6th March: Hoi An, Vietnam

Breakfast this morning was back to noodles. I’m actually getting used to this for breakfast, although it’s only taken 5 months in East Asia! I think that it’s likely because I currently have a bit of an appetite again.

After walking to town, I finally got to try Vietnamese salted coffee. We found a place who made a vegan version and, wow, the light foam on the top was delicious. The salt really cut through the creaminess, but I personally think the Robusta coffee underneath needed a bit more sugar to balance the whole drink. Most coffee grown in Vietnam is Robusta, as only the small area we visited around Dalat is elevated enough to successfully cultivate arabica beans. Still, I very much enjoyed it whilst sitting in the shade and writing. We also shared a pot of delicate lotus tea. As I write, I’m listening to the new The Orchestra (For Now) single. An absolutely extraordinary band. I urge everybody to listen to them straight away or, even better, to go and see them live. I was lucky enough to see them at The Windmill early last year before they’d released any material, and they blew me away. They’re level with deathcrash for me as the best live band currently active. I can’t wait to get to some gigs again soon!

At 1pm, we had to pop back to the tailors for a suit fitting. It looked great! We agreed on a few little tweaks but overall, it was really comfortable and the materials felt top notch. Amazingly, they said to come back in the evening to try again after the adjustments.

We did want to take another cookery class whilst in Hoi An, but the times and dates they had available didn’t quite work. Instead, we went to the school for lunch today. We had two amazing local specialties – cao lau noodles, and pancakes with salad and rice paper – plus guava juice and a chocolate and nut milk smoothie. We’ll just have to teach ourselves how to make them!

Hoi An is full of Chinese style temples, with dragons prominent on the roofs and in the motifs. This area has had significant immigration from the southern coastal Chinese provinces of Fujian and Guangdong over many centuries. The Chinese influence is strong in religion, architecture, and food here.

During the afternoon, the clouds mercifully thickened, and the temperature dropped somewhat. It was still oppressively humid but at least it felt more like 28C than 36C! We decided to pop back to the hotel for a couple of hours so that we would have the energy to explore in the evening today.

It was 7pm when we made it back into town. Every now and again we’d get a few spots of rain but still none of the forecast deluge. First, the second suit fitting. Everything was great and just as we’d asked, so they’re going to finish it off and we’ll pick it up tomorrow! Then, a snack for dinner. I’ve found here that even when I’m not that hungry, I still polish off an entire banh mi. This was no exception as the one we found was deliciously stuffed with seitan, sauces, and herbs before being freshly toasted. Wandering the streets of the old town at night was a special experience. There was an impromptu performance of local music in a square, with people dancing. Every building legally must have lanterns, which are all illuminated after dark. This combined with the yellow colour of the old the buildings give Hoi An a unique aesthetic. Being riverside and on islands also means there is space to see the horizon. Despite the tourist numbers and obvious focus on tourist needs, it just about manages to avoid being a theme park. Either way, it’s spectacular, especially just outside the centre as we experienced in our walk back.