We have been studying in Hoi An for a month already, the days fly by so fast. This town is filled with great food, happy people and beautiful scenery. It’s quite a small place and walking around is easy. Our usual day is getting up to the sound of the local farm animals, just in time for breakfast, then cycling to school in the orange morning light. When the lecture is over we have some time for reading, or having what the swedes call “fika” in one of the many coffee shops. This strange word means getting a cup coffee and perhaps some cake, and is probably the thing they enjoy the most in their daily life. Hoi An is filled with great cafes, often located in one of the many 17-18th century, chines-style- buildings.
Our lunch is served at Balance Cafe, which is located close to the student houses. The food there is usually local food, noodles and rice, and is definitly one of the best restaurants in town. After lunch, if one is not reading, you can go for a cycling trip through the rice fields and go to the beach or into town and see some temples or one of the many galleries and museums.
There is a lot of history in this place, its one of the few places in Vietnam where you can see these old houses and the museums tel a tale of the city being a very important port town for Chinese and Japanese traders. The influence of the two countries is seen in both architecture and in the cuisine.
The best food in Hoi An is probably the Bhan My or perhaps the pancakes or the Pho, its hard to pick a favourite. Bhan my is a baguette filled with your choice of meat and vegetables, often made with pate and Vietnamese spices. The best place for this dish is at Madam Khan, The Bhan My Queen. She is a very old lady who has owned the shop since probably forever. She works day in and day out, always with a smile on her face!
Pho is found in every restaurant and is the Vietnamese-styled noodle soup. The pancakes are found everywhere on the streets, but the best place is at the night market. The market is filled with stands selling a grate variety of food. Pancakes, bhan my, barbecued meet, ice-cream and snacks that reminds you of beef jerky. The night in Hoi An is also filled with light! Everywhere you turn there is a lantern, either over the river, on the bridges or hanging from roof to roof. It makes the place very cosy and you get the feeling of being safe even though you are so far away from home.
This sums up a little bit of what life is like in Hoi An, I will post as often as I can and I’m looking forward to describe this wonderful place more in depth.
-Sigurd-