Bai Bien Cua Toi (VII) A gay Buddha, Americans, and Pigeon Dinner

I get an e-mail from Peter & Marion..... they just visited a monastery with a VAST number of Buddha statues....... and they're sending me a picture of the "Gay Buddhas" to wish me luck in future partnership endeavours..... Thank you, you sweet people!

The skies are overcast.....

Breakfast.   2 Americans arrived.  One is married in Hoi An, the other one lives in Portland.  The latter is exactly my age and has his head screwed on right.  Very refreshing and a nice change from Germans who constantly think they will be ripped off here.  LOL, this might be the moment when I speak my mind (that the food HERE is NOT overwhelming) for which I will be severely reprimanded by M three month later 

At noon is time to move rooms.....

Thi Lan is my neighbour again.  We're invited to Quang's house for dinner tonight.  She is Vietnamese, so she knows the customs here, so I pick her brain.    She tries to tell me that I should NOT trust Vietnamese people, in particular our host this evening ...... I tell her my gut feeling tells me otherwise....

We ride to Song Cau, I buy wine and she buys dried squid to bring as a present to our evening hosts.

Initially Thi Lan acts as a translator but soon I notice that she is not stopping talking in Vietnamese.  That's OK, I'm used to that by now.  But what is important:  She is having FUN !

coconut jelly made by the daughter ....

I'm already pretty certain of the answer when I ask her during a smoke break:  "So, was my gut feeling that Quang is an honest man accurate?".   She doesn't hesitate even a split-second before saying YES.   I am relieved and happy.  She's enjoying the company of nice Viets and my gut feeling is still working !

YES, that is pigeon.  It's SO much better than chicken ;-)