We took a plane from HaNoi to Danang in Central Vietnam and were met by our guide at the airport for the short drive south to the former trading port of Hoi An, located on the Thu Bon River. The region has been inhabited since the late iron age, over 2000+ years ago. Its more recent history was as a vibrant port with Arab, Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese and Portuguese merchants throughout the 16th to 18th centuries. There is evidence of this presence in the historical buildings throughout the old town and dotted along the river. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site with more than 800 traditional houses and buildings preserved.
Our stay in Hoi An was one of our favourites from this trip and both my daughter and I were glad we had chosen to spend 3 days/2 nights in this bustling town. On arrival we stopped for lunch at Miss Ly cafe and enjoyed traditional vietnamese spring rolls, meat wonton and a cool water. The street was alive with a steady flow of bicycles and mopeds and we loved having a ringside seat.
The experience here was very different from Ha Noi, the old town is pedestrian and had a relaxed, breezy feel to it. After lunch, we ventured on a walking tour with our guide after the purchase of an Old Town admission ticket (120,000VD) from a booth at the end of the street. The addmission ticket allows you entry to all the historical buildings. The first stop was the beautiful Chua Ong Pagoda on Tran Phu Street, which was built in 1653 to honour the Chinese General, Quan Cong, who is venerated as a symbol of loyalty, integrity and justice. When visitors make offerings the custodian strikes a large bronze bowl.
From the pagoda it was a short walk to the Phuc Kien Assembly hall (open from 7am to 5.30pm). It is now the Jinshang Temple of Thien Hau, goddess of the sea and who protects sailors. At the back of the temple is an altar which has seated figures which represent the Fujian families who fled China for Hoi An in the 1600’s.
It was lovely to walk the streets and look at the old buildings, and whilst it was very humid it was bearable. It was very picturesque, with something to catch the photographers eye with every few paces!
We visited an old Vietnamese ancestral house, Tan Ky, which backs onto the river and has survived for 200 years and been home to a number of generations. There are influences from other cultures too, including some beautiful mother of pearl inlays of Chinese poetry formed as birds in flight.
Our final stop of the first day was the famous covered Japanese bridge, which arches beautifully across the Thu Bon river and was opened by Nguyen Phuc Chu Lord in 1719, who carved three Chinese symbols above the door in commemoration. Sculptures celebrating the Chinese year in which the Japanese emperors were born depict two dogs and two monkeys and also mark the year of the dog when the bridge building was commenced and the year of the monkey, when it was completed. The bridge provided the crossing to the Chinese quarter of Hoi An.
After our tour we took a river trip for an hour up the Thu Bon river. It was beautiful on the water, with a refreshing light breeze. We passed old merchant houses set on stilts above the water or nestling on the banks of the river.
We watched some Vietnamese fishermen casting nets in the traditional way and they displayed their skills for us to photograph. We suspected that they wait until the tourist boats come and make their money though fishing for tourist dollars after their display! Fair enough I guess!
We retired to the beautifully named My Heart room at the Almanity Hotel, 326 Ly Thuong Kiet Street for dinner in the hotel restaurant and a good nights rest.
The following day, we were scheduled to take part in a cooking course at the Red Bridge Cooking School on the Thu Bon river. We were met by a representative of the school and proceeded to visit the local market to see for ourselves where fresh produce was bought. It was an assault on the senses with vibrant colours and rich, aromatic spices filling the air one minute, followed by the slightly less pleasant smells of fish, seafood and meat resting in the morning heat. The hustle and bustle of locals and tourists going about their business meant the clamour of voices, laughter and the shouts of merchants vying for shoppers to buy their products.
Next we boarded a boat for the short trip to the Red Bridge Cooking School. Now, to say that both Lydia and I are challenged in the kitchen would be somewhat of an understatement! We were both a little concerned as to whether we would enjoy the class and if we would be a complete disaster compared to our fellow chefs!
The morning was fabulous, the chef patient and we were inspired. We made Vietnamese spring rolls with our own hand made rice paper, a salad and traditional noodle soup. Even better, we sat down with our fellow novice chefs to enjoy the fruits of our labours. The recipes are printed out for you so you can replicate the culinary delights on arrival at home. We would recommend this activity as great value at a cost of approx. $100 (booked in Australia before we travelled).
That evening we walked into the town from our hotel, had a fabulous dinner at the Green Mango restaurant and then strolled along the river enjoying the lights, music and thronging crowds. There were many children and elderly Vietnamese selling candles to float on the river for small amounts of Dong. After being approached by many people in the course of the evening we were a little weary with this.
A very elderly woman approached us on a quiet stretch of river beyond the bridge where we were to all intents and purposes alone. I apologised and went to walk away at which point my 22 year old said “Mum did you see she was only wearing one shoe?” I had not noticed, but we had just spent our last Dong and, as we were leaving Vietnam the next day, I had no change. I felt compelled to go to the ATM up the road, gave my daughter some cash and we went back to the elderly woman who was kneeling on the grass by the rivers edge. My daughter asked for a candle and then handed over what was to us, an insignificant amount of money but may have meant she did not have to work for the next week or month. The woman opened her hand and looked and then she held my daughters face between her two hands and said a blessing in Vietnamese, she was smiling and clearly happy but we walked away with tears, humbled and made to realise how fortunate we are and what a privileged life we lead. Those encounters are memorable and stay with you beyond your trip.
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stories and, watched some crazy German tourists take a cold plunge! We shared our boat with travellers from Canada, the US, Europe and Asia and I loved hearing their stories and learning about their journeys, some of which were quite emotional.
e as we cruised the bay to our overnight anchorage at Ho Dang Tien. We experienced local rice wine for the first and, probably the last, time! There was a well stocked bar and it was good to enjoy an evening cocktail. Dressing for dinner meant wearing traditional Bao Dai dress (provided) and official photos.
Wanderers Dreams 