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Published: April 12th 2017
fisherman
Early morning calmLast night was so cold I put on my fleece jacket in the middle of the night! The sheet and single blanket that was ridiculously hot in Siem Reap and just right in Da Lat was insufficient here in Hoi An. Of course there is no heating (yet?), so as we go farther north and higher in elevation, the temperatures inside and outside are much cooler. We now have to bring our jackets on the bus, rather than just for evening activities. Yesterday the wind was very strong except right in the city. The highs were around 20° C, but the humidity, wind and cloud combined to make it feel cooler. Thuy and Phyllis, who is from California, are wearing light down jackets.
We took a different road back to Danang, which is north of Hoi An and thus on our route to Hue. Medium high-rise apartments were both built and being developed on this route, which paralleled the ocean for a distance. Lots of townhouses had good access to the beach, in addition to the many hotels. We also saw more “garden houses”, which seems to be the term for bungalows with a vegetable garden and some rice paddies.
Ocean Cloud Pass
Rain on the lens, rain in our eyes! Rather than using the tunnels through the mountains, Thuy chose the route up to
Hai Van Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass) because of the beautiful views. Unfortunately, the higher we climbed the switchback road, the foggier and rainier the weather became. When we pulled into the parking lot at the top, the pouring rain was being driving sideways by the wind. Determined to get a photo, I was the only one off the bus not on a WC break. It took a few moments to convey that I wanted to find where the view was. Eventually one of the vendors pointed and said, “No photo!” A tiny view did exist, and I particularly liked the effect of the fine raindrops on the lens.
As we came down more switchbacks, the weather improved again, but the scenery until Hue was quite dull – flat, featureless, and lacking shops except in small towns. The shops did start appearing more as we neared Hue, until it was the usual stream of cafes, stalls, stores and homes. We went straight to a restaurant for lunch. My favourite dish was spiced beef made into tight little sausages and wrapped in morning glory leaves. Not sure of
Harvesting water hyacinth
Plant to be used in all its parts the cooking method.
Our afternoon started in a tourist boat, motoring down the Perfume River. Although relaxing, it was quite dull compared to our other cruises because most of the other boats were also hired by tourists. A few men fished with rods, but I was disconcerted because they all chose to stand by sewer outflows, giving me severe doubts about the safety of their catch and their family’s health.
We drove a short distance to the
Thien Mu Pagoda, the oldest in central Vietnam, and in Thuy’s eyes the most beautiful. The main building was not magnificent, but the altar inside was decorative. Behind the building was a wonderful bonsai garden, with little Banyan trees planted in scenes of trees, mountains and water, and a few with flowers. The size of the plants was quite large for the bonsai we recognize, but the trees also may have been considerably older. Thuy told us about the alloyed bronze and gold bell near the entrance; it was revered by the people of Hue because of its holiness and because people had given their own gold for the bell, and it was hated because the overlords used it to wake people at
Banyan in Bonsai
Huge trees made tiny 4:00 a.m. (time of the first Buddhist prayers) to work long days for them.
To go to the hotel, Thuy had arranged for
cyclos (bicycle rickshaws). Gently riding along at street level was fun, and riskily exciting when we had to take main roads, wincing at the traffic racing by. On the back streets we saw households going about their tasks of cleaning and cooking and tending to the yard. Especially children, but also adults, shouted, “Hello! Hello!”, and we shouted back.
After what seemed a considerable distance and perhaps at our destination, the cyclists stopped. We could hear strange music and singing coming from a large house. Thuy motioned us in. A wild spectacle greeted our eyes. In the centre of a patio crowded with spectators were three women dancing while waving incense sticks; nearby were instrumentalists and a man chanting, maybe singing. The women heaped up and flung around money, presumably blessing it. In jumped a man who danced on all fours, and who gnawed at a thick raw pork steak and fruit from the offerings. After a considerable amount of this performance, the women distributed offerings to the crowd, including money. I was given 3000
Taoist ceremony
Devotion was evident. dong, obviously as some kind of good will token. I felt embarrassed at having it, even though it is worth only thirty-five cents. When Thuy moved forward to donate money, I gave her the bills. Later Thuy explained that this impromptu stop was a rare opportunity to see a
Daoist service called
Hau Dong. The elderly man whose house it was invited the dancers and musicians to pray for good fortune. The man behaving like an animal was the incarnation of the spirit of a tiger. The patron has brought this ceremony to his house twice a year for twelve years, at significant expense.
We got back on the cyclos to continue our journey. Once again we stopped, but this time as planned, at a historic house. Built in 1894 it was made mainly of dark wood, which signified an upper middle-class house. It consisted of one large room that held two double beds and the table where we were invited to sit for tea; in a separate building was a large glittering shrine to the ancestors. An unmarried woman of 89 owned and lived in the house with her 65-year-old niece. The owner’s brother and sister are still alive,
in Saigon. When she dies intestate, they will inherit, unless she makes a will to change the traditional inheritance.
The last leg of our cyclo journey took us through many more busy streets, dodging traffic. In the low slung seat, our bodies were very close to the action! Not exactly frightening, but definitely startling as cars, large vehicles and motorcycles came close to us. Also, I appreciated why over half the cyclists wear specially designed face masks, probably to reduce breathing the fumes spewing directly in your face. Chilled by the evening air, we arrived at the modern hotel where we will stay two nights.
">View video of our cyclo ride.
Isabel Gibson
non-member comment
Architecture
What a wide variety of styles. And you're exactly right - those new condos could be set down in Calgary and not raise an eyebrow. The Thien Mu Pagoda, on the other hand, is exotic and striking. Your videos are priceless - they really convey the experience in a way that still photos can't. Well done. (I'm still trying to remember to switch to, or add, video to my own trip records.)