Today we started the day off with a walking tour of the old town to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An. We learnt the difference between the French, Chinese and Japanese architecture and saw many Chinese temples. Along the way we crossed the Japanese walking bridge, which is still in its original state. The bridge is symbolic to Hoi An. When we arrived at the other end of the bridge we were welcomed by a swarm of young Asian children. They were very intrigued by our tour group.
The next destination on our list was one of Hoi An's oldest houses. It was built over 200 years ago, having seven generations of the same family live in it. The house had a mixture of Japanese, Chinese and French architecture. It is prone to flooding due to the location being so close to the river. While inside the house we took the opportunity to buy our Chinese zodiac coins. The students being either dragons, cats or snakes.
We were then allocated 45 minutes to browse the markets and continue to develop our bartering skills. We got some great bargains and the students walked away very happy.
It was then time for lunch and unfortunately we were faced with no power in very hot and humid weather. Halfway through our scrumptious banana crepes we were relieved of the sweltering heat by the electricity returning. We were seriously wondering how the locals were comfortable living in these conditions. After enjoying our lunch we were given free time to either shop or return to the hotel for a swim and air conditioning.
Once everyone was refreshed we met in the lobby at 3pm to embark on our cooking adventure. We separated into small groups before heading off with our local food tour guide to experience Hoi An's fresh markets. It was astounding to discover that some of the stall holders were working 16 hour days. After this we jumped on two boats where some people were given the privilege of skippering them. Our captain thought that Tristyn was capable enough to manoeuvre the boat around a tight bend. On arrival we were invited to view the herb garden.
Our chef, Lunar and the other head chef described what we would be creating in our class. The first dish we attempted was Bánh Xèo (Hoi An Savoury Pancakes) and most people attempted to flip the pancakes in the air with everyone succeeding. We then moved on to our next dish which our chefs demonstrated. Our third dish was fresh Spring Rolls where we even made our rice paper from scratch. Our final dish was Quang Chicken Noodles and whilst our chicken was simmering we tried our hand at food art. This consisted of a cucumber fan and a tomato rose. Mr Blackmore, Paige and myself (Cameron) excelled in this art form. We then headed to the dining area where we indulged in our creations as a group. Miss Thomson was very proud of Shanice for tasting and enjoying all of her food.
We arrived home by mini van to relax and prepare for tomorrow, however some of our most dedicated shoppers took the opportunity to hit the markets... again. We're looking forward to our scavenger hunt tomorrow.
Cameron & Bec
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