Day 6 Vietnam

Greetings my little rice noodles…….

Today has been a most relaxing day, free from tours, cooking and creativity – although we were both wide awake at 6.00am. (after a while it becomes habit forming!!)

By 6.30am the temperature was around mid 70’s and I was sitting outside admiring the views of the sea from our house.

Last night, we had dinner in the hotel – a very expensive experience but beautifully done. Our waiter – Dong (probably not his name, but easy to remember) came over with a large cigar looking box which he took great pride in opening…..inside were 6 different varieties of chop sticks. All similar in length and looked like they all did the same job – however we had to choose which pair we wanted to use!! You would think this would be easy but never having been given a choice, it was difficult to decide which pair!! One pair had Mother of Pearl tops, another had hand carvings, another round baubles on the top etc etc……faced with choice, it isn’t easy!! I wonder what would have happened if I had selected one from each category!!

My supper had lotus seeds in it, which are absolutely delicious, and not easily available (especially in Waitrose) so Dong is going to the market for me tomorrow to buy me spices and lotus seeds. The only problem is that he is not allowed to bring anything onto the hotel property – he gets searched!!! Indy and I have arranged a clandestine meeting with him tomorrow at 1.30 down the road!! We are going to borrow bicycles and cycle down to meet him to do the exchange!!

Today was a beach day, which was a most welcome change. The temperature was up in the high 90’s – and we just took advantage of having a free day. The rest of our time in Hoi An will be spent on the beach – which gives us another day and a half of doing not much…yayyyyy!!!!!

As I dont have much to say to you today, I have sent you a link of something which is very funny and whilst it is 10 mins long – well worth listening to it……
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/04/06/wits-sweeney/

We have just returned from dinner in town……we went to a Western/Thai restaurant which I have to say made a change from Vietnamese. It was cheaper to get a return taxi, have three courses, a bottle of wine plus Irish coffees – than eat in the hotel – infact it cost about a third of what the hotel charge for dinner – so if you ever find yourself in Vietnam, dont say you weren’t told!!

We are now back in our room. The air conditioning is now back on ( wasn’t working from between 9.30 – to now….

On that sweet note- enjoy your day – until we chat some more tomorrow – I bid you goodnight from both of us.

Lots of love

A xx