Month: July 2016

Day 1 – May 18

Yesterday, May 17, we took a 9.5 hour day train from Sapa to Hanoi, which I wouldn’t recommend (stick with the overnight train, even if you don’t get any sleep).  Once we got to town, we spent the night at Calypso Grand Hotel, which was perfect for what we needed – a clean place to lay our heads.  The following morning, May 18, we were picked up at 7:45am by Indochina Junk and made a 4 hour journey by air conditioned van (with WiFi!) to Bai Tu Long Bay via Halong Bay.  This was a total splurge for us as we decided to go with Indochina Junk’s newest 5 star cruise line, Dragon Legend, consisting of 24 luxury cabins, 4 levels with both inside and outside restaurants, a spa, bar, sundeck area and other entertainment options.  For one night, it came to $424 total but that included 4 meals (lunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch), lodging and a few activities.  Way above our $160 a day budget but when in Vietnam I guess.  Given the boat we slept on in India had rats and cockroaches running around, we figured we had to spend more to get more.  And the final selling point for this company was that they took us to Bai Tu Long Bay, which is far less touristy, far less visited yet just as beautiful as the infamous Halong Bay.  

We boarded the Dragon Legend around 1pm and were not disappointed from there on out.  It was clean, new and had great Vietnamese accents to make it feel authentic.  The crew was extremely welcoming, funny and all seemed genuinely happy to be there.  Their names were classic as well – Spider Man, Paul, James Bond, Nancy.  I’m pretty sure their birth certificates say something different but these are probably much easier for us foreigners to pronounce.  I, do however, wish the weather was a little less overcast and a little more sunny but as long as it doesn’t rain, I’ll be happy.  Fingers are crossed and positive vibes are radiating through my body.

Our room with a view…

As soon as everyone settled in, we headed up to the outdoor restaurant on the main deck for an incredible 6 course meal.  I was overly impressed when they were able to conform to each individual’s weird eating habits, including mine.  Since I don’t eat fish or red meat, they replaced it with either chicken or a vegetarian dish but still gave it to Vinny so we were both beyond satisfied.  A few examples of what was served – sweet & sour soup, chicken with koji berries, sea bass, prawns, stir fried cabbage, crab cakes, bananas and pineapple, etc.  Not only was our lunch first class but the views as we cruised along the bay weren’t too bad either.  Someone pinch me, I feel like I’m dreaming.

While cruising from Halong Bay to the Vung Dang and Cong Dam areas, we noticed so many jellyfish in the ever so green(ish) blue(ish) teal(ish) water.  Ahhhhhhhhhh.  Can you spot them in the photos below?  They were everywhere.  On that note, what kind of fish goes well with peanut butter?  A jelly-fish!!!

Now that our food has digested and we needed to work off the thousands of calories we just ingested, everyone went for a fun filled hour of kayaking along the stunningly beautiful Karst Mountains in the Vung Dang area.  Just like before, there were tons of jelly fish all around.  Vinny kept trying to tip me over (semi-jokingly) but not very funny in my opinion.  It was so hard to row our boat while still enjoying the picturesque scenery around us.  No photos can properly do this place justice.  Absolutely breathtaking.

After the hard workout, we rewarded ourselves with some beers on the top deck, enjoyed the scenery that surrounded us and relaxed until the sun went away and the moon came out to play…

That night, they served us yet another first class 6 course meal that included papaya salad, fried prawns, squid, pork, chicken satay, cream caramel, etc.  The outside restaurant was set up beautifully with white table cloths, red rose pedals, candles and wine bottles in various formations.  A lovely young couple from London, Hannah and Chris, probably in their mid 20’s, sat next to us at dinner and we just kept talking and talking and talking until the staff pretty much kicked us out around 11pm.  I just love meeting new people.

 

That night, we slept peacefully in the Tra San area, with absolutely no sounds surrounding us.  It was so quite, so tranquil, so different than the loud cities we are used to.

Day 2 – May 19

I woke up around 6am to join a few other people on the sundeck for some Tai Chi lessons.  Trying to be as cultured as possible, you know?  It was so hot and humid though, even this early in the morning.  The minute I turned on my camera, the lense immediately fogged up.  But with the sound of birds singing and the feeling of the limestone cliffs hugging you, it was quite a mystical moment.  One that doesn’t happen all the time.

They served a light breakfast at 7am in their indoor restaurant.  With a view, of course.

Then we set sail (literally) to Thien Canh San Island where we went cave exploring…

And then went kayaking, swimming and hung out on the beach of this very tiny little island.  For the first time in my life, I was part of the cool kids group and was able to sit in the area reserved only for the rich and famous.  Felt good.  While hanging out, I met a girl from Los Angeles (I know, how boring).  But she had a very interesting job.  She worked for an agency that put on events around the world that focused on barista championships.  Yes, barista.  A coffee maker.  Well, more than just a coffee maker I guess.  The word barista is an Italian word, and in Italy, a barista is a male or female “bartender”, who typically works behind a counter, serving hot drinks (such as espresso), cold alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks.  I didn’t even know competitions like this existed but I guess they do.  And they seem to be quite popular as well.  She was 40 years old but didn’t look a day over 30 – must be all that yoga she does and all that coffee she drinks.

This fabulous 24 hours ended with yet another delicious lunch on the boat.  I am pretty sad we only did one night but most people told us one night would be enough.  And if we weren’t on this 5 star ship, I’m sure that would be true.  But given the amenities and top notch experience we had, another night would have been just as enjoyable.  Oh well, better to have loved and lost than to have never loved before.  Does that saying even work here?  A bit of a stretch but you get what I mean, right?

We arrived back to Hon Gai Pier around 11:30am, piled back into the luxurious air conditioned van and headed to a local village for a traditional water puppet show that told various stories of Vietnamese history including rice plowing, marriage and family.

Halong Bay, (meaning “Descending Dragon”) although a UNESCO World Heritage Site title and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, seemed crowded, kind of dirty and very touristy from a distance.  I highly recommend opting for Bai Tu Long Bay instead.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.  According to ancient legend, Bai Tu Long Bay is one of the Dragon children of Halong Bay so in our language, it’s younger, fresher and more hip.

This was the fifth stop on our Vietnam journey and it continued to support how much I love this country so far.  Hopefully our last stop, Hanoi, can bring home the win with a 5 out of 5 rating.  See you there!

Day 1 – May 13

On Friday the 13th (eeeeeek), we flew an hour and twenty minutes from Da Nang to Hanoi  on JetStar, although we vowed to never use that airline again.  When you’re strapped for cash and they are offering the lowest priced ticket by at least $50, sometimes you have to go against your past experiences to help sweeten your future experiences.  And since we learned from our mistakes, we didn’t get robbed on baggage fees this time around.  However, something happened on this flight that has never ever happened to me before.  Per usual, I tucked my backup in the overhead compartment, buckled my seat belt tight, turned my phone on airplane mode, popped in my headphones and began choosing the music I wanted to listen to.  As we were cruising on the tarmac, the somewhat older Vietnamese woman sitting next to me slapped my wrist.  Literally.  She didn’t tap or brush or pet my wrist.  She slapped it, pretty darn hard.  When I abruptly looked over to see what that was for, she was aggressively pointing to my phone yelling at me to turn it off.  I kindly explained that it was in airplane mode (which is basically off) but because she saw my music, she couldn’t understand what that meant.  I tried to be as respectful as possible but eventually, after her touching me three times too many, I began to just ignore her.  If this happened in America, I feel like I could have easily sued her for emotional disturbance and physical assault, hahaha.

When we landed in Hanoi around 4:30pm, we had about five hours to kill until our overnight train to Sapa departed, so we took an Uber to The Hanoi Social Club for some appetizers, dinner and WiFi access (TMobile doesn’t work here in Vietnam).

Now that our bellies were full and our eyes were tired, we took another Uber from The Hanoi Social Club to the Hanoi station, Ga Ha Noi.  From here, we boarded our train at 10pm.  Compared to our overnight experience in India, this was like staying at a 4 star hotel.  Although it was an itsy bitty teenie weenie cabin, it still had four beds – two lower and two upper – all dressed up with a legit mattress, soft sheets, fluffy pillows and a cozy comforter.  Plus, there were bottles of water, snacks, outlets to plug in your electronics, an actual toilet in the public area (not just a hole in the ground) and WiFi.  We also got super duper lucky with our cabin mates as they were an awesome Italian couple (who now live in Australia, opening an Italian restaurant).  Easy to talk to with very interesting stories.  And the bonus was neither one of them snored.  Phewwwwww.

Day 2 – May 14

After an 8.5 hour bumpy, shaky, not so restful train ride (although it could have been much worse), we arrived in Lao Cai around 6:30am.  We arranged for someone from our hotel to pick us up as it was a windy 45 minute drive to the actual town of Sapa .  In the past 19 hours, we’ve been on a plane, a train and various automobiles so by 7:45am when we finally stepped foot inside U Sapa, our hotel for the next three nights, we were ready for a shower and a nap.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t check in yet so we decided to have breakfast in their lobby.  Get this though.  There was a family that had their own boombox blasting at their table as if this was their dining room.  And because their music was so loud, everyone else was fighting real hard to talk over it.  8am felt more like a dance club in Las Vegas at 1am.  Situations like this kind of annoy me at first (I truthfully think it would have annoyed any human being, especially after the long travel we just went through) but then after allowing it to soak in, I realized it’s just another hilarious cultural difference to add to my already extensive list.  People are funny in their own ways and we need to learn how to embrace them, although it is quite difficult to do in the moment.

Later that afternoon, we walked around Sapa town, which is pretty small.  It reminded me of a ski village for some reason.  Maybe because the weather was much cooler, the sky was covered in fog and there were fake North Face products being sold in every shop.  But it definitely had a quaint, local charm.

When you don’t have access to a gym and need to buy water wherever you go, might as well kill two birds with one stone…

When your oldest child carries your youngest child on their back…

We ended up at place called Little Sapa for lunch and had the best Pho since being in Vietnam.  It was vegetarian, mouthwateringly and nose hair tingling spicy and ridiculously flavorful.  I was one happy girl after this meal.

All throughout Sapa, it is impossible not to recognize people from the H’mong tribe, which is an ethnic minority group throughout the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.  Besides having a very unique, distinct look to them, they are constantly trying to sell you stuff that they have handmade including purses, dresses, shirts, etc.  They are an important member in the Vietnam community with about one million people, ranking 8th among 54 Vietnamese ethnicities.   They usually wear their own self-woven clothes, decorated with detailed technique, large hoop earrings and carry a basket on their back.  I have a lot of respect for these women because they walk a great distance every morning and every night from their village to the town in hopes of making as much Vietnamese Dong as possible.  They definitely work hard for their money.

For dinner, we ventured off to Hill Station, which serves local dishes made only from local ingredients.  We shared a banana flower salad (one of my new favorites) and Vinny got buffalo for his entree while I got a ginger chicken concoction.  All was fresh, tasty and delicious.  Not to mention the restaurant itself was surprisingly modern, cozy and contemporary for such an old-school town.

Day 3 – May 15

Today we went trekking.  Yes, trekking.  Well I guess it was more like intensive hiking but the locals refer to it as trekking so I will too.  Sounds more adventurous.  Our day started at 7:30am when May, a minority guide from the Ta Phin Village, met us at U Sapa.  She is 26 years old, was married at 21 years old and has 2 kids – 5 years old and 4 years old.  When she guessed how old I was she said 22.  I mean, wow.  She won me over instantly.  May is the one with the umbrella and the others were just tagging along hoping we would eventually buy something from them.  The definition of patient yet persistent.

I can try to explain what we saw on our 7 hour trek but I think pictures will make those visuals come alive more successfully.  While viewing the various images (and there are a lot, so my apologies for the overload), just imagine seeing what we saw and hearing what we heard. Sounds of birds chirping, water flowing, children laughing, wind blowing, roosters crowing, butterflies soaring.  We were one with nature today and if felt oh so good.  We learned that buffalo are ridiculously expensive so only a handful of families can afford them.  And when they do, they are used to plow the rice fields while alive and then their meat is sold when they die.  We learned that H’Mong villagers tend to marry at 16 and have kids at 18.  And that Indigo plants are grown throughout the valley which is used as the dye for their clothes.  Everything we saw today was surreal in its beauty – so green, so alive, so beautiful. It all seemed fake because it was so far from what we are used to but just like I call Los Angeles home, about one hundred tribal families call this home.

Anyone hungry for some fresh butchered meat straight off the animals back?

As we enter one of the tiny villages within the valley…

This was a very local, pretty much homemade, vegetarian lunch that included an omelet, tofu, bamboo shoots, roasted peanuts and some purple sticky rice, which was as sweet as candy.  And you all know how much I like candy.  Yum yum.  While we were sitting on the patio, there was a local man walking up and down the street with a snake on a stick.  And yes, the snake was alive.  Not your typical sighting but when we asked May what that was for, she said he was trying to sell it because Vietnamese eat snake.  Not yum yum.  Speaking of which, what is a snake’s favorite dance?  The Mamba!!

Vietnam pride wherever you go…

More breathtaking views from the other side of the valley…

We walked through a bamboo forest, which provided much appreciated shade coverage…

The kids, specifically in the Sapa area, are just beyond adorable.  They have the sweetest most innocent looking faces that will warm any bystanders heart with a simple smile or a kind wave.  Some of them were innocently playing around (like kids do) while others were trying to sell us stuff.  Although I wanted to give them everything I had, we were told not to buy anything because it then supports the idea of not going to school.

Throughout our 10 miles of walking, we visited the Lao Chai village (H’Mong tribe), the Ta Van village (Dzay tribe) and the Giang Ta Chai (Dzao tribe).  The people were all vastly different (clothes, jewelry, etc.) however their lifestyles were very much the same. Simple.  I am so happy we did this trek today and were able to see a whole new side of Vietnam, far away from the cities and far away from the crowds of people.  Mother Nature sure did welcome us with open arms by allowing it not to rain.

Given we had such a rewarding workout today and our legs were extremely tired, we decided to order room service and watch our very first movie on Netflix since we left in January.  In the theme of Vietnam, we chose Heavy Metal Jacket.  It was a pretty intense movie from start to finish but since we are more educated on the Vietnam War, we were able to actually understand the inside jokes and dialogue.  Still makes me sad that so many people died but I know I can’t turn back time.  Even Cher tried once but wasn’t very successful (get it, her song Turn Back Time?  okay, I’m stretching it there, I know).

Day 4 – May 16

Yesterday’s theme was trekking, villages and rice terraces.  Today’s theme is chasing waterfalls.  We hired a driver through our hotel to take us to some of the nearby highlights.  First on our tour was Heaven’s Gate, which is the highest stretch of road in Vietnam and offers incredible panoramic views of the entire valley.  On a clear day, you can see Fansipan, the highest mountain in Indochina (a historical name that refers to the continental portion of Southeast Asia lying east of India and roughly south or southwest of China) standing at 3,143 meters. We could barely see it due to the fog but that’s okay, it was still wonderful.

Next up was the Love Waterfall, which was impressive in nature as well as enduring given its legendary love story has been told from generation to generation (I’ll spare you the details, it is quite long).  With a height of about 100m, it starts from the peak of Fansipan Mountain and rushes noisily into the Gold Stream like a never-ending song.  In order to get to the waterfall, you must walk down a red dirt road running through the lush and vast bamboo forest.  Then continue with the gentle beauty of rhododendron flowers radiating diverse colors such as red, white and yellow. Along with this, you will hear the soothing sound of the rustling of trees in the wind, birdsongs and eventually the harmony of the water spraying down like a fountain of youth.  It was a neat waterfall, don’t get me wrong, but not one of the best I’ve seen.  I think I’m just spoiled rotten though.

Last but not least, we visited the Silver Waterfall, which doesn’t really need any explanation.  It was a long, skinny, flowing waterfall in between lush trees and mountains.  There were steps that allowed you to get higher and a bridge that allowed you to walk across it.  Can you spot us in the distance?  There is something about waterfalls that is so soothing to the soul. The sound, the breeze, the beauty, the mist.  It instantly relaxes me.

That pretty much wraps up our 2 days in Sapa.  We walked a lot, saw a lot, drove a lot, ate a lot and enjoyed a lot.  The town has a very laid back atmosphere, quite different than the other cities we’ve been to in Vietnam and as the sun sets, there really isn’t much to do.  Most people go to bed early and wake up early, which is kind of the schedule we’ve been on so it’s a match made in heaven.  If you are visiting Vietnam, Sapa is a great place to add to your list because it gives you that picture perfect postcard that you think of when Vietnam comes to mind.  It truly is beautiful.

Tomorrow, May 17th, we will be taking a 9.5 hour day train back to Hanoi.  Most people do overnight trains both ways to save time but we decided to try something a little different.  Let’s see how this goes.  Choo Choo!

Day 1 – May 8  

HAPPY MOTHER’S TO ALL THE INCREDIBLE MOTHER’S OUT THERE (ESPECIALLY MY OWN)!!!

After an easy, entertaining, awesome 2.5 hour scenic filled train ride from Hue City, we arrived in Da Nang around 1pm.  Our boutique hotel for the next 5 nights, Banana Garden Villas, had offered to pick us up (not for free, don’t be silly now) as it was a 30+ minute drive to the town of Hoi An.  Of course we happily accepted.  However, upon arrival, there was no one there.  We patiently waited, with our 10kg backpacks strapped to our back, our smaller bags in front resembling that of a kangaroo all while watching the clock slowly go around and around and around.  Ten minutes goes by, no one.  Twenty minutes goes by, no one.  Hmmmm that’s odd.  Every other time we’ve arranged for someone to pick us up they have always been there waiting, with our names written on a piece of paper and a smile silently welcoming us to their city.  I decided to email the hotel and their response claimed the driver was stuck in traffic.  Forty five minutes later, someone showed up, with no sign, no smile and no hello.  Not a great first impression.  To add a cherry on top of this somewhat melted, messy sundae, as we were driving to Hoi An, we noticed there was absolutely no traffic going the opposite direction.  I think the hotel straight up forgot but came up with the first excuse they could think of.  My parents always told me that honesty is the best policy – I don’t think they got the memo.  All good though.

For $50 a night, we didn’t expect a lot, although their reviews on Booking.com and TripAdvisor were relatively positive.  When we arrived, the staff warmly greeted us the way the Vietnamese have for the past week (unlike their driver) and apologized for the lateness.  The outside decor was adorable with a black and white design theme and luscious, colorful landscape.  Unfortunately, the room itself was a little disappointing at first.  Hair on the ground, stains on the sheets, no nightstands (made the room feel empty), no complimentary water (I know, boohoo but this has been standard everywhere else).  Plus, the website said they had a restaurant but for the time being, only breakfast was served. Minor things that kind of added up; however, I know within minutes, I’ll get over it.  And I did.  Quicker than you can say high maintenance.

It was about 3pm and we hadn’t had lunch yet so we took a leisurely 20 minute stroll into town for a light snack.  Since Hola Tacos was in the top 5 of rated restaurants on TripAdvisor, we decided to take a break from Vietnamese food and have something different.  The dishes we ordered were yummy but the pico de gallo sure took home the MVP award.  Spicy, fresh, juicy, flavorful and fulfilling.  Bullseye, hit the spot for sure.

Banana Garden Villas is a bit of a walk to everything in town, so we decided to rent a motorbike for $7 a day.  This would give us the freedom we wanted to go back and forth between sightseeing and meals.  Plus, we were planning to do a few day trips so it just made more sense.  And we are all about making sense.  At least I am.  Vinny is kind of in his own world most of the time.

That night, we rode into Hoi An’s Ancient Town for dinner at the infamous Morning Glory. Vinny got cao lầu, which is a local noodle bowl dish only served in Hoi An.  You can’t find it in Ho Chi Minh City or Hue or Hanoi or anywhere else in this country because legend has it, the dish can only be made with water from the ancient Ba Le well, one of dozens of centuries-old wells dotting the old town (kind of like how the water in NYC makes their pizza and bagels so ridiculously delicious).  The first ingredient in cao lầu that will have you salivating after a bowl is set down in front of you (you not me), is the char siu pork — Cantonese style barbecued or roasted pork, seasoned in a five spice marinade.  Next, depending on the cook, an array of fresh locally grown mixed greens will be piled upon or beside the pork including fragrant mint, basil, Vietnamese fish leaf, rice paddy herb, crisp lettuce, sometimes coriander.  Lastly, crunchy deep-fried squares of cao lầu dough are sprinkled on top, while secreted beneath the noodles will be crispy bean sprouts.  And it is usually accompanied with Hoi An’s famously fiery chilli jam on the side.  Vinny absolutely loved it.  He claims it is one of his top favorite dishes on this entire trip so far. I’m hoping to find a vegetarian version somewhere, somehow, sometime soon.

Hoi An Acient Town is one of the cutest most charming towns I’ve ever visited.  Once a major Southeast Asian trading post in the 16th and 17th centuries, the seaside town is a unique mixture of East and West in the form of its old-town architecture including Chinese temples, a Japanese designed bridge, pagodas, wooden shop houses, French colonial houses and old canals. There are colorful lanterns hanging from every building that add a picturesque scene during the day and a dreamy magical vibe at night.  All the signs for restaurant names, clothing stores, directions, etc. are exactly the same, shining with glittery silver and gold on a brown wooden background.  During certain hours of the day/night, it’s a walking town only which means no cars, no bicycles and no motorbikes.  It’s simply perfect.  You had me at Xin Chào (hello in Vietnamese).

Day 2 – May 9

We woke up, had breakfast and decided to take a day off from sightseeing so we rode our motorbike to An Bang Beach, about 20 minutes from Banana Garden Villas. As you approach the entrance, shop owners along the way on each side of the road are hustling to get you to park at their place.  You almost have to swerve to the left or right to dodge them as they aggressively dart right in front of you.  It’s like a video game, but real life.  You can’t just run one over and then start a new round, hahaha.  We are relatively lazy so we tried to get as close to the beach as possible, paying a whopping 10,000 VND fee ($0.45).

One aspect of An Bang that we really appreciated was having access to lounge chairs and umbrellas.  As long as you bought a drink or some food from any of the restaurants, you could then stay there all day.  So much better than laying on the hard sand, with the sun beating down on you, aging your skin one year every hour (oh how times have changed – I used to bake in the sun whenever I had the chance).  We chose Soul Kitchen, which was near the end.  Vinny got Mi Xao Bo, which is basically a stir fried egg noodle with beef and I got lemongrass chili chicken.  The lemongrass flavor on my dish was so powerful, I felt like I was swallowing a day spa with every chew.

I was in a Bob Marley kind of mood so I popped in my headphones, got the reggae vibe flowing and escaped into my own world.  It was the perfect soundtrack to the live action that was happening all around me.  Locals trying to sell tourists anything and everything.  Tourists trying to get that perfect tan while they can (gotta look good for Instagram).  Guy friends racing into the water to see who can swim out the fastest and farthest.  Girlfriends taking endless amounts of selfies.  Couples splashing each other as if they were teenagers again.  Anything goes.  I just love it.

Around 3:30pm, a variety of locals bombarded the beaches and set up various makeshift areas for cooking local street (or better yet sand) food.  Watching them from beginning to end was impressive.  This was definitely not their first rodeo.

Bad boys, bad boys whatcha gonna do?  Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

That night, we switched it up yet again and traveled back in time to our good old Indian days at a restaurant called Ganesh’s.  Oh man how I miss the flavors, the spice, the overall taste of garlic naan, butter chicken masala, aloo gobi, masala papad and everything else.  This meal was the perfect ending to yet another awesome day in Vietnam.

Day 3 – May 10

We’ve seen Hoi An Ancient Town at night a few times now but haven’t really explored it during the day so we decided to embark on a self guided tour of this lovely city.  I took this photo below while on the motorbike and thought it was pretty cool because it somewhat shows the speed at which we were going with the semi-blurriness of the trees.  Random, I know.  Kind of makes me dizzy to look at actually.  Almost like the Twilight Zone.

I’m head over 6 inch heels in love with this town.  All the buildings are of a yellow mustard French colonial design, covered with green trees, pink flowers, colorful lanterns and surprisingly clean streets.  I feel like I am walking inside of a watercolor painting.

Canals and bridges and boats, oh my!

Adorable school boys in adorable school uniforms…

A tourist getting fooled by the locals.  They ask if you want a photo with their carrying pole, also called a shoulder pole (usually made out of wood or bamboo, used for carrying heavy loads of milk, fruit, etc.). Once the photo is taken, the locals then demand money afterwards.  He didn’t seem to mind though which is good for his karma bank.

Our first stop was the Japanese Covered Bridge, one of Hoi An’s most iconic attractions, which dates back to the 18th century and is a beautiful historical piece of Japanese architecture. It is claimed to be created by the Japanese then living in Hoi An as a way to reach the Chinese quarter across the water. On the north side of the bridge, you’ll discover a temple dedicated to the Taoist God of weather, Tran Vo Bac De. This is where locals will often pray to stave off any impending earthquakes (California needs something like this). There is a monkey and a dog statue that guard the bridge at either end supposedly because construction began in the year of the dog and was completed in the year of the monkey.

Since we got a late start to the day, it was already time for lunch.  I know, to you it seems as though it’s morning since we just began but it was actually later afternoon. Such mind tricks.  Anyways, moving on.  We ventured down a random alley and found this ever so adorable little spot called Nu Eatery.  What a pleasant surprise.  I just loved everything about this place from their drinking glasses to their flooring to their Tiffany Blue painted walls to their bathroom to the design of their windows.  And the Vietnamese food wasn’t too shabby either including their homemade ice cream.  I got coffee, Vinny got chili.

Next on our itinerary was the Phung Hung Ancient House, which was built in 1780, allowing 8 generations of the same family to have lived here (and they still do live there).  The architecture represents a combination of Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese styles.  In particular, the balcony and door system is of Chinese tradition. The roof of the nave is of Japanese tradition. Grillage systems, crossbeam, spars, roof of facade and backside are of Vietnamese tradition.  Back in the day, the house used to be a shop trading in cinnamon, pepper, salt, silk, chinaware and glassware.  Now, part of the house is used as a workshop for making commercial embroideries.  And of course to show it off to us foreigners.

Afterwards, we visited the Tan Ky Ancient House, which was built two centuries ago with no windows and has been lovingly preserved by 7 generations of family members. The architecture predominately reflects that of Japanese and Chinese influences.

With all of this history and heat, we decided to take a break over an ice cold fresh fruit smoothie at CocoBox Farm Shop.  Such travelers problems we have.

Back at it we go.  After we both got brain freezes from the ice cold smoothie, we ventured over to the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, otherwise known as the Fujian Assembly Hall, which is a typical religious Chinese relic.  Built in 1697, the assembly hall concentrates on the worshiping of majestic beauty and the power of influential gods and goddesses in the Fujian people’s belief.  The mosaic fountain inside the assembly hall bears a fish sculpture that is a symbol of achievement. Besides the fish, there are other animals such as dragon, unicorn, phoenix, turtle and so on. All these animals signify different features of the Chinese culture. The dragon is symbol of power, the turtle signifies endurance, the unicorn is a symbol of knowledge and the phoenix represents nobility.  Personally, I just really enjoyed the aesthetics of this place as the intricate design was quite magnificent.

Last on our self guided tour, we visited the Quan Cong Temple, built in 1653 and dedicated to Quan Cong, a highly esteemed Chinese General who was Vietnamized to be the symbol of loyalty, sincerity, integrity and justice.  With the majestic appearance and philosophical decorations, the temple is the belief center of Hoi An.

 

For dinner, we went to STREETS International, which is an innovative social enterprise initiative with the purpose to develop and operate sustainable programs for street kids and disadvantaged youth in SE Asia and throughout the world.  Their tagline is “Good Food Helping Good Kids”.  Formed in 2007, as a US-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, STREETS prepares vulnerable, orphaned and other disadvantaged young people for careers in hospitality.  During the 18-month program, each Trainee is provided with housing, food, basic financial support, active community and social support, and medical care. The housing accommodations are based on a model of supervised, small semi-autonomous groups. Following the 18-month program, STREETS involvement continues with the support necessary for Trainees to secure employment, helping to ensure their independence and success. Ultimately, the Trainees’ greatest accomplishments are not just their newly achieved culinary and hospitality careers but lives that have been empowered with dignity and choice.  The food was absolutely delicious (I was finally able to try a vegetarian version of cao lầu – yay!!!) and it also felt good to support such an heartfelt cause.  Win-win.

Day 4 – May 11

We didn’t do much today as we needed to catch up on life (talk to our family, finish planning the rest of our Vietnam trip, laundry, etc.).  Also,  I’m having some major self esteem issues right now which sucks so I needed to just lay low.  My face is a major mess (looks like a 14 year old boy going through puberty), my hair is grown out and flat, I miss my friends and family at home and Vinny and I have been a little off lately.  I know it’s just a phase but I’m really hoping it goes away sooner rather than later.  And trust me, I’m not telling you this for a pity party.  I’m telling you this because you are my ears and I am an open book.  Not every day is a 10 out of 10 but I certainly strive for that when possible.

For lunch we went to Good Morning, Vietnam which surprisingly had some tasty pizza given the city we were in.

Followed by mid-day coffees and people watching at Hoi An Roastery…

Tonight we took in all the sights, smells and sounds of the Ancient Town (beyond just grabbing a bite to eat), which basically confirmed my unconditional love for this city and has officially been placed on my top 5 list in the world.  There were fun street games being played by locals and tourists alike, there were a variety of shops selling colorful lanterns that lit up the evening sky, there was live music being played throughout every restaurant and bar which one couldn’t resist shaking their hips to the rhythm of the beat (although I have no rhythm), there were boats rowing people along the canal as if it were Venice and random characters dressed up for photo ops such as a panda and a horrible version of Mickey Mouse (which I’m sure they didn’t get approval from Disney on either).

We had dinner at Cargo Club, which overlooked the canal and all the brightly shining lights that made this city just so charming.

Day 5 – May 12

Sadly, today was our last day in Hoi An.  We hopped on our motorbikes and took an awesome ride to Da Nang, about 45 minutes away.  Such cool bridges you have to cross over to get from the beach area to the city area.

Our first stop was Marble Mountain, a cluster of five hills made from limestone and marble, and a well-known pilgrimage site with peaks, caves, tunnels and temples all just waiting to be discovered. The caves within the mountains hold many secrets including bullet holes from when troops used to spy on the US soldiers relaxing on My Khe Beach below. There are also a host of Buddhist sanctuaries and places of worship dotted across the mountains which are a much-visited spiritual site. There are many pagoda temples and even a special circular cave featuring a chimney leading to the summit with spectacular panoramic views.

As we were riding along the main road in Da Nang, we noticed that about 40% of the coastline was under construction with brand new 5 star hotels.  There was something being built on almost every single block.  And these aren’t little boutique hotels.  They are hundreds of rooms kind of resorts taking up acres and acres of land.  It would be interesting to see it all finalized in a few years.

In the afternoon, the heat escaped us thanks to the cloud coverage sky preparing for what looked like a storm so we grabbed a chair under an umbrella and enjoyed some R&R on the beach.  I liked An Bang better but everyone is different.

That night we went back to Morning Glory for dinner because the food was just too good.

Well, that wraps up our chapter in Hoi An.  As I’ve said very loud and clear, multiple times, I just absolutely loved this city.  It has history, it has culture, it has charm, it has amazing food and it has an easygoing demeanor.  It truly embraces it all in a graceful fashion.  And despite the not so wonderful first impression we received from Banana Garden Villas, we ended up loving it there as well.  The staff became our family and continuously made us feel warm and fuzzy inside.  I will miss their banana pancakes every morning, the sight of colorful lanterns guiding me along the way every night and the sense of being in Europe and Asia at the exact time time due to the grand architecture.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “I’ll be back”…