Day 5 Hoi An
It is another rainy day in Hoi An.
First up this morning I asked the Homestay Mama to recommend where I could get my eyebrows tinted.
The homestay mothers sister took me to the beauty salon on her motor scooter. I am actually unsure if it is her sister but she refers to her children as nieces so there must be some family connection.
They tried to sell me everything at the salon including getting my eyebrows (3000000 vnd) and lips (5000000 vnd) tattooed. They seem like good prices but I am supposed to be budget travelling and just not what I need today. The ladies assured me that both would make me much more beautiful.
The homestay Mama said that it should cost me 100000 vnd to get my brows done but it ended up costing 350000 vnd which is still cheap by Australian standards. I should have got a price before they started … my bad.
I was hungry when I got home and Homestay Mama was preparing some noodles and broth with fresh vegetables from her garden. It was accompanied with a small healthy smoothie too.
The homestay mama has a vegetable garden across the road, pretty much just on the footpath. Just goes to show what you can do with a few recycled containers and someone else’s road frontage. She tends this garden every day and picks fresh vegetables for the house.
In the early evening I walked into Hoi An Old Town via the markets I had been to the other day. I was not sure if the same lady would be there as it was morning last time I went and now about 6pm. She was there.
Her back is arched and she can not stand up straight. She seems to be comfortable when at right angles but erects herself a little as people approach her.
The weather was better in Hoi An tonight and I managed to get some better photos.
This liquor store had a food market attached and had a really good variety of international beverages. I had a look but I am happy paying 110000 vnd $6.70 Aud for 700 ml of locally made vodka. Just putting it here in case anyone is looking for something in particular. I reckon that if you want it … they got it.
I must say here too that I have had no problems getting Diet Coke here … unlike Mui Ne where I walked for miles and found nothing. Most people didn’t even know what I was talking about … I use Google translate a lot when shopping.
I came across this Bahn Mi store and I thought that I would get one to take home so that I did not have to worry about getting dinner. This the Bahn Mi store where Anthony Bourdain ate and raved about when he was here. I love Anthony Bourdain and feel sad that he is no longer with us.
Anyway I decided that it was just too busy with many people waiting.
Maybe a good thing because this is the place where many people got food poisoning and some even died in September last year. Hopefully they have sorted out their issues now and it is good to see that business is booming again. I feel safe eating at somewhere like this because I feel that they will have learned a valuable lesson.
I walked home from town … I had intended getting a grab at some stage but one step led to another.
I passed a nice flower shop and a local men’s bar.
Some streets were very quiet and I wondered if I should have been walking them at night.
Though the area I am staying in appears quiet in the day there are many clubs and karaoke bars that appear at night.
When I got home I ordered a grab food delivery and just by coincidence it was from Banh Mi Phuong. Was a very reasonable price 35000 vnd $2.16 Aud, very yummy and I survived. I will definately eat there again.
