I can't believe it is already Thursday, a week since we set off from home. We have been kept busy looking after our grandson as both parents are working this week.
Monday saw us at my favourite market, Cho Houm, in the fabric section. We were on a mission for some tie silk and t shirt fabric for Amanda, I found a piece of thick jersey for myself, but the addition of two 'helpers' was very inhibiting!! I may return, on my own, later in the trip!! We left there and walked north to find a coffee shop following which we got a taxi and came home. Family time ensued. Tuesday was baking day, mince tart and cinnamon cookies. The cookie recipe was one shared on Facebook by the Royal Family page, it worked out well except that the tops coloured a little due to the oven temperature not being 100% reliable. They are in a tin and maybe further decorated if not eaten first!!
Yesterday we booked a day out to Bat Trang which is the pottery village 30km outside Hanoi, across the Red River. This private tour was booked with Withlocals.com and proved to be excellent. We were met by the guide, Ms Tea, outside the apartment, then grabbed a taxi through Grab. During the drive she gave us a little local history. The first stop was at the Cuong Duyen workshop on the outskirts of the village where they make pots for Feng Shui, which, as you will know, is a Chinese tradition. This workshop is not generally open to public tours and we felt very fortunate to see the artists at work. 110 people are employed here and the artists earn 2,000USD a month which is a high wage here. I have seen these large highly decorated pots in the shops many times, but never realised that they are hand decorated and painted. The skills are passed down the generations. Apparently most of these pots are made to order and the artist will include a small detail to ensure that each one is a one-off.
The taxi then took us into the village proper and we followed Ms Tea down an alley to a pottery where Orlo was able to use a wheel and turn some pots. He made a couple with help which went to dry then played around some more on his own. Once dry he painted them with glaze and we left them to be fired. We hope he will have two nice pots for Christmas for gifts.
This one he did by himself, playing around.
Ms Tea took us down little alleys we would never have ventured into ourselves and explained that at one time, hundreds of years ago, the village was 8m lower than it is now. Flooding and landslides are the cause of the current level. She pointed out ancient walls and roofs of original kilns, windows and doorways. Along one of these lanes she opened some large doors into a private courtyard. The house was built 110 years ago by the head of the village who was very wealthy, stone was imported from France and it was built in the French style. Andrew tells me that the ones we usually see in Hanoi have been reconstructed and that it is very unusual to see an original French house. At the side of the doors were three cabochon tiles, "dragons tears" we were told. The garden was full of bonsai. We were invited in for a cup of tea, made from tea flowers, Michael was fascinated by the tea cosy, I had seen them in the market on an earlier trip.
We then followed Ms Tea along the maze of alleys with motorbikes and scooters coming through too, until we got to a local 'restaurant/cafe', located in what felt like a garage. She told me that she thought that this place was cleaner than the other eating places along the main street. We had Bun Cha which is pieces of meat, tofu and or crab meat served in a warm broth with noodles on the side. Ms Tea showed us how to use chopsticks, but Michael found another use for them !! After lunch we trawled the market for a porcelain spoon for Amanda, part of their wedding gift set, but with translation we were told it was an "old design" and no longer available. By then it was time for home!
We have booked a custom trip to other craft villages for tomorrow with Withlocals.com, and can certainly recommend the Hanoi branch.
Michael was not grumpy, he just looks it!!
Today we have been baking gingerbread cookies and met Andrew and Amanda at Joma Coffee, meanwhile Michael walked round West Lake, a distance of 18km. He has just got back, and it is time for cuppa!
As you can see Orlo is attached to his Santa hat, much to the amusement of the locals
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