Kirsten, Roxana, and I decided to take the hotel bicycles and ride to the An Bang beach in Hoi An. Swimming in the South China Sea was their goal. Dipping my toes in the sea met my goal. I try to avoid packing wet swimsuits in my bag (it’s okay to call me a fuddy duddy now), and we were leaving the next morning.
Both Roxana and Kirsten put the directions in their phones. I went along for the ride, so I relied on their navigational skills. We did separate at one point, but we made it back together quickly after.
To set the scene, the day was hot and sunny. I spread sun tan lotion everywhere, and we set off on our three mile ride. We navigated busy streets and even joined the bikes and electric scooters on the highway. When we arrived, we found a place to leave our bikes (for a fee), and we made our way to the beach. It was lovely.
The ladies took a quick dip while I explored the shore.
Once the ladies had their fill of South China Sea water, we looked for a place to get cold water. The place we found also had spigots for us to wash our feet. So, with drinking water in hand and relatively sand free feet, we made our way back. I always worry I’ll hold people back, but we knew the way and had no trouble with the traffic.
After a short rest, our group reconvened for the next adventure.
That evening we had plans for a cooking class. We walked from our hotel to the restaurant where our lesson would take place. Along the way Lee would stop to point out interesting things.
For our cooking class, I expected we would be in a commercial kitchen preparing an amazing meal from start to finish. However, expectations did not meet with reality.
We sat at a table and were given direction to cut a few veggies. The chef knew food, but her approach with us took on a more militaristic feel. I can only imagine how hard it would be to run a class with such varied tastes while talking in a language that is not your own. I give her lots of credit.
We finished cutting up a few things then went to the cooking area to watch. One person at a time would toss an ingredient in the bowl. Then we’d give it a little stir. Eventually the kitchen staff would cook it up and serve it to us. I would have loved to take a recipe home with me, but unfortunately I did not experience the entire process.
Nonetheless, the finished product delighted my palate, and the company continued to impress me!
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