Hội An, Vietnam
Our stay in Hội An offered the three of us a welcome chance to slow down, take long walks along the waterways and through markets, ride bikes on the chaotic streets and back country roads along the rice paddies, learn to cook a few local delicacies, shop for the famously colorful silk lanterns that make nights there so magical, and also spend a bit too much on custom tailored clothing (another notable specialty of Hội An). Arriving at our hotel we were very pleasantly surprised to find out that our “family room” was, in fact, a spacious two bedroom suite with high ceilings and separate entrances opening to both a beautifully landscaped patio and the surprisingly tranquil pool area.
One of the biggest highlights of our time in Hội An was the surprising fun we all had during an evening cooking class that started with a very busy and touristic trip on a “traditional” round fishing basket boat with what seemed like a thousand other people. Gabriel started off visibly annoyed with the boat part, but Oliver and Katharina managed to make it fun for all, especially when given a brief opportunity to turn away from the crowds and attempt to catch crabs, with baited hooks, in the roots of the water palms. Arriving by boat at a covered dock, we found ourselves stepping up onto our open air kitchen for our evening’s class. We all had a blast learning everything from milling rice into flour for making rice paper to flash frying beef with flames shooting into our faces (a real favorite first experience for Oliver!) for Vietnamese Beef Salad (sort of like green papaya salad, but with beef instead). We left with full bellies, a new friend or two, and an enchanting walk along the covered wooden walkways over water, adorned with an array of colorfully lit silk lanterns to guide the way.
It wasn’t until our last full day in Hội An that we discovered how wonderful the beach and surf were, only a short bike ride outside of town, at An Bang beach. We had a lovely sunny day, spending hours body surfing the mellow waves and enjoying sensational food while relaxing to the simple and stunning beauty of our surroundings. After three days of settling down (as best we have so far…) it was with a mixture of wishing for more time at the beach with an excitement for our next adventure that we packed up once again and made our way to Da Nang for a flight to Da Lat, via a brief layover in Ho Chi Minh. So long Northern Vietnam, we’ve loved our time and will definitely return for future explorations!
