On to Hoi An, definitely one of my favourite places so far. After another overnight train journey all I wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep for a week, but the life of a traveller is never so easy. After breakfast an early morning cycling tour of the quaint riverside town was on the agenda, and it was something I wouldn't have missed for anything.

We cycled through all the cobbled streets, passing more tailors shops than you can ever imagine. Trying to pick which one to go into was almost impossible but luckily help was at hand. We were recommended the Blue Skies tailors and it was a great bit of advice. The ladies in there were wonderful and after trying to convince you to buy more and more and more I finally settled on two tops and a pair of trousers. Measurement followed, although not for any prudes amongst you as you literally stand in the middle of the shop while they take down your particulars. Apparently this is good for passing trade! Fitting was scheduled for later in the day, and of course I was then tempted into buying a couple more items. I even succombed to a new coat, really practical in the searing heat and humidity of Vietnam, but thankfully it's all been shipped home and will be waiting for me in several months time!

But Hoi An is not just about the tailors. It was where Buddhism and Christianity were introduced into Vietnam in the 17th century and has huge Japanese and Chinese influence in its' architecture. The old quarter has some wonderful buildings to explore, from old houses to traditional carpentry and merchants at work.

Not one for being lazy we hired bikes for 3 days. This meant the next morning we could get up as the sun rose for a very early morning cycle down to the fish market to see the day's trade being brought onto the dock and watching locals and restauranteurs all bargaining for the best catch. There was even something that looked very like a shark on offer - never really got to the bottom of what it was but there was definitely a fin lurking nearby! The ride continued through small villages as everyone woke up to the beautiful morning and we ended up at the beach, before the crowds flocked in search of the sun.

And that was just before breakfast. Following some sustenance it was back on the bike to explore further and it's well worth a cycle out of town to some other villages. We came across a little ceramic factory where they even let us make our own clay pots of the potters wheel. I think I need a little more practice before I could make a sale from anything I would produce, but I guess you could call it alternative art!

As well as spending some time of the beach, the other highlight of Hoi An was a cooking class. As I merrily signed up for an evening of Vietnamese food heaven little did we realise that we would be the entertainment for the evening too. Oh no, we didn't have a kitchen to work in, but we were to prepare our meal and then eat it right in the middle of the restaurant, in full view of all the other diners. I think they had almost as much fun as we did, although I'm not sure how confident I looked whilst wielding the largest kitchen knife you've ever seen. "Just chop" they said, fast as you like - my efforts were more of the chunky variety as I wasn't sure I fancied fingernail or fingertip as an added extra! But we managed to very successfully prepare fresh spring rolls, fish wrapped in banana leaf and a spicy papaya salad - delicious.