We enjoyed our short stay in Saigon, forgot just how crazy the traffic is there! Its hard to remember to walk casually across the road with a thousand motorbikes, cars, trucks and buses coming at you from all directions. The bikes move around you, but anything bigger has right of way whether you are on a pedestrian crossing or not. Hayley is feeling much better, so we took a short flight to Hoi An. The weather is really pleasant 17-20 degrees, and its nice to walk around in jeans and T-shirt, rather than melting into a pool of sweat. The Vietnamese however consider these temperatures to be very cold... everyone is wearing thick coats, scarves and beanies. The street snacks have also changed to suit the colder (not for Tasmanians) weather, with sweetpotatoes roasted on charcoal (very popular) roasted corn on the cob and deep fried banana pancakes. Incongruous with the sweet mandarins, bananas and mangoes we are eating....
We were picked up at the airport by Suong and her husband Hung, lovely to see them! We were immediately taken to their home and fed. Feeding us seems to be a way of loving us, and they fill your bowl, and pass you bitesize pieces of different things, like small slices of pork they wrap in green leaves, or a piece of fruit they have peeled for you. We will never leave here thin! Wedding plans for Suong's sister Trinh are in full swing. A Vietnamese wedding takes 2 days and numerous dresses. The first day we have some sort of ceremony in Hoi An and the second day we travel by bus to somewhere else 3hrs away. Today Hayley and I were measured for traditional dresses called Ao Dao, and we also have to have 2 other pretty dresses as well, so it sounds like its going to be an interesting experience.
Last night we ate out with the entire immediate family for a nephews' 11th birthday at a local restaurant. Was great fun, tonnes of food, and I developed a taste for Tiger beer, very cheap $1, very merry! The family was very happy to see us, felt incredibly welcomed. Hugs and smiles go a long way when there is little english spoken. The language sounds lyrical and is great to listen to, never felt left out of conversations, and the more Tiger beer I drank the more I seemed to understand..
Lots of love from us!!!
