The Town of Hoi An

Hoi An is a delightful little city (soon to become a much larger city, based on the resorts under construction). Another UNESCO site, the old city was a flourishing trade port for centuries, with trade from China, Japan, and Europe. The new Bond movie, Quantam of Solace, only out in theatres about 15 days, was already available on (bootleg) DVD in the stores.

This home in Hoi An has been lived in continuously for hundreds of years (seven generations) by the same family.

It is common to experience flooding during the rainy season. That immediately affects this housse since the back door opens right onto the river.

This year there was 10 feet of flooding (they've marked the water levels for various years). They save the furniture by moving it upstairs to the second floor.

This is an annual occurence and, no, they wouldn't even THINK of moving.

The old city was lovely, but our two lasting memories are cooking and the silk store. In a Vietnamese restaurant, we were hosted by the assistant to the owner, and the #2 executive chef, for a private cooking class. She was born in 1979, and has worked in the restaurant for 17 years. She taught us to make crispy spring rolls, grilled chicken with lemongrass, green papaya salad, and other delightful dishes. We ate our efforts at the table of honor on the balcony overlooking the city. What a wonderful dinner!

Two somewhat skeptical students just before class started

Lu, our illustrious teacher. By the end, Fran was ready to adopt her!

OK, it looks good and was easy to make - but will it taste good?

Oh Yeah!

Bob is all smiles! [When isn't he?]

Fran thought he looked cute in the apron and bought it for him. He models it over another handmade silk shirt.

We also found a fabulous silk store (there must be 50 in the city). I believe the only things they bring in from the outside are mulberry leaves and dye. In less than three weeks, they raise the worms to adults, feeding on mulberry leaves, who then live only two or three days. They spin a cocoon on one continuous silken thread, which is later extracted in boiling water. They remove worms, which grow into moths, and the whole process begins again. On our last night there, Bob was in the store at 4:45 p.m. He handed the saleslady two $20 bills, and selected two bolts of (brand new - only 15 days old) silk from the wall, while she grabbed her measuring tape. Four hours later, at 8:45 p.m., a girl appeared at our hotel with two hand-made silk shirts, hand-tailored to Bob’s measurements. Talk about service and quality!

These are silkworms

Bob models 2 of his purchases.

Hoi An is the perfect place to buy made-to-order clothes dirt cheap!

Pure silk, hand made, perfectly tailored. What would these cost in the U.S.??