This morning I woke up and got ready for a busy day ahead! I decided to take a long hot shower in the stone shower at our new hotel. It was fabulous. The water pressure was so much better at this hotel than the last one. I took a long time to get dressed and didn’t have time for breakfast!
We boarded our bus for our first adventure of the day. It seems that the rain is following us because it was slightly dreary. We stopped at a shop down the street to do laundry. The lady working only charges a small fee to do laundry and she will pick up and deliver it to the hotel. I didn’t choose to get any laundry done today, however I will probably get some done later in the week.
After that we went to the market in Hoi An. The market was so interesting. We split up into small groups and had a guide walk around the market with us. He explained each spice, fruit, vegetable and meat. He picked many to let us smell. I enjoyed seeing all the natural ingredients that were being sold in the market. He also told us that they begin to set up their stands around 2 or 3 am. I could not believe it! I was surprised to see how big some of the fruits and vegetables were. I would have thought that the pesticides and hormones used in American crops would cause them to be bigger, however it was just the opposite. Walking around in the meat section of the market, I noticed many people selling fish. I saw only a few selling chickens. Disturbingly, all the heads remained on most of these meats. I could only help but think that this is how markets were before grocery stores.
Next, we headed to a restaurant where we were going to cook our own Vietnamese meal. I was excited and expected to be the chef. I thought we would be buying ingredients from the market and then cooking them ourselves. When we arrived, we found out that we were simply helping the chef’s prepare food. It was still neat to learn how to do different things, even though we all had to take turns. We ate a few of our own dishes and then we were seated at the restaurant to have a more fulfilling lunch. I thought that everything was delicious.
We headed back into town to tour different ancient sites. We got to see the Japanese Covered Bridge, which displayed beautiful architecture. We were told that the bridge had to be taken somewhat apart every year during the rainy season so that it would not break when the waters rose. We also saw two Chinese temples and two merchant houses. Walking through and viewing all of these sites reminded me of what China may have been like 30 years ago. The restoration has been very minimal on many of these important sites. It appears dirty and ignored, however people are making attempts to restore it. I was surprised to learn that the Chinese temples and Merchant houses were built in the 16th and 17th century. We could see different watermarks from where the city had flooded. Apparently, the city of Hoi Ann floods often. The floodwaters will often be close to or over 2 meters. I couldn’t believe how easily the town could be washed away! I wish I had paid more attention to our tour guide during the tours. It was raining and cold and I was quite frankly ready to be back at the hotel and dry. It was hard to appreciate everything with such yucky weather!
Finally, we headed back to the hotel for dinner. I ate with most of the group at the hotel restaurant. I ordered a club sandwich, which actually turned out to be delicious. Many of the other students however did not prefer the food they ordered. After dinner, I was able to Skype John again. I value these short times when I get to Skype him. Although I know he is having a great experience in Spain, I already miss him a lot! Shortly after skyping, I headed to bed.
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