Living in Hoi An, Vietnam

Our last few posts have had one thing in common… Hoi An, Vietnam. This city was our home base from November 2019 to February 2020; this post is dedicated to the time we spent there.

Traveling from place to place allows you to see and do a ton of cool things (look back at our other posts for proof); but slowing down and living somewhere allows for a deeper understanding of a country and their people.

Daily life in Hoi An…

Our daily routine consisted of biking to the neighborhood banh mi stall, teaching English from home, and jogs through the rice patties. Our favorite breakfast stop was Nhi’s Pancake House, where we would eat delicious pho and chat with our friend Nhi. Tatum loved biking to the local market and buying fruits, vegetables, and beautiful bouquets of flowers (only 50 cents). In the evenings we strolled the lantern covered streets and enjoyed bowls of Cao Lao and banh xeo (shrimp pancakes… don’t knock um till you try um).

We loved living near the beach; being able to bike there at least a couple times a week to read, swim, get a massage and have a beer was ideal. To get there, we rode through the rice paddies, dodged water buffalo, and waved at the hard-working locals. Although mountains are still our favorite… the ocean is a close runner up.

To be honest it was not all rainbows and sunshine while we lived in Hoi An. The incessant honking particularly bothered Tatum. Her coping mechanism was hollering back at them; Corbin could hear her from a block away yelling “yeah, yeah, yeah I heard you the first time!” One thing we learned in Vietnam was there is no such thing as running a quick errand. Lastly, its really hard to work online when monthly “no-power” days are the norm. Our patience and perseverance were definitely tested while living in Vietnam.

One of our most memorable evenings was when Vietnam’s Men’s Soccer Team played the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games final. Throughout the day there were rowdy fans parading the streets. We headed downtown to watch the first half where they had set up a projector so everyone on the street could watch. We sat and shared beers with some locals that didn’t speak any English… but that didn’t matter, all that mattered was that we cheered for Vietnam. For the second half we wanted a more local feel and head to a café near our house to watch with some neighbors. They gave us snacks and beers while saying “long as Vietnam win you no pay.” We enjoyed cheering, jeering, and sharing beers as we watched Vietnam to victory. Corbin even indulged in a cigarette when an elderly Vietnamese man offered him one, he didn’t want to be rude! No kisses from Tatum that night.

One of our favorite activities was hiking Marble Mountain (one of the only places you can hike in Asia.) As we hiked the stairs toward the top, we passed temples, shines, caves and of course a few Buddhas. Once at the top you can see the entire coastline from Da Nang to Hoi An.

Satisfied with how much of Southeast Asia we had explored, we looked forward to a different type of adventure. We wouldn’t change a single thing about the Asian portion of our trip. It was exciting, frustrating, comical, and overall, absolutely incredible. The stunning landscapes and beautiful people have left a lasting impression on the two of us. Asia cannot keep us away for long, we will be back to explore it all again.

But for now… Europe prepare yourself.

With Love,

Boots Abroad

Corbin’s

Highs: Having Nhi teach us about the Vietnamese culture, being close to the beach, playing soccer with the neighborhood boys

Lows: Riding bikes with flat tires most the time, having the neighborhood dogs designate our yard as the shitter

Tatum’s

Highs: Strolling the streets, blogging at the brewery, beach time, lunch w/ Nhi’s family, & daily trips to the market.

Lows: Trying to buy malaria pills, honking, huge rats everywhere!