Vietnam and Thailand day 5
A wandering about day. Walked around old part of city, you really get a feel for a place by just wandering around the busy streets where people live and work and sell from their shops and stalls and walk by or cycle/moped by. Record number on a moped still 5, keep looking for a six.
I broke one of my rules today. When people try to start a conversation with me in the street, I smile (as they always do here), say hello and answer politely their question which is usually 'where do you come from' and keep walking, saying no thank you if they are trying to sell something or get you into their tuc tuc (open taxi). Anyway, today a moped carrying a man and a woman stopped a few meters in front of me and the man said hello, where do you come from and I responded as above and walked on past them. They drove on but stopped again 20m ahead of me. This time the man told me that he was a teacher of english and his wife (on the moped with him) had told him to stop again and invite me back to their home. He also told me that his wife was a cook (before they had their 2 children) so I thought it might be worth a chance so said OK so she got off the moped and walked home while I got on and he drove me to their house (not far). Well they turned out to be extremely nice people, Tuan the teacher and Quy the cook, interesting to talk to and very hospitable. Their house is right next door to Huy's mother's and her sister must be nearby because her little daughter appeared while I was there, got some great photos of her with Auntie Quy. Tuan and Quy's children got home from child-minders soon after, Tao (boy, 4) and Nung? (girl 21 months) both very quick, bright, active and well-behaved.
Taken to meet Quy's mother who was in the Pagoda 2 doors up. Wow - there was a buddhist ceremony underway, 4 musicians/singers making really good music, 8 or so dancers in full brightly coloured traditional costume and maybe 15 watching including mother. She was very welcoming, took me into the ceremony room and showed me where to sit. Entrancing. Back to Tuang and Huy's house, more tea vietnamese style, more chating and photos.
Then they asked me to join then for dinner in their house that evening. I had to say I couldn't because I had already arranged to meet a couple from north California, Tom and Linda, so Tuan said he would take us all to a REAL vietnamese restaurant in the old city where Quy said the food is very good and as a cook, she knew. Took a chance and said yes and hoped it would be OK with Tom and Linda.
Phoned Linda as soon as I got back to hotel, and fortunately they were totally up for it.
Collected at 7 by Tuan, Quy, Tao and Quy's 16 year old brother (Nung too tired) in taxi and 7 of us driven
via maze of back streets some not much wider than the taxi to restaurant which was very clean and very basic, really just tables and chairs in a covered area.
We were asked soon after we arrived 'do we like chicken' and of course we all said yes. Shortly after this we heard a frantic squawking followed by silence. It was nice to know that our chicken would be fresh.
When the food started to arrive, Quy insisted on being 'mother', dishing out the soup, the rice, then the succession of dishes - strips of green vegetables, fried pork, squid, noodles, and of course, chicken. Well it wasn't just delicious, it was super delicious. Linda found a small round purple piece of the chicken in her bowl, Tuan had one too, kidneys perhaps, but no, after Quy almost fell off her chair laughing, she eventually managed to explain to us that it was a boy chicken. Linda politely declined to eat hers. Tom and Linda were full before me so got some of their portions. It was so good I could have kept going all evening but unfortunately started to get full myself too. A real taste of Hue people, culture and food, a wonderful evening enjoyed by all to complete an exceptional day.
Tuan and Quy invited me back for a meal in their house the next evening so I said yes please. (Tom and Linda flying out next morning, I'm scheduled to fly to Bangkok day after tomorrow, so only one more full day for me in Hue)
Glad I broke my rule.
Bestest to all,
John
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