By Veronica and Emma
We started Day 11 with a luxurious buffet at the Belle Maison including dragon fruit slices, waffles and an endless array of breakfast foods. Although the weather may not have been as preferred (there was mild to heavy rain today), we still managed to entertain ourselves games room or the lobby instead of swimming in the pool. Next, we made our way to the old town for a historic walking tour by our guide, Hai. It was pouring down, but everyone’s positivity and chatter made it very pleasant. Once we arrived at the main market, we saw a great amount of food that the locals had to offer. There was a wide variety of fruits, meats and fish, clothes and many more!
We then all arranged ourselves into our small groups of between 3 – 6 students and headed out to either shop and bargain, or hide from the rain in an authentic Vietnamese tea and coffee shop. Being in smaller groups helped us students gain a sense of confidence and independence. Becoming increasingly seasoned at bargaining, the groups were able to reach reasonable prices on gifts for their families and friends, not to mention ourselves. After the 40 minutes of shopping or tea and coffee, the groups made their way back outside the famed tailoring shop Yaly, then went for lunch. The old town is filled with beautiful, culturally diverse restaurants such as Greek, Italian and believe it or not, majority were Vietnamese! There was also a second, and sadly last, opportunity to shop in Hoi An.
We then made our way back to the hotel and had time to relax, play a competitive game of pool in the games room, and for willing to put up with the rain, go for a swim in the pool. At around 5 o’clock, we all enjoyed an evening walk back to the old town where we took part in a traditional Vietnamese cooking class. Whilst on our walk, we were mesmerised by the glowing hanging lanterns that lit up the old town’s road. Crossing the bridge, the radiance of the lights from the other side of the town reflected magically on the river. Many of the boats had lanterns and the floating candles that were slowly carried away by the current.
Not knowing what to expect, we now arrived at the cooking class. Walking into the kitchen the ingredients were laid out as if it were Master Chef, quoting the students. Firstly, we marinated chicken for skewers with ingredients such as blue ginger, turmeric, sliced lemon leaf and many other different types of herbs and spices. Next we handed those in to cook and began making our spring rolls. Firstly, we were given two different types of rice paper, one plain and another half that was laced. Then we added the pork and herb filling in the centre and rolled them as instructed. Once everyone’s were rolled, we handed them to the instructors who were then going to deep fry them. While everything was cooking we prepared the last dish which was a simple Vietnamese salad containing vegetables, herbs and sauces. Finally, we made our way downstairs to eat what we had created. In the end, the food was absolutely delicious and we are certain everyone enjoyed themselves during the cooking class and the day!
Veronica – Hi Mum, Dad, Arie, Zoya and Monty! I miss you all so much, especially Monty boo <3 I’m having the best time, all is perfect! I hope you are all doing well without me. It must be tough missing your favourite child at home (sns Arie). See you soon! Love Veronica xoxo
Emma- Hi mum and dad all is good here, I am having a great time and have enjoyed the shopping very much. Hope all is good at home can’t wait to be back. Love Emma xx
