Today I got a real taste of Vietnamese culture in an active day of touring. We started by visiting a farmers market in the town of Hoi An. The streets were bustling with activity as we strolled down the streets of the market.
We saw the locals bartering to take home the freshest produce for their families.
Our group of American travel agents were a curiosity to the merchants – they readily allowed us to handle their produce and engage in bartering for goods.
The motorcycle culture I observed in Ho Chi Minh City was present again in Hoi An – this time I had an up close and personal view as we dodged the cycles when walking the streets of the market.
This little girl on the back of her Mom’s cycle wondered who these strange looking American tourists were.
Our tour of the market was to prepare us for a cooking class at Brother’s Cafe. Here a local chef instructed us in how to cook a 3 course meal.
For an American whose cooking skills back home consists mainly of microwaving frozen dinners, this was a challenge! You can tell by the look on my face, “can you believe I’m doing this?”
Under the guidance of our veteran vietnamese chef my lunch actually turned out to be good! Pictured below is me with my spring roll creation. I also cooked a vietnamese pancake and an eggplant dish. I was a bit apprehensive about this cooking lesson but it turned out much better than I thought, and gave me a new appreciation for the vietnamese cuisine.
After lunch we had some free time to explore the town, before heading to another active project – lantern making! A visit to a lantern factory where we each put together a lantern to take home was fun (the picture below shows my lantern creation)
It was a hot day with temperatures close to 100 degrees. The coastal town of Hoi An also had its share of humidity. While the active day of outside touring was stimulating, it was a relief to return to the beauty of our hotel – the Sunrise Hoi An Resort on the shores of the East China Sea – for a quiet evening. I loved the view out my window:
Tomorrow we take a morning flight to Hanoi for another day of touring. I continue to enjoy this trip and the impressions of another culture it is giving me far different than my own.
