Vietnam - Hoi An markets

Tuesday 7th April and we packed and said goodbye to Ho Chi Minh City.  We flew to Danang, and transferred to Hoi An - an ancient trading town and Unesco World Heritage Site, listed since 1999:  http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/948.

We stayed at the lovely 'Green Heaven Resort' hotel, and it was lovely.  Unfortunately for us our itinerary only had us staying one night here, which was a shame, it would have been ideal to stay another night.

our two children enjoyed having the pick of three beds in their room!

the lovely pool - which the children enjoyed that evening and I enjoyed the next morning at 7.15am!

We dropped our bags in our rooms, freshened up, and then met our new guide - Phong.  He took us to the cookery school where we'd signed up for a private cookery class.  The Red Bridge Cookery School  http://www.visithoian.com/redbridge/  runs classes year round, but if you're travelling independently you'll join a class of up to 20 participants.  We were a group of 8, which made for an indulgent and very enjoyable experience.

signs to catch the independent traveller - laundry and motorbikes!

crossing over to Hoi An - ancient town

Our guide and tutor was called Tan.  She met us in their cafe in Hoi An town and proceeded to conduct us on a tour of the food markets.  However, this was mid-afternoon by now, and the hum of the markets had died down somewhat in the heat of the day.  The markets are at their busiest and freshest at 4am-5am, so that may be something to consider if you're tempted to go yourself...

ancient town roof tiles, and wires!

the start of the food halls....

the first hall was full of independent stalls which you could sit and eat at, or take away, this one does Vietnamese omelettes...

our food hygiene inspectors would probably close the place down...

We passed the fruit and vegetable and sundries market stalls next...

it took me a while to work out that this noodle stall-holder was having a siesta

Tan, showing us some coconuts

Tan took us to the meat market, which having no refrigeration was past its best.  The animals are slaughtered at 3am, butchered and ready for sale at 4am.  By the time we got there the prices had come down, but the meat smelled quite high....

inside the meat halls

I'd love know how old this meat hall lady was

nicely displayed veg stall - very colourful and no prices

how many eggs?

The smell in the fish market wasn't much better than the meat halls.  At least the cool tile surfaces were put to good use here - the stallholders were mostly napping at this time of the day.

prawns and stallholder with some money - she doesn't look too thrilled by it

of course you ride your scooter IN the market hall

I counted 5 stallholders having a nap...

yes, durian fruit (pooey smell), dragon fruit (red spikey cricket ball sized ones near the lady, yum, white inside with lots of black dots for seeds, Phoebe didn't think they were real, was certain they were Photoshopped!) and can't remember the small red spikey ones at the front - a bit like lychee

We got to the boat to take us up river to the cookery school at around 3pm.  It had been another intense sensory experience thus far, with LOTS to see, lots to smell, different sounds, and the hot hot hot weather - about 34 centigrade.  The boat ride was a welcome interlude before the cookery lesson began.

Will continue with that next time - as work tomorrow, and I'm creaky from spending Bank Holiday Monday in the garden  :)

Kat.