Arriving in Hoi An, one of the most noticeable things is the amount of tailors- and this is what the town is famous for. You can get anything made, however you want it. I clearly had to partake in this!

After checking into our hotel, Elaine and I headed down the streets to find a tailor that would deliver what we wanted, for a high standard and low price. We got sidetracked and ended up having some boots made first! Catalogue after catalogue was brought out for us to flick through and choose our design. There were pages from Next, Schuh and then random magazine pages. Once a design was found we were able to alter it as necessary and then had to choose the leather. Again piles of leather were brought out to choose from. Given the fact that in the UK I am unable to find boots to fit me, I was gullible enough to decide to get some made for about half the cost of what it would be in England. Design and leather chosen, we paid and left the guy to make the boots with the promise they would be ready the next day.

Wandering down we got pulled into a tailors shop, and were literally stuck there all afternoon choosing what to have made, in what style and material. It was just amazing and I felt like I was in wonderland. It was like having your very own personal designer. The hardest thing was choosing when to stop. With 2 dresses and a pair of trousers promised to be made again by the next day, we finally left the shops.

To prevent being sucked into buying any more, we hired 2 bikes and wobbled down to the beach. Cycling in mad traffic was not easy but it we eventually made the 5km to the most stunning sight. White sands, surrounded by palm trees and across the sea towering mountains. To get to the beach we cycled past a lazy, winding river escorted by palm trees. In between you could see traditional housing and people working the fields. With the sun shining it was paradise. We were able to have lunch at a café overhanging the river the next day which just added to the experience. Hoi An in particular showed the French influence. Sat out at night I had the feeling I was in the French Riviera with farmhouse style houses slightly dilapidated, overlooking a stunning river. Vietnam countryside has been a constant surprise and this was no exception. A beautiful country.

After seeing the sunset we tootled back into town, stopping along the way at a beauty parlour. This was hilarious. I got a pedicure done and Elaine got her legs waxed. It took two and a half hours!! They tried hard but I have no idea how it took so long.

The next day we went to get our clothes. After a few alterations they looked amazing. Well worth the money. The boots however, were a different story. The guy had used different and cheaper leather, to what we had asked for. When we complained he went mad. He started yelling at us (in Vietnamese) and burning the leather to show it was real. Realising we were not going to get anywhere we had to take the boots and leave. Elaine had also had issues at the hotel with some clothing put in to wash not coming back. The hotel only laughed when she complained. More out of frustration and having to feel the need to get somewhere, we decided to go to the police station to make a report. The policeman first of all laughed, then put his fingers in his ears (literally) before finally writing on a piece of paper to come back later with a translator. This maybe their way of communicating but it just added to the frustration. Vietnam customer service does not equate to western customer service. Luckily for us we had found the local wine from Dalat and invested in nearly 2 crates over the couple of days we were there.

Hoi An was an interesting experience and showed that whilst the country was lovely, the people are not so helpful! The cultures between here and west are different. The impact of war may also explain attitudes.