Encountering Cambodia and Vietnam - Da Nang, Friday 2016 February 26

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Our last taste of Da Lat was a brisk walk to the market, about half a kilometre from the hotel. Dodging our way through a couple of traffic circles and a busy road, we first saw bright flower stalls - surprising to me was the number of flowering cactuses for sale. We moved indoors to the sellers of dried fruits and other sweets. Then we were in the real action where the fruits and vegetables were piled high: Chinese cabbage, artichokes, bitter melon, limes, cilantro, and many others. We were drawn further by fishy smells; freshness is guaranteed because water was bubbled into the enormous bowls keeping grouper, snakehead fish, and catfish alive. Once purchased, the fish is skilfully gutted and cut into pieces by big cleavers. Except for those fish sold to the Buddhist monk; Thuy told us he was buying live fish to return them to the river. A bit further on were the pork stalls draped in long slices of meat, plus halved pig’s snout and ears. Out of this melee we went upstairs to the clothing market – everything for the family. The only price I saw were shoes for 150,000 dong, about $7.50, the same price I paid for the scarf yesterday. Quite a few stalls were closed until later in the morning, or closed due to taking a month’s vacation for Lunar New Year.

Out on the sidewalk Thuy offered a few options, and we chose her favourite: a trip to the bakery and then to her favourite nearby coffee shop. At the same bakery as yesterday we selected pastries, which she bought for us, along with a whole lot of Vietnamese subs, which later proved to be our lunch. Around the corner and down the block, she led us into a genuinely local café. Very low couch-benches and tiny stools were arranged close to very small, low tables. The atmosphere was dark, a bit smoky, and almost silent. (Of course we made the most noise.) Almost all the customers were reading their cell phones. We ordered coffee, which here is drip espresso, served in an individual little filter-and-cup arrangement. Sugar must have been in the cup already. The flavour was superb! Rich and smooth - the perfect accompaniment to our pastries.

We were having lots of laughs until Thuy realized were late for the departure from the hotel. She put us all into taxis, and we raced in the traffic to the hotel. Bags and things came together. Soon we were on our way to the airport, which is about 30 km from Da Lat, in the neighbouring valley. The new and well designed airport was a comfortable place to wait while Thuy negotiated our group check-in, and then to wait for our flight (72-seater prop plane). This was when Thuy distributed the baguette sandwiches: the bread was crispy but softer than a French baguette and filled with headcheese and some salad vegetables. She also provided more of the pork pastries we ate yesterday, plus a lot of little cream-puffs. Very satisfactory picnic. Uneventful flight – except I left my hand luggage on board and needed an airline cleaner to retrieve it.

Da Nang was in line with the increasingly prosperous appearance of cities and towns as we move further north. Right in the centre was a long bridge, its edges decorated as a gigantic golden dragon undulating from one side of the bridge to the other. It is called the Dragon Bridge, of course.

Right by the bridge was the Cham Museum, which Thuy wanted us to see before visiting related temple ruins tomorrow. The Cham people of this area were Hindu, and the very eroded sandstone artefacts represented Shiva (statues damaged by French soldiers), Parvati (Shiva’s wife), Nandi (calf), lingams, dancers, and Ganesha (elephant headed god). About half the items were relief carvings. The intertwining of this culture with the Indian culture that I saw a few years ago showed how ideas travelled and were modified.

On the bus again, we drove about an hour to Hoi An. Virtually all the way, houses and businesses lined the road. To one side was the Thu Bon River, with enough boats on it to show that it is still an important trade route. Hoi An itself is a relatively prosperous city of about one million people. We were at the Riverside Resort, across an old bridge that will not support buses, so we were transferred in a van.

Before dinner, Thuy had the van drop us a fairly short distance across the bridge from the hotel, and we walked in the historic centre. Coloured lanterns hung across the streets, and tourists shopped everywhere. The jumble of activity jazzed our already over-stimulated brains with excitement and anticipation. We walked half a dozen blocks and turned into The Cargo Club restaurant. Upstairs we went to the balcony over-looking the river, shining with reflections from boat traffic. To our surprise, Thuy was turning us “free” for the evening to order what we wanted from the two menus, one western and one Vietnamese. I had lobster wonton soup (delicious, minimal lobster) and rich braised duck leg on vegetables and crispy noodles, and gin and tonic.

After dinner we all walked back along the waterfront. On the street, vendors were trying to entice last minute purchasers. Two small girls were selling candles for floating on the river. I didn’t think encouraging child-exploitive labour was a good thing, but Thuy helps poor people and bought some. Difference philosophies from different life experiences. Just before the bridge, we passed through a market that was mostly closed; a few vendors sold fruits and vegetables. The fish vendors were absent but their places were marked by smells.

View map of trip to date.

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Photos

Da Lat apartments
Bright morning on the main square

Da Nang
Not so much rushing traffic

Dragon Bridge over River Han
21st Century Dragon

Vishnu on 13-headed cobra
Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture

Historic Hoi An
Cheerful greeting for tourists

Art Deco influence
Da Nang

Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture
French Colonial outside, Cham inside

Intricate Pedestal
Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture

Mythical Guardians
Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture

Close up and personal with a Dragon
Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture

Da Nang bridges
Showcasing the importance of the River Han

Shops and restaurants for everyone
Historic Hoi An

Comments

[Isabel Gibson]

Streets and gardens
The gardens and yards always look a little unkempt to my eye - as do most places in warm countries, it being tough to whack back the vegetation sufficiently to achieve a manicured look, I guess. How did you find the streets for litter? Your pictures show lots of colour and interesting architectural forms - were the streets clean by your standards/expectations?

[beentouring]

Streets and gardens
Mmmm, I wasn't struck by the untidiness of the gardens. Streets were generally clean enough. Many Vietnamese participate in the concept that keeping your own area clean is important while taking little responsibility for the public realm. This can lead to sweeping stuff out onto the street. I have seen this in other countries, too. Public parks were clean and tidy, proudly maintained.