Central Vietnam - Danang, Hoi An, and My Son
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We pass by large fishing nets on the way to our cooking course with Red Bridge Restaurant. The setting of the cooking course was right along the river, making it a pleasant excursion in addition to a learning experience. Read more about Hoih An, Vietnam.
Pieces of squid cut for the effect of a flower. This was part of the preparation of warm squid salad in a pineapple.Scoring squid not only makes it look pretty, but allows it to expand while cooking in order to better absorb the flavor of the sauce it's cooked in.Read about Hoi An's food specialties.
During our cooking course in Hoi An, we learned how to make fresh rice paper in order to roll our own spring rolls. Dan did quite well with his papers; Audrey needed a few more tries...The result was the same for both, however - tasty and fresh spring rolls filled with shrimp, noodles and fresh herbs.Read about Hoi An's food specialties.
This old man was fishing as we passed by on our way to Red Bridge, just south of Hoi An.Read more about Hoih An, Vietnam.
We hired a car to take us at 5:30 AM from Hoi An to the Hindu temple complex of My Son. We arrived in such good time that the ticket office had yet to open. We spent the time having coffee with our driver and talking about recent history in that area. His personal story, probably shared by many there, included a father who was a cook for the south Vietnamese government and was then killed by the northern Vietnamese, leaving his mother with 5 children. Due to being on a black list because of the father's alliance, the family was sent to a remote mountain area where other people associated with the southern government were sent. About a decade ago, he was able to move to Hoi An and work as a driver. He had had a difficult life, but was not resentful - he was genuinely thankful to have a job and seemed squarely focused on the present and the future.Read more about a personal story at My Son.
My Son is a Hindu temple complex between Hoi An and Danang. We came out at sunrise to see the temples in good light and more importantly to avoid the busloads of tourists who arrive mid-morning. As the gates of My Son opened, we were one of two couples; it was great to have the temples to ourselves. There are several temples open to the public; others are still being excavated. It is the main surviving architectural complex of the Champa dynasty; its oldest structures are believed to date back to the 4th century.Read more about a personal story at My Son.
