After passing through Danang on the bus down to Hoi Ann we were actually pleased that we had got off in Hue as there was more to do there, people just tend to pass through Danang i think. After sleeping past midday again after our bus journey we headed into the town for a walk around. We had a look around the Citadel and local markets and the next morning took a bike/taxi to the Notre Dame Cathedral before catching our lunchtime bus down to Hoi Ann.

Thank god for lovely little Hoi Ann! It`s such a qaint little place with bundles of charm. We arrived at about 6pm in the evening and after finding a place to sleep, headed straight out for dinner and the famous tailors shops! Naturally we walked ten steps before we were accosted by a young girl who wanted to take us to her familys` tailor shop. Enter Toi- the craziest, funniest, most loveable person we have met since leaving Australia. At first we explained to Toi that we needed to fill our bellies with food first and said that if she could find us later then we would have a look in her shop. Low and behold as soon as we walked out of the restaurant she was waiting for us- surprise surprise! So we were carted off to her familys` tailor shop but we didn`t mind as Toi was great and getting tailored clothes was exactly what we had come to Hoi Ann for so why not follow her?!

The whole family was there sitting around the table where we were shown seats, given cold water, fruit and half of Toi`s dinner! Then all the magazines and catalogues came pouring out. We were given cards to mark the pages on which we liked stuff and i think i started out with about 20 marked pages! After about an hour we both settled on a winter coat, suit and shirts each. I got a jacket, shirt, suit trousers, skirt and coat all for about 90 pounds and at home the coat alone would probably cost that. They even drove us back to our hotel afterwards so we wouldn`t have to walk back in the dark.

Today the sun shone for us! We spent the morning wandering around the old town of Hoi Ann and then went back to the shop in the afternoon to try on our clothes.  Everything fitted P-J perfectly and he looked very handsome in his suit! I think they had underestimated what a shortie i am so i decided to get my trousers taken up about an inch and my coat made shorter but other than that the clothes were beautifully made and we are both so happy with them. Toi insisted on buying us lunch and got us to try lots of different Vietnamese food. The whole family was so welcoming. They are even going to take us to visit the marble mountains tomorrow for less than half the price of the hotel tours. So Toi`s family have finally restored my faith in the people of Vietnam! Instead of just taking our money they made us feel like old friends! Toi even wanted to have dinner with us tonight but then she said 8pm was too late for her to eat! I will be sad to leave Hoi Ann tomorrow night. It has been a welcome break from the madness of the big towns and the people certainly seem to smile a lot more down here.