Fairly uneventful day. Took leave of our friends at thye Canary Hotel and taxi'd to Hue station. Sweaty wait for a late train, this time Reunification Express 2 running an hour late. The trip between Hue and Danang is listed as one of the great train journeys as the line follows the coast line closely and drills through a few mountains. Unfortunately the windows of the carriage were so dirt begrimed it was hard to appreciate the view. My few tawdry photo's show that quite well I think. We had a soft sleeper all to ourselves thanks to Tru at the Canary Hotel. Pronounced Tree by the way, his name not the hotel, that is pronounced Cannery.
Thanks to my friend My Le from Hoi An we were met at the station by a man holding up a sign LesPitAustralia and were driven regally in a Chev Cruze to Hoi An . Unfortunately I had stuffed up the booking again according to My Le and got a couple of raps on the forehead from her for doing so. You know you have friends when they can slap your forehead and get away with it. So I was booked into Huy An at $38 a night and Montreal Johnnie into Huy Hoang for $29 a night and he gets a room with a balcony right on the riverside. I had booked it for him via Agoda and the modest room I booked wasn't available so they upgraded him. 
I met him at his hotel and we received instructions from the lovely concierge warning us about the tailors and others at the market so we walked to the market to find the tailor she recommended. The first tailor we saw grabbed Johnnies arm and that was it. Goodbye Johnnie. I had told him never to go into a shop as you won't get out unskinned. So we were led a dance through a warren of tailors to the womans shop. One shirt for $25 or 5 for $100. I told him to get one and if he liked it come back and get more. So we escaped, almost. One of the onlookers in the shop was a shoe salesgirl and she had her talons into Johnnie. She led us through the market chatting at pace til we got to her shop. I'll give it to Johnnie, he said he would look and that's what he did. While he was looking she had us both married off to various women and had patted my stomach and said Happy Buddha 3 times and compared my boobs with her mothers. Johnnie was standing talking and they slipped cardboard under his feet and taken his shoe size before he knew it . He kept saying I said I would look and that's what I'm doing. I walked off and called from the street so he could get away. We left the market post haste and I told him he would have to buy a bigger backpack as he has bought 6 pairs of fake Raybans and 6 cigarette lighters already and now shirts.

 We go to a cafe near the market, those who have been there will know the huge tree with the base painted white opposite. An Aussie was sitting there who had just moved to Vietnam and found a Vietnamese wife. He said, apropos of nothing " They (the women) are evil and will skin you alive". But he loved them despite that.
I went off to have my favourite food of all time, Cao Lau at the White Lotus which is run by an Australian guy, an ex serviceman who donates all the profits to Cambodian and Vietnamese children for education and health. The girls working there learn hospitality skills courtesy of the restaurant.
The Cao Lau was as I remembered, magnificent.
After I chatted to My Le about finding new cheaper rooms and tomorrow hiring 2 of her scooters to go around looking at places. Her daughter is working in an hotel here and will check also. 
Johnnie was knocked out by Hoi An especially with his room on the river although he only has it for 2 nights.
When I went back to my hotel I met another Aussie who had come over for his friends wedding. A guy of 50 or so and this was his first time out of Australia, Oh, he had gone to NZ on his honeymoon so second. While we were talking a truck drove by and an awful clattering and squealing started just down the street. We went and looked and saw about 20 pigs being unloaded and herded up and alleyway. Tomorrows dinner.
Postscript to the boom boom story. Walking through Hue you get approached by guys on motorbikes, "You want girl, you want girl, young girl" No No "How old you want 20? 22?" No No no thanks, "You want 25 year old? You tell me" I was getting a bit sick of it by now so I said " I want 60 year old". I left him with his mouth hanging open.
We may stay for 5 nights, suggestions appreciated.