We were having such a great time in Hoi An we decided to stay a little longer. The hotel we were staying in was a little far from the beach so we thought we would grab a bit of luxury and stay somewhere right on the sand. We found a fantastic last minute deal at the Sunrise Resort for only $80 a night and let me just say it was pretty spesh! & the buffet breakfast is amazing!!
We checked in & headed straight for the beach where we were served icy cold beers straight to our deckchairs. However when we signed for the 2 beers we could have bought 14 for the same price everywhere else on our trip! the cost of luxury was a bit steep for us so once dinner time hit we popped across the road where we had seen a few family run stalls. Sitting roadside we sipped some icy cold beers & got talking to the lovely lady who owned the stall about hiring a man & motorcycle to take Mr Sprout on a ride up to Marble Mountain.
When I had travelled here previously by myself I had paid someone to take me up there & got to see some great areas that aren't on the usual tourist bus rides. Luckily for us her husband Duc was able to take Mr Sprout the very next day. At 7am he headed off & returned at 4pm after having an amazing day of sightseeing & being cooked a meal at his lovely new friends house. They refused to take any money & invited us both to come to their home the next day to cook us a special lunch, we gladly accepted and then of course we spent the evening trying to come up with ways to pay them without offending them!
Duc & Mr SproutThe next day we walk over to the stall & head off on a moped....Duc driving, Mr Sprout in the middle who is 6 foot 6 & me on the back. Lucky we were all friends because that was one cosy ride. Mr Sprout had his legs sticking straight out so they wouldn't drag on the ground & at one point we hit a gutter & totally bottomed out which brought cheers from a local eatery!
We arrived at Duc's house to be met by the most hospitable 4 generations of people. A small sparse house filled with happy people who had borrowed a table and some chairs for us to sit at, it put so much into perspective. Duc's uncle & Grandmother spoke no English but I pointed to my camera & they were more than happy for me to take a picture, I have emailed them their photos since & they were very happy.
Uncle
Great GrandmotherThe care and attention given to other people and their feelings was first priority over money & possessions, we were so welcomed & included in every aspect of their lives it truly was a humbling experience.
Our only issue.... some of the seafood for our lunch was a little scary looking but it was so much fun to get the fire going & see how food is prepared everyday, so fresh! and tasty!
Wood Fired Fish
Fresh Seafood
A delicacy...Mr Sprout was honoured I call it ET's fingerAt the end of all this they still refused any money just asked that we please tell our friends to visit Hoi An & if in the beach area their stall. Done & Done :)
GrandmotherNB: As they refused to take just cash from us we bought them out of most things in their stall, they couldn't argue with a paying customer now could they?!
