A tale of campfire, techno and karaoke

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Amidst the headache-inducing intoxication of techno music and karaoke, Marc and I still managed to enjoy a recent overnight trip to Ba Na.

We took the trip as part of a free staff and teacher outing offered by the school. Built in 1919, Ba Na Hill Station was a lookout point for the French during their occupation of Vietnam. After the Vietnamese defeated the French to reclaim their (brief) independence in 1945, the site was abandoned for more than 40 years. Now, the Vietnamese government is rebuilding the area, which includes once grand hotels and French villas deteriorated by time and the effects of American bombing, in hopes of drawing domestic and foreign tourists to this beautiful mountain vista above the clouds.

At an elevation of 1,485 m, the mountain (and all other so-called mountains we’ve seen in Vietnam) pales in comparison to the Rockies, of course. But like DaLat, the thinner, cooler air and lush green scenery were reminiscent of Panorama - and B.C., in general.

However, the breathtaking backdrop was contrasted by loud techno music, which was broadcast over a PA system all day and all night. I think its safe to assume the music plays 24/7. Compounding the bizarre background music was a late-night campfire get-together at the hotel, which was accompanied by a professional DJ turning out cheesy techno versions of popular American songs (e.g. “I Will Survive”) and handing over the microphone to any guest wanting to wow the crowd with a karaoke number in Vietnamese.

At times, we were forced to join hands with the guests and circle the fire or get up and dance. As none of the other four teachers at the school could attend, we were the only Westerners on our tour (and two of only a handful staying at the hotel that night), which included six of the female Vietnamese office staff from ILA. All of the staff can speak good English, and we capitalized on the opportunity to swap stories about Canadian and Vietnamese culture.

We learned that, for the most part, Vietnamese women do not smoke, drink or generally go out dancing or partying on the weekend. And unless they have boyfriends, it is uncommon to spend time with the opposite sex. Their free time is spent having coffee (which is code for any type of non-alcoholic beverage) with girlfriends on weekends, going for walks and studying. In other words, they’re total squares, and I am somewhat of a wild Western woman to them.

Vietnamese men, on the other hand, seem to travel in large packs. During the day, corner coffee shops are almost solely occupied by men chain smoking over their iced coffees. It is not uncommon to see young men walking with their arms around each others shoulders or old men holding hands on the street. At the Ba Na campfire, there was a rowdy group of young Vietnamese men with some smooth moves who were more interested in dancing with Marc than any of the female guests.

While we do admit that after learning we would be the only foreigners on the school trip we considered backing out, but we were really glad to have experienced Ba Na and spent some time with the staff. Since then, we have gone for coffee and dinner with some of our adult students, and the continued exchange about culture, values and experiences is part of what this adventure is about for us. We are feeling more connected and comfortable with Danang and its people.

Having said that, we are so grateful to everyone who sent us emails and messages on the blog regarding our last entry. Your thoughtful and humourous (Craig, you kill us!) words of support and encouragement really improved our outlook and helped us get through a couple of tough weeks. We know that however far away from home we are, and however isolated we may feel on this adventure, we are not alone. Thanks for reading and caring.

Love you all,
The Smiths

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Photos

Ring of fire
As a ceremonial kick-off to the hotel campfire at Ba Na Hill Station, we were forced to join the other guests and circle the fire in attempted rhythm with the blaring techno music.

Omnipotence
A large Buddha sits above the clouds near the top of Ba Na Hill Station.

Head and shoulders
We joined six members of the ILA office staff on our overnight stay in Ba Na: Anh, Loan, Hien, Kim, My and Uyen.

Old Villa
Scattered throughout the woods of Ba Na, there are several old French villas. The structures have deteriorated over time due to environmental effects and the result of American bombs.

Pagoda
At the base of the steps beneath the Buddha.

From the hotel
Our hotel, a blend of kitschy Asian and French architecture, was built into the side of the mountain and provided an amazing view. At night, you can clearly see the tightly clustered city lights of Danang not far in the distance.

Bust a move
Thankfully diverting attention away from the unusually large foreigners at the campfire was this group of lively young men.

Follow the leader
The young men regularly circled the fire in a follow the leader style game. Later, there was also fire jumping in their flip flops. Nobody was hurt.

Yummy
Later in the evening, our tour guide threw corn and other vegetables on the fire, which were retrieved with chopsticks, of course. Marc is enjoying taro, a delicious potato-like vegetable.

Misty morning at Ba Na Hill Station
The mist moved up the the mountain and straight into the windows of the hotel in the morning.

Top of the mountain
We took a short climb to the top of the mountain in the morning. Cell reception was excellent.

Monkeys
There were about a dozen monkeys roaming free along the street at the top of Ba Na Hill Station.

"Oh no you don't"
Our tour guide threw a package of Oreo cookies at the monkey, who was not interested in sharing.

Hotel
One of the many old hotels the Vietnamese government plans on renovating or restoring.

When in Vietnam...
pose like the Vietnamese. More often than not, the girls struck this pose for almost every photo. They also took photos of themselves anywhere and everywhere possible. They told us that because many Vietnamese people do not get to travel often -- or really even leave town -- taking a plethora of photographs is proof that a person has been somewhere. Look! Marc was in Ba Na.