hangovers it can give you, something Becky sadly had to experience the day after, she woke up feeling awful!

No time for hangovers though as we had booked on to the cooking class that afternoon. Fortunately Becky had slept off the rest of her hangover before having to cycle in the rain to the old town food markets and back for our ingredients!
We were making a few different dishes one was the Banana flower salad - banana flower, mint, shredded onion, shredded carrot, garlic, shrimp, pork, pepper, chilli, shallot, lemon juice, fish oil, roasted peanuts....... again another amazingly tasty salad! There was also a rice paper spring roll dish, a basa fish dish and a desert of pineapple fritter/pancake, all of which was sooooooo good, even if we do say so ourselves ha!
Another fitting was needed at the tailors in the evening, the alterations had been made and im glad to say Becky was happy and she really liked her new pretty dress.

My son ruins was our next trip, My Son meaning beautiful mountain. Sad to say there were far oo many tourists (cliche I know seen as I'm one of these said tourists) making it hard a to get a good feel for it or to get a decent picture of the beutiul ruins without a million and one heads getting in the way. The tour guide was pretty annoying and hard to hear, so we kind of just mooched about on our own, knocking into Ross and Ashley again who were also trying to lose their tour guide and group ha!
After the ruins we were dropped off by the river to get a ferry back to the old town, thinking it would be a more relaxing way to see the sights.
Lunch was ready and waiting for us on the boat, boiled rice and vegetables and a banana. Becky wasn't keen but i added a bit of soy sauce to the rice dish and it was a pretty good and filling meal for me! They stopped off at a carpentry village on the way back, something all tours seem to do - make pit stops at shops etc trying to make money. Cant say it bared any relevance to the trip or that it was of any interest to any of us but we made our own entertainment on the way round with Ashley and Ross!
All in all there were some beautiful ruins which are worthwhile on their own, but this wasn't the most educational or fun filled trip we've been on.
Now dropped off a few minutes from the Japanese bridge, Becky grabbed some food as she hasn't eaten any of the dinner and we collected our finalised outfits, both happy and thinking of all the other things we could have for made aswel! Ah well space is minimal in the life of a backpacker ha!

It was time to start thinking about our next stop, Nha Trang and when we were going to go. We tried to book the 7pm sleeper bus but this was already full, not what we wanted to hear as we had been told we only needed to book it the day before and we had been in the area so many other days to have booked sooner - we will know better next time. The 'Camel' company had put an additional bus on for the same day but at 8am, still a sleeper bus (lying rather than sitting upright). We didn't think this was ideal as that meant getting to Nha Trang 12hours earlier and we hoped to sleep overnight on the way. There was no other choice for that day though, so we took it.

Wow!! What a day this turned out to be......Up early with breakfast done we jumped in the taxi to get to the pick up point for 8am. Driving down the busy streets the taxi boot opened and both our backpacks rolled out the back of the moving taxi, aggghhhh STOOOPPPPP!!! The driver was totally unaware so only stopped a short distance after we said stop. He was lucky they didn't wipe out some people on mopeds. Didn't know wether to laugh or growl so did a bit of both haha!
Got there on time to be told the bus was running late, first it was 9:30 then it was going to be 10am, amazeballs! Becky fancied a coffee and i fancied a WC break sonwe crossed the road an headed i to a coffee shop, as Becky waited for her cappacino I noticed a gent behind me on his laptop, his face began to tremor, I thought it may have been a twitch so didn't want to stare and looked away. Something made me feel concerned so to a look back to make sure it was just a twitch, but his whole body had began to shake. He slowly started sliding down and off the couch. I ran round to see if he was ok but he wasn't responding and fell off the couch onto his chest. I caught his head and asked for some help to move him in to a safer position as little old me didn't have the strength to keep hold of his head and move him over on my own. i figured by this point he was having an epileptic fit. we told everyone to give him some space and let him ride it out. He came round and i just spoke to him calmly and light heartedly, confirming he was epileptic and saying how i bet he was tired out after all that, he nodded his head and was helped back onto the couch to rest. We stayed and watched over him for a while but didnt want to make a big fuss over him so once he was up and back with it we left the shop and crossed back over to the pick up point.
After waiting 2hours the sleeper bus arrived, we were hurried on and pretty much had the extra bus all to ourselves bar another 6 people. As soon as we stepped on rhe bus shot off, rocking in wvery possible dorection, up, down, left, right - this was going to be a bumpy ride, only 12 hours to go!! Becky looked at me and we both had the same look on our face, "what the hell have we signed ourselves up for here!?JEEZ!!" I dished out the travel sickness tablets and took my place on the bus, this was going to be fun!
I kid you not the tank of a bus overtook every single vehicle it caught up to, joining the oncoming traffic lane, missing each vehicle including (HGVs and coaches alike) by milliseconds. I decided that the best tactic to not have a heart attack was to not look and just let the driver do his 'thang', so earphones in, music on, lie back and most importantly of all, prey! To pass time on the 12hour life risking journey (yes probably a slight over exaggeration but that's only because this is the complete and utter norm for the Vietnamese) I took in the sights and scenery. Thank god for those travel sickness tablets that's all I have to say ha! Xx