Cooking class

Our first full day in Hoi An.  The fishermen are out and about early here, we can hear boats putt putting past at 4:00.  I think they are actually coming in at that time, bringing their catch to the market.  We had breakfast at the resort, then walked into old town to the meeting place for the cooking class.  Our information must have been slightly wrong, as they told us we were 20 minutes early.  Two other ladies were also there so we walked a few streets with them then were offered coffees until it was time to go.  We were a group of six, lead by this very entertaining fellow from the cooking school.  He took us to the Hoi An market, stopping at several locations to explain things like Vietnamese spices, utensils, fruits, vegetables, and then it was into the meat market for similar explanations on what to look for in your meat, fish, and seafood.  These markets are fascinating places, with sights and sounds that you just have to experience.

The meat market

Many many different types of eggs

The fish section

 

One of the interesting faces from the market

After the market, we all boarded a boat and went up the shoreline for maybe a kilometre where we got out and entered the property of the Redbridge cooking school.  Nice setup that they have.  Cooking classes are big business here and these guys are doing well at it.  The class was a blast, our guide was not the main instructor, but he was one of the main assistants.  Both he and the woman who lead the class had great senses of humour.  We made Hoi An pancakes, which were thin crispy pancakes that you filled with herbs, shrimp, sprouts, etc, then wrapped all tht in rice paper and dipped in peanut sauce.  Also made a seafood salad, some fresh rice paper shrimp rolls (including making the rice paper), and an eggplant in clay pot dish.  We had a lesson in making a decorative cucumber fan and a tomato rose.  This was all followed by a lunch that included the eggplant dish and some others prepared by the school/restaurant (we had already eaten everything else)  The whole thing took about five hours and at the end we took the boat back to the market.  On the boat ride back we slowed down to watch a fisherman cast his net a few times and bring in a few very small fish.  Of course he quickly made his way over to our boat to see if a few donations would be made for the show.
We did a bit of shopping on the way back, the prices for merchandise and clothing here are just crazy low.  I'm not sure how the system survives actually.  After we got back to the resort I remembered that I was going to stop in at a photographers to book a tour with him.  His office is right beside the market, so after a beer on the deck I hiked back again.  The girl in the office told me there would not be a tour tomorrow and she did not know about Thursday.  She asked me to email him.....so much for that hike. 
Back on the deck where I apparently napped for an hour.  At 4:00 we went out onto the grounds here where they have some free local food sampling every day, plus a few crafts.  No need for appetizers tonight.  Right after we got there Eileen looked up and there were the four Colorado nurses from the Halong Bay trip.  We spent the next 45 minutes talking it up with them, they are catching a ride to Danang tonight and flying home tomorrow.
Another good supper, heavy on the seafood, another pair of silk pants for Eileen ($4 tonight though), and then back home.  Tomorrow I think we're going to see what the beach is like.  It's a few km away, we just haven't decided if we're going to get bicycles or cab it. 
I have a few more pictures to add to this post, but I seem to have reached a limit.