Vietnam, Part 3

Central Vietnam
Da Nang to the Old City of Hoi An


OK folks, time is short and I'm already about 3 weeks behind our actual travels so this one is gonna be heavy on the pictures and light on words!  I'm adding links (highlighted text) if you would like to read more about any of the places mentioned (please do - these places are so special and worth learning more about, especially if you ever plan to visit Vietnam). As promised, I'll start first with a few photos from the museum and also from the very quirky Marble Mountains, just south of the city of Da Nang...

The travelers pose in front of an exquisite bronze sculpure of Tara at the Museum of Cham Sculpture

Amazingly detailed 13th Century stone dragons originally from Thap Mam (Binh Dinh Gallery)

The Marble Mountains, or "Five Elements Mountains" are named after the five elements Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). The area is know for its stone quarries and sculpture works. (Note photo above from Wikipedia - I didn't have one that showed the mountains from the air!) 

Climb many steps to reach the heights of the Marble Mountains and you can explore temples and pagodas perched on the steep hillsides and hidden altars complete with golden Buddhas hidden in dark caves, clouded by thick incense smoke. Pretty amazing. 


Hội An


Despite being the place where Stacey most likely picked up Dengue Fever (which I'll cover in the next installment!), Hoi An was by far our favorite place so far in Vietnam. It has it all: culture, history, entertainment, shopping, food, markets, crafts, used bookstores, funky riverside bars and even a beach, and all within a small and easy to explore area. We ended up staying there seven days, and could easily have stayed much longer. 

Exploring the Old Town of Hoi An, with its unique blend of architecture

For centuries, Hoi An was an important and colorful trading port with merchants visiting from all over Asia (and further afield). The 'old town' quarter of Hoi An is yet another of Vietnam's many World Heritage Sites, with architecture that dates as old as the 15th century and showing many of the different cultural influences including Vietnamese, China, Japan, and France.

Maritime trades continue to be an important part of life in Hoi An. These are fishing boats anchored in the Thu Bồn river that runs through the town. Note the "eyes" painted on the bow for good luck and to help the crew stay alert and avoid danger.

Hoi An has temples galore, and they are some of the most beautiful we've seen in Vietnam. This is the Trung Hoa Assembly Hall, established in 1741.

ca. 17th Century covered bridge built by Japanese merchants to connect two parts of the Old Town. The bridge doubles as a temple and has shrines to several deities within it. 

Hoi An is small and relatively quiet, easily explored on foot or by bicycle.

Two generations of Vietnam chatting on the streets of Hoi An

Hoi An is famous for its tailors who create quality custom-made clothing at a great price. Shops line every street, and it can be hard to choose one!  Ms. Lan at LAN No.9 came highly recommended and she didn't disappoint!

Handicrafts are sold on every street corner. These are pottery flutes in the shapes of animals.

Traditional music and dance presentation

The alleys of Hoi An are so much fun to explore, with streetside food stalls and vendors around every corner. Sitting down with the locals on the tiny plastic benches is a great way to experience the culture. We visited this sweet lady four times to enjoy her delicious banh bao va ("White Rose"), a dish that's renowned here.  She and her friends were highly amused that we returned so many times.

Cau Lau - a delicious Vietnamese vermicelli - was WIlliam's favourite food discovery in Hoi An. Very difficult to find a vegetarian version, though!

 

We also learned how to make some dishes ourselves with a great cooking class provided by Hien at Cafe 43.  This is also, in our opinion, one of Hoi An's best little restaurants and highly recommended.  Best food we'd had since arriving in Vietnam.

Hoi An is known for its beautiful silk lanterns. You can visit local shops to see them being made. Silk is stretched over collapsible bamboo frames that fold down quite small for easy shipping! Handy, eh?  Like the tailors, the choices are numerous and it's quite an adventure to look through the many styles that are available.

 At night, the city literally glows by the light of hundreds of colorful lanterns of all shapes and sizes hanging from the old buildings, bridges and treetops. It's quite a magical scene.

A short bicycle ride out of town takes you to An Bang beach, passing by numerous waterways and rice paddies.  With the spell that it weaves over your, it's easy so see why so many people come to Hoi An and how so many expats get lured into staying...