Noodles of fun

Having arrived in Hoi An we checked into our hotel and went for a walk to blow away the cobwebs of the coach journey. One of the first places we went was a noodle bar where you could (for a small fee) learn how to make noodles and then eat them! It's a simple process, you grind rice into a thick batter-like slurry and then make small pancakes out of it which are then steamed until they are semi-stiff, this is then cut into various sized strips and shapes according to custom or noodle style. 

One of the staple (and famous) dishes in Vietnam is Pho (pronounced "fuh") which is essentially noodles in broth (stock) with vegetables and meat, we had a fair bit of it while in Hoi An and I snapped this picture (below) of Pho with quails eggs and pork, it was scrummy!

Here's another example with a different style of noodle..

Having had some Pho for lunch we retired to the hotel for a swim in the pool and a snooze on the sun loungers. The temperature and humidity was increasing the further South we went and the tiring effect of this on unaccustomed Lilly-white English bodies was noticeable.

When evening descended we headed out into the town. Today Hoi An is the tailoring capital of Vietnam, there's a tailor/clothes shop every 20 yards and you can get a suit made in 24hours for about £100. The trading heritage of the city goes back to the 15th century when you could have found Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese ships moored in the river and plying their trade of silks, precious metals, pearls, spices and foodstuffs with the local merchants. The city became rich, as ports often do, and you can still see the legacy of that in the grand old Chinese and Japanese houses built by wealthy traders on the waterfront. There are also a lot of lanterns in Hoi An, at night the city looks beautiful, every street and building is festooned with colourful lights, the smells of street food and the noise of laughter and chatter fill the warm air giving the place a kind of seaside town vibe.

The picture above is the river at night, an obvious tourist trap but pretty never the less, the bars and restaurants were still excellent value, we got a substantial three course meal on a terrace overlooking the water for £15 a head including drinks!