Author: Silke

The night train journey went without any special incidents. Shortly after 6:00 a.m. we marched from the train station towards the city. From about 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. we sat at HighlandCoffee and booked the next few days on the internet. Then we checked in at the hostel "Willhome" in District 1 and took a shower. The hostel is a bit hidden in the backyard, so it's a little quieter. We have a large room on the third floor with balcony. On a walk through the city we could get a first impression of Saigon. Lots of traffic, dirt and huge construction sites, where a subway is supposed to run. Of course, there are also pretty little oases, cafés and lots of flowers. The BénTh on Market in the centre of HCMC offers a huge swarming of different goods. There are, among other things, clothes, souvenirs, dried fish, fruit, snakes in liquor, scorpions, … .

Right next door was a great street food market, where we ate delicious. For Reiner, there was a shrimp and pork-filled bnhXe' (Vietnamese pancake fried in wok). For me, rice rolls grilled in banana leaves and coconut milk sauce, grilled in banana leaves.

At the end of the day we were still with a "Saigon" (beer) on the roof terrace of our hostel and enjoyed the view.

Silke

This morning we had breakfast together with Mio and Julian and tried some Dorian/Stinkfruit fruit! Last night in HoiAn I couldn't stand again and bought a fist-sized piece of flesh at a street stall.

The smell is really very intense (through two layers of plastic!) and it was almost unpleasant to get into the grave car. The pulp resembles the appearance of scrambled eggs and tastes (similar to the jackfruit) of very ripe bananas. In the fruit salad quite delicious. Mio knew it from her childhood because she has Vietnamese roots. It was a new experience for Julian as it was for us. With them we talked about working and living abroad and vegan or especially industrial sugar-free diets during the week. This should receive much more attention and is Mio's matter to the heart. She maintains the following blog: freemii.de…. Sugar-free.

Then we said goodbye to HoiAn. For the two digital nomads, the next change of location is imminent, to Germany and Thailand.

Now we are sitting in the Reunification Express SE1 towards HoChiMin City. This time again in the 4-bed sleeping car.

Silke

Today we went swimming a little further into the sea. A few restaurants offer beach chairs directly on the water for consumption. Unfortunately, the coconut was warm and did not taste good. Around noon, the fishermen arrived with their round basket boats. The catch was unloaded in styrofoam boxes and the boats were brought ashore. The boats look like big wok's and are controlled by a paddle. Traditionally, the round boats were created here to save taxes. Floating baskets were not considered a fishing boat.

In the evening we were again at Karma Waters Essen and then walked through the night HoiAn. A sea of lanterns, colourful and cheerful.

 

By the way, we ordered a "grave" via app. This is a kind of taxi, but you can also hire a scooter driver or have food delivered. Works very well, we only waited 3-5 minutes at a time, the app shows beforehand how much the trip costs and which driver comes with which license plate. For comparison: with a normal taxi, the same route cost 70000 VDN, with the grave 58000 VDN.

Silke

Last night and this morning we had a funny conversation with Franziska & Adrian from Berlin, We had met her a few days ago in HoiAn before Kimmys at the ATM and recommended our Garden Aroma Homestay. Her first accommodation in HoiAn was not so good. After breakfast, they headed for North Vietnam.

At 10:00 I picked up my second bikini at "Happy".At lunchtime we made ourselves a delicious fruit salad in the Sharing – CoffeeBar (community kitchen) of our homestay. With mango, apple, banana, kiwi and jackfruit. The latter looks like a hedgehog, grows on trees (type of breadfruit), is yellow-green and inside is the soft yellow edible flesh chestnut-shaped arranged around a white fiber strand with well-soluble cores. The jackfruit can weigh 5-20 kg. It spreads unopened a peculiar unpleasant smell, which becomes stronger depending on the degree of maturity and reminds of a stink fruit. Stinkfruit / Dorian looks almost the same as the jackfruit, but has spines. The taste of the jackfruit goes towards sweet banana! If it is not yet as ripe, the pulp can be fried as a meat substitute or prepared like vegetables. The seeds are cooked, roasted (like chestnuts) or processed into flour edible.

After noon we were on the beach (testing the bikini). In the evening we went to the big restaurant of our hostel "Full Moon". Pretty ambience, a little more chic, you sit in the garden directly on the water with colorful lanterns. The curry was delicious. At the same time with us a busload of about 100 Koreans was served.

Silke

Have a pool day today and done a bit of research, done hotel reviews, sorted photos and booked train tickets. In the meantime I went to my seamstress again and ordered another bikini. Relaxed pure!

Photo: 4:30 p.m. School closing time in HoiAn.

Now we sit together a little bit in the garden.

Silke

Quite spontaneously I had swimming suits sewn. A long-sleeved shirt, a skirt and a bikini. Worked great, picked in the morning in the tailorshop "Vui Vé Happy" and measured out, picked up in the evening! One, two small changes and everything was great. Reiner's business clothes were just as fancy as we had imagined. All corrections such as a shorter zipper or other coloured buttons were implemented well. "Good Shipping!" for our shopping!

At 30 degrees and little clouds we were still an hour on the beach in between! Which is really nice lyclean here.

We also like it so much here that we have extended our stay by a few days. In the evening after the rehearsals we went to the restaurant "Karma Waters". This time there were carrot sprouts, wraps with bean curry and sweet potato pommes and fresh mango smoothie.

Silke

Today we decided to let this day go very quietly. After breakfast Reiner enjoyed a head, back and foot massage in the adjacent massage parlour and I relaxed by the pool.

After a midday sleep we went to the beach and dived once in the waves. At 6 p.m., Reiner had the 1st Dressing up at Kimmy. The things were almost ready and already look really good.

In the evening we were eating delicious in a vegan restaurant "Karma Waters".

Silke

We had a good breakfast in the nice company of a young German couple who are on the road as "digital nomads", i.e. working all over the world on the go. Then we grabbed the wheels and cycled towards Alstadt. Our goal was the tailoring Kimmy. HoiAn is known for its custom-made tailoring, among other things, and so we had to try it out. Although we originally only wanted to buy a few shirts, we added a pair of trousers and a coat. The whole thing is sewn within 3 days and is then to be shipped to Germany. Will probably be 2-3 months on the road.

Afterwards we walked through the pretty old town. Small narrow streets with wooden facades, colourful shops and restaurants, lampignons, flowers and many canals with bridges characterize the cityscape. We saw women in a shop covering colorful silk.

You can be sledged around in a fishing boat like in a gondola and colorful paper lights. A nightmarket was set up and countless colourful lampignons lit up the alleys. Street food stalls invited you to snack. We drank e.B. from a fresh coconut, banana pancake and delicious mango. Then we cycled back into our hotel with our bikes (without light).

Silke