Danang and Hoi An, Vietnam – November 10 – 11, 2010

This morning we were up by 6 a.m. and off to the Ho Chi Minh airport for our quick flight to Danang in Central Vietnam. From there we drove to Hoi An to a beautiful resort where we will be staying for the next few nights. It is right on China Beach and at the moment I am sitting on my second-floor balcony typing away and listening to the waves pound the shore. It has been wet cloudy day today and apparently has been like that for three days here. I was looking forward to some hot beach weather but am quite content just sitting here eating dragon fruit and bananas and watching the huge waves roll in.

During the Vietnam War, the Danang airport was the busiest airport in the world as it was a major base for the US and other troops. It was also where the last flights out of the country occurred and where people crawled into the wheel wells of the planes to try and escape before the North Koreans came. And just south of Danang you have China Beach and Hoi An. These were popular R&R locations for the US soldiers and were popular with the Vietnamese people as well. Supposedly there was an agreement between all parties involved that this area should not be bombed so it remained in pristine condition. We were told that China Beach was also the landing place for US soldiers so I’m not sure why the other side would agree to a no-bombing agreement. Regardless, the beach is a beautiful sandy beach that would look very inviting if the sun were out. Right now it’s raining lightly and the waves are huge. Surfing would be appropriate as opposed to my kind of wading in the surf.

On the way in we went to the Cham Museum which included many sculptures and decorations from the Cham Empire which ruled the area from the 8th to the 14th century. The Cham or Champa lived in central Vietnam for many centuries but there are now only 100,000 of them remaining. They are believed to be of Malaysian / Polynesian descent and unlike other Vietnamese, they have curly black hair. Hundreds of years ago they had towns and built large buildings and temples and these had intricate carvings and decorations. Pieces of these excavated buildings were on display in the museum. They were not anything fancy by today’s standards but the workmanship and the detailing were incredible. The Cham were Hindus so these were different types of temples than what we had seen before. The actual ruins can be visited but we are not doing that on this trip as it is some distance away and we don’t have time. At one time the country was divided into three parts: north and south (my terms!) and the Cham Empire in the middle.

Danang is now the fourth largest city in Vietnam with a population of 1.0 million. Up until 1997 it was just part of the surrounding province but in 1997 it became a separate city under more direct control of government officials. There are five large public universities in the city and many privates as well. There is lots of development taking place in the city. The countryside surrounding the city is mountainous (or at least hilly). Monkey mountain (over 600 meters) is a well-known mountain, so named because of the monkeys who live around its base.

Lunch was at a local restaurant and we each ordered separately as we were paying this time. I had a soup or stew with potatoes and carrots and tiger prawns in a delicious creamy sauce. I had to get Sylvia to show me how to get the heads off the prawns. I was used to dealing with the tails but not the heads. I also got about a loaf of crusty bread, which I laughed at when she brought it. However, it was great for soaking up the broth and by the time the meal was finished I had eaten it all. I’m definitely liking the Vietnamese food more than the Chinese food.

Because it was not bombed during the war, Hoi An has its original architecture and the old town, a pedestrian area only, although pedal bikes and motor bikes are allowed, is lit at night and beautiful. Because of its location at the mouth of the river, Hoi An was a major port and the crossroads of cultural exchange. The Portuguese, Dutch and others all traded here because the harbour and river were deep enough for large ocean vessels to anchor safely away from the sea. Tea, coffee, silk and porcelain were the main commodities of trade. In the mid 19th century, the government at the time declared that all trading / shipping had to occur in Hoi An only so that also helped the city grow. Excavations in the area have revealed artifacts from the 2 BC to 2 AD period. Today Hoi An is a resort town and there are many large new resorts along the beach to accommodate all the guests. In the more central city locations there is a wide promenade along the sea shore.

As noted above, this was a big R&R area for the troops during the Vietnam War. It was, as a result, also where most relationships occurred between American soldiers and Vietnamese women and thus it became the centre for the Eurasian children or “children of the sand”. These children were rejected by the Vietnamese people and often became homeless orphans. Some eventually made it to the US but many did not and lived rejected by those around them and without family their entire lives.

Our local tour guide was born in 1971 so does not remember the war itself. He does remember his mother going away because she was hit by a bullet during the war. She lived, thanks to a German doctor on a ship in the harbour, but she could not have any more children, which is why he is the youngest in the family. Military service is mandatory for those who fail to meet the entrance requirement for university. Many stay in the military and get an education and become officers. Our guide can never be an officer and cannot attend the military university because his parents and grandparents fought on the side of the south in the war. I guess that’s the three generation rule again.

Dinner this evening was at our resort and it was delicious. After our early morning start, most of us then retired early. And first thing in the morning we were up and at it again. Today’s adventure involved a walk around the old city of Hoi An and through the market. After that we had a boat ride on the river. We then had lunch and shopping time, and headed back to our hotel in early afternoon to enjoy some relaxation time. That’s what I’m doing at the moment, sitting on my patio listening to the roar of the waves and typing on my laptop.

The tour of the old city was fascinating. The streets are narrow but not as narrow as in some old towns. You could at least have several people walking and a bike going by at the same time and stores with displays pouring out on to the sidewalk. The businesses were mainly stores selling touristy items and clothing, or restaurants. There were lots of tailors offering to make you custom outfits, and many handicraft stores. It was quite busy and there were lots of people around, not just tourists. The buildings were generally two storey buildings but the design varied greatly from pagoda style to European classical style. Yellow seemed to be the predominant colour for the homes but there were other colours as well. Many had decorations on the roof or the side. We saw several temples and ornate gates. Even the old bridge was decorated with a tile roof of alternating pipes which had delftware pottery at the ends

We crossed a bridge after we got off the bus (and before we got on it again. The water level was 4-5 feet from the top but our guide told us that each night at high tide it floods over the banks. The bridge and the nearby trees have lanterns in them and these are what make the nights in the old city so special. We then went to see another bridge. The Japanese covered bridge crosses a tributary that used to divide two sections of the city (Japanese and Vietnamese?). It is concrete at the base and sides and wood across and it s quite unique. Inside are sculptures of two dogs at one end and two monkeys at the other end with one theory being that construction was started in the year of the dog and finished in the year of the monkey (or vice versa).

We visited Tan Ky, an old merchant’s house, which was quite nice. It was narrow at the street side but went right back to the river as you moved through it. At one point 20 plus of us were in the sitting room so there was ample space. There was a large kitchen - old but functional at the back, a master bedroom and a second bedroom – both very small and with bamboo slat mattresses, a dining room, altars, and entrance way. The ceiling was very high and had elaborately carved wooden beams. There was a second floor but we did not go up there. Just the first floor would have been as large as my condo so despite the fact it looked narrow at the street, it did have lots of room. Architecturally it was a mix of Japanese and Chinese styles. Hoi An actually has Portuguese, French and British styles as well. We also visited one of the community assembly halls. It seemed like a temple to me with many different entrances and altars but there was one big area with a large table which could certainly have been used for meetings. Apparently they have one of these in each community, or at least they used to. I saw several churches as well but we did not visit any of them. The Hoi An Ancient City, as they call it, is a UNESCO cultural heritage site.

We went to the market and it was bustling with activity. The walkways in here were really narrow and they were really low. They have canvases up to keep of the rain (or the sun if it’s shining) and they are set at less than 6 feet, which accommodates most Vietnamese but not us tourists and definitely not our umbrellas. The fruits and vegetables were absolutely mouth watering they were so fresh: tomatoes, all kinds of lettuce, cucumbers, egg plant, green onions, beets, potatoes, carrots,, corn, beans, squash, bananas, pears, and a million other things I couldn’t even name. The fish and meat was a bit less mouth watering but it was definitely fresh! The selection was as good as we would get in any market in Canada, and the price was a lot better!

We went for a boat ride down the Bon river and back. Because of the weather we couldn’t go too far out as the seas were pretty rough. The first thing you notice is that all the wooden boats used by the fishermen and others have eyes painted on each side. These are to look out for trouble and to scare away any sea monsters. There were lots of small boats with one or two people in them. Some were throwing nets out and then hauling them in again. Some were laying the nets in the water to come back to them later. Some had already put their nets out and were now hitting the water with their sticks to scare the fish into the nets. There were bigger boats that were ferries and they carried not only people and their produce but also their bikes and motor bikes. The river bank on the one side was virtually empty except for sand and vegetation. The other side had houses and resorts. The houses a bit farther away from the old town were larger and much nicer but no more than three storeys in height. The water is a muddy brown so with the cloudy, rainy weather it was a rather dull picture. However, it was still a very enjoyable ride.

We then went to one of the local restaurants for lunch, just 10 steps from where the boat left us and it was an incredible lunch. They had everything on the menu but their specialty was Italian so I had their lasagna. It was delicious and I got a large slice with a salad and garlic toast and a soft drink and it cost me 140,000 dong including tip so about $7. Tonight we are on our own for dinner so it is cheese and crackers (yes, stolen from the breakfast buffet) and fruit from the fruit plate in my room, with a piece of chocolate for dessert.

Our local tour guide today told us that a small house used to sell for 3,000 US dollars but now, since tourism has hit the area, the same house sells for 4-500,000 US dollars. The new part of the city has all been built within the last 15-20 years. Tourism is now the main business of the town. The second closest is birds’ nest collection as they get good money for the birds’ nests. Apparently the nests are rich in potassium, iron, calcium and magnesium and are popular in bird’s nest soup. In the US, one of the biggest consumers of bird’s nests, you pay $2,000 to $10,000 per kilogram depending on whether they are white or red nests. Who knew?

Sylvia and I went into town by taxi at about 7 p.m. (20-30 minute ride for about $3) and wandered around for a while, and then caught the shuttle bus back to the hotel at 8:30. The old city is nice when lit up at night but there really weren’t many areas that were lit. The main entry bridge was lit and the fish, snake and tiger statues were lit, and then all the shops selling lanterns were lit with the lanterns. Many restaurants and lounges also had beautiful lanterns.

The amazing thing was that the street down by the river was indeed flooded with water. In some places it was just a little on the river side of the street and in other places there was just enough dry ground to walk on in front of the shops on the other side of the street. No one seemed at all concerned so I guess it is an expected thing when the water is high. And I guess this doesn’t really feel high. In some of the buildings we were in earlier in the day, the people showed us the high water marks and at times the water literally covered the entire first floor – about 5 or 6 feet of water in the house. They have a pulley system to move all the furniture to the second floor and that just seemed to be a natural thing for them to do. I guess when you live in that type of situation you just learn to adapt and go on with your life. It was worth going to town just to see how high the normal water level was at night. After our trip to town we started packing again for another early morning and our next location.