Hoi An is amazing.  It’s the type of place you could come and stay a week and relax and shop and eat (and eat and eat and eat) This morning we had a trip highlight – a cooking class which included a market tour and a tasting session where we sampled common dishes as well as some more exotic food – steamed pig brain, tiny spicy snails, duck embryo, pig ear salad, silk worm salad, jelly fish salad and stir fried frog. The frog was the pick of these, but all were pretty good. We then moved to the kitchen and did a 2 hour cooking session with 4 dishes.  It was fantastic. For future reference, it was Vy’s Cooking School. Highly recommended.

Dad’s had a pair of boots custom made – they are fantastic. $US63 with a 24 hour service. I’m sure there would be more bootmakers, dressmakers and tailors in Hoi An than in all of Australia and the dress designs in particular are really nice. I’d like to bring my entire Year class here a week before their Formal. You would love the dresses being sold here.

After the cooking class we had some time to relax (we haven’t stopped much until today), so I hit the street to check out some of the local crafts and markets, followed by a few drinks – happy hour, 2 pina coladas for 70000VD (about $5) or a round of 4 beers for 80000VD ($5 – $6). – with most of the group and dinner at a small, less touristy restaurant where I had the local staple, Cau Lau for the outrageous cost of 35000VD or about $2.

Early night tonight as we’re flying out to Saigon in the morning, so we need to be up by 5:00am.