Today - 29 March
Last evening we did not make it into town. It started pouring rain and we decided to stay at the hotel and have our dinner. The restaurant had Indian buffet which was good.
Today we started out at 9:00a with a quick ride into Hoi An and we started walking through the fresh food and fish market. This was quite a scene for our senses as there was every type of fruit, vegetable, eggs and fresh meat. When I say fresh meat, the vendors had just killed the chickens or ducks this morning. There were live ducks for sale as well.
There were also a lot of fresh flowers for sale. Mostly chyrsanthemums and marigolds.
We walked towards the pier where we picked up a small boat for a short trip along the river to the village of Kim Bong. We picked up our bikes and another guide for a leisurely ride through the countryside stopping for visits to different homes where they make straw mats, bamboo boats, rice noodles. I got to make the rice noodles, which takes some coordination as they have two steamers going at the same time and it all has to be timed.
We then continued on our bikes and ended up at a home where there was what they call an anniversary celebration of the dead. Each household celebrates once per year the death of ancestors - all of them at a time. This household was of the master carpenter of the village so it was quite special.
There were several generations of the family and they were honoring the death of the grandfather and grandmother of the father of the house. We were invited to stay for a meal and we declined as the flies were all over the food even though they tried to keep them away.
Instead we opted to have some tea so that we would not appear to be rude. We had tea and then the mother of the house and other grandmother started bringing all sorts of treats. We ate a little of everything - hoping that we won't get ill from it!!
We then returned to where we picked up the bikes and were taken to some shops behind the building and felt that we had to buy something. We each bought a little wooden box and then were taken to about 4 more shops where the bike guide was trying to get us to buy something from each shop. We declined after the first purchase.
Karel and I just came back from a special foot and hand massage which was quite nice and relaxing.
It is still cloudy and humid and a bit gloomy. We will meet up with Mike and Nina at 6:00p to catch the hotel shuttle into Hoi An for the lunar festivities and for dinner.
We will be getting up early tomorrow to catch the 8:00a flight to Saigon. We will be picked up at the airport, taken to our hotel and then we have an excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels.
We'll report back to you tomorrow!
Deb & Karel
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