Debbie’s Blog

Join me on the adventure of a lifetime ! a holiday with a difference… ladies i promise you one thing we will have fun, and you will know how to cook a vietnamese dinner party for your all your wonderful friends ! ….this I do promise you……

Vietnam is one of the most charming, different , diverse , exotic destinations in the world , the people kind and ever smiling, join me , I will take you on exotic adventure , we will tour and we will learn how to cook the delicious vietnamese cuisine , the flavours dance on your tongue and entice you to try more….by the talented hands of Miss Vy , who wants to keep vietnamese streetfood alive , by passing on her knowledge and creativity ….

hurry ! places are getting booked up , I have two dates in march 2010 …

we are going to have a wonderful time………

Its 6.45 in the morning, and already its steaming hot ! …its drained the energy out of us, the heat , the humidity is a killer ! .  We have reached Can Tho on the Mekong Delta,  this morning we are going to the floating market, all the traders going about their business, selling the wares, iinteresting to see the river life, living on the river has been a way of life for this people for years……we weave in and out of their boats , they are up since four in the morning , now they are resting….The tour is drawing to a close, tommorow we fly back to dear old blighty , visions of  vietnam , I ponder for a moment ,  its the kindness of the guides that has left a mark in me this time , the unrelenting way they want to please me , and make everything good .  I am now the proud owner of a harmonica, my guide hung, went out to buy me one and presented it to me with BOTH HANDS a sign of respect in their country, he plays well, and wants me to too…I am not bad already , i have two notes of moon river , but he is an inspiration,  his tales and stories of when the war was, and the way it was when communism was here, will always be with me,  he remembers the day the helicopters came to take away the last of the americans stilll remaining in saigon , all that day he could not understand why on the radio, im dreaming of a white christmas kept on and on playing and playing …this was in fact april, above he could hear the helicopters in the distance, something was going on and he never knew quite what, until it was evident the next day ….It was the signal for all the americans to get out of saigon, the last remaining , the song was the signal to go ….and they did, some of the most famous of photographs and films is of that scene where they are climbing to the top of the building to get to the helicopter to get out…and get out they did , leaving the people to the hands of the Viet cong , and communisism, where there was brutality , no food, people murdered.  “iM DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS WILL NEVER MEAN THE SAME TO ME ANYMORE ” ! ….and on we go to the end of the tour….

I love Vietnam ,  colourful , exciting, vibrant….these are words I might use to describe it , the people ever lovely, gentle and gracious …

We tramp the tourist trail, a pagoda here, a monument there , photo , photo ….snap , snap !  We look with our eyes , but we do not see …oh its a great country , vietnam, you should go , our rep was great , the food was , well okay ,  very cheap,  great rate to the pound .  But we dont see , we dont look , and do we really care.?
Do we really see the scars and the tears that were left behind, do we hear the tales of its people and their suffering ?  I shed a silent tear with my guide, when he tells me his story ….his eyes cannot hide his pain, and I feel it too ……”you think you might ask for some chips at dinner tonight “? …photo , Photo ,  snap , snap !

The basis of every religion in the world should be kindness, there is not enough of it , or so I thought until I met someone who does not really know me , but did me the kindest deed , without hesitation , or reward or gain, we have much to learn from the East .

I am in dalat in the mountains , the air is wonderful and the cool temperature, a welcome relief from the soaring heat ……My guides on this tour have been wonderful and so friendly and helpful , they are gentle and love to laugh and have fun .

I am putting together a tour to vietnam for the chefs amongst us , wondering how many of you ladies out there would be interested ! .  The morning glory restaurant is run by miss vy and is a culinary delight , situated in old hoi an , you would not be disspointed .  She runs a cookery school based on street food , her mother and grandmothers recipes , a renowned chef through out vietnam .  We could do a programme based on going early to the market to pick up the local produce as she explains the ying and yang of the food, also the medicinal qualities of the herbs that vietnamese use throughout their cooking.  Vietnam cooking is the mixture of sweet , sour, texture , balance , herbs and passion …..come join me ladies ?  we will cook our own lunch, learn how to cook things like banana flower salad, three friends spring rolls….

Hi from Hanoi,

After a long and tedious journey , what seemed around the woods and trees , we eventually arrived here in Hanoi….

We had all been travelling for around about 24 hours , so all done in ! . Though it is surprising what a shower and dinner can do , and we seemed to revive a little slightly.  Its good to be back in the Far East once again , the smells the vibe of the place .. I do love it so much.

This morning we are all off on a mission ! a visit to Uncle Ho , to see the man himself lying in sate, my guide said sometimes when there is a technical difficulty they swap the body for a  wax one, I wonder what the technical difficulty  could possibly be ?? I mean he is just lying there, as we all shuffle around him, not much technical difficulty in that one would have thought ! I will have to warn the clients not to speak or whisper the guards get funny , and we could all end up in the Hanoi Hilton….oh my !

Onward we go with the Adventure !