Same Same but Different


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Asia » Vietnam » South Central Coast » Quảng Nam » Hoi An
September 20th 2007
Published: September 21st 2007
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When we ended our last blog we were about to set out on a snorkelling tour of the islands around Nha Trang. The day proved to be great for a snorkelling adventure, clear blue sky, warm, and with minimal wind. We were both so engrosed in seeking out interesting fish and coral that we managed to give ourselves quite the sun burns. Oh well, it was definitely worth it. The highlight for both of us was seeing a bright yellow fish about 1 meter in length that looked a bit like snuffleluphaghus. That evening we embarked on our first vietnam train journey. We booked into a first class sleeping birth (with soft bunk!!!). Quite the experience! We shared our room with 4 others and the trip lasted 9 hours. Once we conquered our fears of falling out of our shaking bunks we managed to get some shut eye and reached Hoi An in better shape than we expected.

Hoi An is a bustling little town, originally the main port town in Vietnam until the late 18th Century when the canals silted up past use. Hence, it had lots of Asian and European archictectural influence and has been designated as a UNESCO world heritage site. What economic prosperity was lost with the silt has definitely been compensated by a bustling tailoring industry. The town is chockablock full of little shops that are beside themselves to try and sell you custom tailored apparell. The saying "same same but different" seems to be a major slogan for all of Vietnam but it really fits for Hoi An.Everything from suits, to winter jackets (it is quite strange to be shopping for winter clothes in 35*C weather), to bikinis, to silk shirts, and even shoes. Basically if you can show them a picture or a sample of it, they can make it with incredible precision and skill. We both picked up new wardrobes of custom tailored suits and jackets at very affordable prices. However, the shops come at a cost as the town lost some of its charm from the endless pestering from the shop keepers to see their ware. On a different note, the food was probably the best we've had in Vietnam yet and that is really saying a lot.

As our final activity in Hoi An, we took a tour to the nearby My Son holy land; an area of holy towers built by the Cham civilization dating back from the 4th to 13th centuries. At one point there were over 70 towers in the area but time, and the war, have diminished their numbers to around 20. Amazingly, these towers are constructed using bricks with no visible mortar holding them together. However, they have held together over the centuries and in cases where attempts have been made to repair damage, the new bricks have deteriorated in ony a few decades. They have yet to discover how the Cham people made their bricks or how they held them together. As our guide pointed out, anyone who figures out the secret to making these bricks will make quite a profit.

One sad sight was the total and deliberate destruction of the largest tower by American sappers during the war. Story goes, a French museum curator wrote to President Nixon, protesting the incident, resulting in an order against any further attacks against the site.

Next, we are off to the old imperial capital of Hue.


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25th September 2007

How fantastic!
Hej! Looks like you really have a great time on your trip! Mh, I feel like I also want to leave cloudy and cold Europe for a little while. Cheers, Ina

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