By: Shania
Chào buôi trua!
We started our day a lot like the others and packed our stuff and we were on the move. We left Hue city and started making our way down to Hoi An. Along the way we had a surprise pit stop. Our view overlooked the mountains of La pan lagoon. Here, about 600 locals had plots within the lagoon that they use to fish for oysters and prawns. Our group was able to get into the local’s boat and we were shown how to reel in their big nets and how they collect what they catch. We were then taught how they “farm” oysters and sell them to others. We thought we were heading back to land, but we made a stop at a family’s hut in the middle of the lagoon. We sat criss cross applesauce and were fed lunch.
We feasted on fresh skewered grilled prawns, rice, fish soup, oysters, spring rolls, while vegetarians dined on eggplant, mushrooms, and tofu soup.
I think our group is getting a lot better at using chopsticks! After lunch we got back on the bus and spent the next two hours driving to Hoi An. We arrived to our hotel and had a little rest break. The clouds were getting dark and the wind started to pick up, but our guide told us not to worry. We headed back out for our evening boat sunset BBQ. We met the local family whose boat it was, and they were so warm and inviting. It started to rain, so we docked the boat, and we were fed what felt like a 10 course meal. We made the best of the situation, played music and danced. The rain let up, so we headed back out on the water. The boat family had lanterns for us. We all made a wish and watched our lanterns float down the water. Our day ended with us walking in Old Quarter Hoi An enjoying all the lanterns lit up on the streets.
Dinner on the boat with a local family. Great hospitality by a Vietnamese family!
Sending lantern with a wish.
Lights of Hoi An.