ILMINSTER NEWS: The world really is a small place – just ask these two Ilminster lads!

ILMINSTER has a population of just 5,800 residents and is 5,860 miles away from Vietnam and you’d think that the chance of two people from the tiny South Somerset town, who were strangers, bumping into each other on a remote beach in the Asian country would be very unlikely. Well, best you think again……

Adam Haimes, 28, of Ilminster, is currently over in Vietnam teaching English in Hanoi and it was on a trip to the beautiful remote Cat Ba Island, where there were no more than 100 people, when the amazing encounter took place.

“It was last weekend and I was at a pretty remote small hostel called the Woodstock Beach Hostel when it was pointed out to me that this lad lying in a hammock was from Somerset,” said Adam.

“I went over to him and he introduced himself as James Bailey and that he came from Ilminster. You can just imagine what I said.

PHOTO - RIGHT: James Bailey (left) and Adam Haimes after their amazing meeting in Vietnam.

“I think my jaw hit the floor at first, but then we had a long conversation, a lot of beers and talked about lots of things like the bars back home such as the Royal Oak and The Shed!”

James, 22, is currently travelling around South East Asia and will stay with Adam when he is in Hanoi.

“We were both really astonished to find out we both came from Ilminster,” said Adam. “We didn’t know each other at all beforehand, although when we started chatting we soon realised we had lots of mutual friends.

“It really does make you think that the world we live in really is a small place.”

Adam has been in Vietnam for the past three months and is planning on staying there until May next year.

“It’s an amazing country and tourism is up by 30 per cent this year alone,” he said. “It is an incredible country and I’m having a fantastic time, but I do miss my lovely friends and family.”

PHOTO - ABOVE: The Woodstock Beach Hostel in Vietnam where the two Ilminster lads met.

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