Moving to Hoi An

Got scammed today.

I went to the train station to catch the train to Danang. From there I had to take a bus to Hoi An. I met the English couple from the boat trip the day before, and he told me that he had bought a ticket for the bus from Danang to Hoi An, from a "travel agent" at the train station. I decided to do the same. Well, lo and behold when we got to Hoi An, no bus showed up. The thing that irritated me the most was that a taxi driver approached us and told us no bus will arrive, but he will drive us the Hoi An for 18 dollars. We waited for 20 minutes for the bus, and then hired another driver for 13 dollars.
The reason I took the train was that, according to the guide book, the train went along the coast over the "Sea Cloud" Pass, and the scenery was "spectacular". Let me say that was a great illusion. If this scenery was a "10" the Via Rail trip through the Rockies would be "1000".
There was one great thing though; once you do cross those mountains the climate and country is totally different. We arrived in Hoi An to clear skies, sunny weather, much less humidity, but still hot. Everything is different. The roads are actually 4 lane and straight. Hoi An is, in Vietnamese standards, very clean. It is actually a clean, pretty town.
It is a very old city, and tourism has encouraged a lot of renovations. It was a pleasure to walk around in pleasant circumstances.
Nothing is perfect in Vietnam though. Hoi An is the "tailor" capitol of the world. There are several hundred (I kid you not) tailor shops. You can't walk 4 feet without someone asking you "Where you from". Once you answer they follow you. The deals are great; a custom made silk dress for 35 dollars. There is a least one scarf for every person in Canada in Hoi An. The tailor shops are a gamble. I talked to an American woman in Hue who had ordered a dress, and when she came in for a fitting, nothing did. She went back 3 more times, and finally took what she had and left. But some shops are very reputable. I didn't buy any dresses, nothing in my colours, but I am shopping like a drunk sailor. I had to buy a second piece of luggage last night, so that all the stuff I bought would fit. I am ready to open a Vietnamese Import Store in Hamilton.
Till tomorrow
Ralf