Cookery School in Hoi An

First we should tell you that the previous post now has a couple of photographs to illustrate it.

Although our hotel in Hoi An was a very good one, it was very noisy during the night with a tour group arriving at 1.00a.m. and phones ringing at 6.00a.m., never mind the school next door starting at 6.30. Norma was O.K. because of ear plugs but most folk didn't have a good night's sleep. However after a splendid breakfast we set off on a walking tour of the town.

First stop was the market, particularly the fish and vegetables. As our guide said, no one shops in the supermarket and there are daily visits to the market to buy essentials. It was a wonderful experience of sounds, smells, and of course photo opportunities.

There are about 20 old houses to visit and they sell tickets in 5's. We saw a couple of houses still lived in by families, the Hoi An museum, an ancient bridge and a Chinese temple. The shopping opportunities were plentiful. The town is known for silk, pottery and lantern making. A few purchases were made and the bags must be getting heavier by now.

We had the afternoon free to look around on our own, take more photographs, including one with a couple of old ladies selling bananas. It looked for a moment as if Norma would have a new career in the fruit business. That is not a banana stuffed in her mouth.

The highlight of the day was setting off for an evening meal which we were to cook ourselves with the help of our Vietnamese chef. He provided the ingredients, the implements and a running commentary as we attempted to cook a chicken salad Vietnamese style, spring rolls, grilled fish, crispy wontons, and other delicacies. It was great fun as we took it in turns trying to manoeuvre the spring rolls in a wok with giant chopsticks. We all felt we had learned something and enjoyed the meal as well.

It was another early night as we had a long day of travel ahead.