The ancient town of Hoi An

Thursday, August 4, 2011 – Saturday, August 6, 2011

Day 1

We snoozed the alarm clock so many times, we ended up missing out on our planned 8 am trip to the beach. We woke up rushing to pack all of our clothes. There was no systematic way to how we pack or unpack. It often involves a lot of pulling things out, throwing them in a pile, and then shoving it all back in again when we have to go. I take care of all the toiletries, and Scott takes care of the packing and squeezing-everything-into-our-bags part. We dropped off the motorbike and said goodbye to Bac Di and headed to the airport, 40 minutes away from downtown.

The road there was two lanes on each side and very modern, but it didn’t seem to matter because everyone still drove in the middle of the road as if there was no lane divider. We passed by some miniature pure white sand dunes and finally arrived at the airport. The entire time I was thinking that if we were flying from Nha Trang to Danang, two major tourist areas, we were definitely getting on a big plane. We went to our gate, and there was even the walkway out to plane. I told Scott that I was absolutely sure that we were getting a big plane. I mean, look at all the people! It was double the number of the small prop plane. I saw a prop plane land and insisted that it was not for us. Boy, was I wrong. They called us to board, and we walked outside of the airport where a bus picked us up and drove us to that darn, small plane. There was double the number of people because there were two airplanes; one for business and one for economy! Let’s just say that I faced another hour of intense-Scott-handgripping, and I was happy when we landed, though it was A LOT less turbulent than that first flight from Rach Gia to Saigon. The airport was small and packed. Water was dripping from the ceiling, and there were people from all over the world waiting around in the baggage claim area. We picked up our bags and went outside to find a guy holding my name up with a sign. We got an entire bus to ourselves and were driven Hoi An, the ancient town, which was an hour away.

Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and as such, has retained its ancient homes and buildings. Back in the day, Hoi An was an extremely popular seaport village, and its access to the ocean brought in ships from other countries and facilitated trade between Vietnam and countries such as Japan. The houses and shops are situated along the river, and each year, during the rainy season, the river floods over and water fills the houses, meters high. However, the people of Hoi An have adapted to this change, and the wood has been built to withstand water damage. Hoi An is also known for its abundance of tailors, silk, and silk lanterns. The character of the town is a mix between Vietnamese, Chinese, French, and Japanese cultures, and so is the cuisine. 

Exploring the city

Hoi An lanterns

Beautiful lanterns

Scott and I checked into our hotel and were extremely pleased with what we got for $28/night. It had marbled floors and counters, blissfully cold air-conditioner, and plenty of space. We looked up some places to eat and found a popular one by both Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor called Morning Glory. We set out by foot, and it was hot. There were absolutely no clouds in the sky, and the sun was beating mercilessly down on us. We wondered into the ancient part of the town, and I was amazed by its beauty. Many of the houses were old French villas during the colonial times and painted bright blues and yellows, typical French colors. The shingled roofs were slightly moldy and archaic, just how I liked them. We found Morning Glory, which was a restaurant built inside an ancient French villa. Aside from the weather, I didn’t feel like I was in Vietnam anymore. Scott and I got the window seat and read about the owner, Ms. Ly. This restaurant was about making the Hoi An street food specialties more gourmet. Ms. Ly has opened several restaurants in Hoi An, and she offers premier cooking classes. The menu was amazing. Scott and I ordered white rose dumplings, summer rolls, chicken and rice, and cao lao (a Hoi An specialty consisting of thick udon-like noodles and pork). The food was so fresh and clean.

White rose dumplings (Hoi An specialty)

After lunch, Scott and I walked through the town, which had mostly been transformed into a town of souvenir and tailor shops. We went around and asked prices for different items to get a feel for bargaining. The first store we stopped at was non-profit craft store supporting disabled Vietnamese. They invited us to take pictures of the workshop and I bought a really cool bracelet carved out of a water buffalo horn. I also wanted to find a tailor shop because all the travel books said that this was the place to get suits made for men. Some places asked for $120/suit, some for $90, and we found a place for $70 after some vigorous bargaining and pretending indifference. Scott went next door and bought himself some tailor-made shoes as well. Scott got measured for his suit, and we picked out his fabric, a sandstone color that looked really great on him. I got measured for a dress from some leftover fabric I had. By this time, it was getting dark, and the town started to wake up. 

Artisan

Fine artwork

Working outside

We walked to the river and saw the old Japanese bridge lit aglow with lanterns. Old women were selling candles in paper boxes that you drop in the river, silk lanterns were hanging from the trees, a small cultural show was being performed, and women were dancing on stage. I felt like I had just stepped back in time or into the Disney movie Mulan. The streets were packed with tourists and locals alike. This city, just like all the others, was so different and unique. I have always wanted to put a lantern in a river, so I bought Scott and myself one and watched it float about 7 feet to get pushed into the bushes on the side of the riverbank. Anti-climactic to say the least, but it was the thought that counted. Scott and I started getting hungry again, so we went in search of a restaurant called “The Lighthouse.” We walked for so long my feet started to hurt. We crossed a bridge onto a smaller island where it was supposed to be, and no one on the island knew where it was. We gave up, took a taxi back that cheated us, and went back to Morning Glory. We had another glorious meal. Scott ordered shrimp curry in a coconut, and the only thing he said the entire meal, or rather, sang, was, “My shrimp is in a coconut! My shrimp is in a coconut!” I ordered wonton soup, and we shared white rose dumplings and a mango salad. We just couldn’t go wrong with Morning Glory. We headed back after a long day of activities and quickly fell asleep. We had another activity-packed day ahead of us.

-Audrey 

Curious little boy

Audrey puts a lamp in the river