Alright folks, I’m back to share the details of our second and third days in Hoi An. While the third day was more relaxed, I’ll mostly focus on day two, which started off by visiting two assembly halls and the historic Tan Ky heritage home.

Hoi An’s Ancient Town is a melting pot of cultures due to its history as a major port trading hub in Vietnam. The town has seen Japanese, Chinese, French, and Vietnamese influences, some of which still thrive today. Although the Japanese Covered Bridge was under construction, we were able to visit two stunning Chinese Assembly Halls. Hai, our guide, had explained that these halls serve both as meeting places and places of worship. We were greeted with the usual offerings of incense, cakes, and candles, but what stood out were the conical incense coils hanging above us. These coils burn for an entire month, with one ring representing each day, and inside them hang yellow tags inscribed with wishes. The fragrance of incense permeated every corner of the halls, even wafting into the lush gardens outside. The gardens were filled with tropical plants, bonsai, and intricate sculptures made from broken porcelain pieces. The walls were adorned with colorful reliefs preserved by ancient glazing techniques, sometimes involving more than five coats of paint and glaze to protect their color and luster.

Leaving the assembly halls, we made our way to Tan Ky, a well-preserved wooden house built in the 18th century and still inhabited by the seventh generation of the original family. Despite numerous changes in Ancient Town, Tan Ky has maintained its originality and withstood the forces of nature. Inside, we saw various artifacts, including solid wooden tables and chairs, some too fragile to sit on. Wooden cases displayed bowls, silver, jade, and other heirlooms. The original pulley system, used to hoist goods from the first floor to the second, still functions today. The second floor was off-limits as the family still resides there. One of the most interesting artifacts was the Confucius Cup, designed 400-500 years ago to teach moderation; it stays full when filled to 80%, but overfilling causes it to empty completely. I forgot to get a video but you can see the cup in action here.

Back at the hotel, Puna and G Adventures had arranged a private noodle cooking class for us at Oodles of Noodles by STREETS. This organization runs a culinary and hospitality school for disadvantaged youth. The comprehensive program includes English classes, life skills, housing, food, clothing, and medical care, preparing graduates for roles in hotels and restaurants throughout Vietnam. Our class was taught by five students who varied in their starting years.

We learned about the various noodles of Vietnam and watched a demonstration on making rice batter from a specific rice grain mixed with water. This batter forms the base for many noodles in Vietnam. We then took our own rice batter and made Banh Vo’t, a rice noodle pancake, which we then turned into Banh Dap, or smash bread, by folding a toasted Banh Vo’t over a steamed one and smashing it. The students then prepared Mi Quang, a dish with pork, prawns, and quail eggs, while Jeff had a tofu and vegetable version.

Our next adventure reunited us with Hai, who had bikes ready for us. However, we opted for the electric car ride instead, along with our Irish friends Joanne and Daniel. Puna had also arranged a cooler with canned ciders for us, much to the envy of our biking group (funny video below)

Our first stop was Tu’s home, where he makes fresh tofu. Tu, a third-generation tofu maker, demonstrated the process of grinding soybeans into tofu. We were then treated to silky tofu in a ginger and sugar cane broth and a shot of Tu’s homemade rice sake with ginseng root, which some of us opted to try.

Next, we visited an organic farm where we learned traditional watering techniques from a local farmer. The zucchinis there were the largest we’d ever seen. It was amazing to see the variety of crops that were scattering the fields beyond what our eyes could see.

How do you say “stop” in Vietnamese?!?

Our last stop of the tour took us to coconut village where we got to enjoy a quick snack of sugar cane coconut flakes before boarding the famous bamboo boats. We had seen these as a Hoi An attraction and were excited to be spun around in the canals by the local who is on board. After rice paper hats were donned, we paddled out into a large area of the canal that break through within the palms. We immediately heard Gangnam Style and saw Puna with the other locals on the bank starting to hype us up. The villager started the rocking motion and off we went spinning like a top — at the beginning it was a lot of laughs and when I realized it was not yet stopping I started to question this decision to spin. At one point, Jeff blurts out “Siri, how do you say ‘stop’ in Vietnamese” and it actually tried to look it up for us as we slowed down, eyes still trying to track what was in front of us. Now that I have done it I don’t think that will be happening again in my future. Paddling back, he gave us the chance to steer the boat and it was a lot harder than they made it look.

Back on land, we ended the journey on a boat that took us back up the river to Hoi An’s Ancient Town. We got to watch the sunset crack through the sky and snap photos — even a silly Titantic pose. Hai turned on tunes for us as well, which we quickly began to belt down the river. It was great to see the lanterns and wishes as we made our way back up the river.

The third day involved our final fitting at the tailor. The suits and blazers were impeccably designed and crafted with incredible speed. Lisa and Van-Thuy at Blue Chic Tailors were wonderful, surprising us with free ties per jacket, a custom white shirt for each of us, and handkerchiefs made from the custom lining material of our jackets. Our purchases were packed and shipped to arrive before we returned home. Blue Chic Tailors also keep our measurements on file for three years, allowing us to order more items in the future. I have a feeling that will be happening along with another visit in person.

Our last evening was spent at Cargo Club, where we started our day with a proper breakfast and ended it with a fantastic dinner filled with laughter and reflections on our tailoring adventure. We then joined our Irish friends at The Shamrock to watch the final hurling match between Cork and Clare. If you have never heard of hurling then join the club as it was news to us as well. It can be described as equal parts lacrosse, rugby, and MMA. It was a thrilling match that ended with Clare winning, which made our group very happy as they were rooting for them.

As we packed up for our early morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City, we couldn’t help but feel that Hoi An had become our favorite destination in Vietnam so far. We’re already planning to return, with friends from home, to explore more of this vibrant and unique region.

Signing off with love — Andrew