Lovely Hui An

SERENITY ON A LAGOON
FISHING NET AND BASKET BOAT

Our drive from Hue to Hoi An near the Pacific Ocean offered many opportunities to stop and take pictures of life along the coast. It looks a bit different from Santa Cruz on the other side of the Pacific. We passed by China Beach during a downpour and drove past army barracks at DaNang where B52s took off and landed during the war.

We caught the end of a Fishing Festival on the beach complete with a boy banging a huge drum, hundreds of people cheering a tug-of-war and what we assume was the successful benediction of the boats or fish or fishermen. (The boat on the water is one that catches squid, and the scaffolding on top is where the squid dries in the sun.)

Hoi An is a peaceful town on the Thu Bon River about twenty miles south of DaNang. From the 16th century to the late 19th century, it was Vietnam’s most important international seaport town with merchants from both Asia and Europe trading all sorts of goods from spices to gold. (Follow the line up from the porcelain dish on the map to find Hui An.) It lost its standing as an international seaport when the river was unable to handle the larger steamships that began plying the trade routes...a fortunate thing in terms of leaving this lovely town relatively pristine. It offers a view of life as it was with temples, shrines and Chinese style tile-roofed wooden houses intermingled along the long road of the Old Town. It's easy to understand how Hui An earned its place as a World Heritage Site - the third on our journey.



We loved our room on the river and might never have left, but there were many experiences waiting in town. The view was exactly the way we had imagined Viet Nam to look.




We set off to explore and discovered colorful shops and a Japanese-style bridge with an ancient pole vendor chewing betel nut nearby.























The ceiling of a Hindu temple was covered with cone-shaped incense. Prayers for family members hang from each and when the end is lit, it burns for thirty days. People paid for fortunes on slips of paper which they were given in front of a fruit-covered altar dedicated to the goddess of the sea.











The big commercial attraction in Hui An? There are 300 tailors available to make anything for anyone and have it delivered the next day. Many in our group took advantage of the local talent and ordered suits, pants and tops. (Carol, Barbara and Renata are contemplating purchases.) But even more fun was on the schedule---dinner at Champa's where the chef, Hung (which means "hero"), entertained while he also taught us to make spring rolls. We have the recipes for the dinner and will gladly provide a taste of Viet Nam on our return.

The next morning we toured My Son Sanctuary, the fourth World Heritage Site, where the original 72 towers have been reduced to 16 or so. The damaging effects of time along with bombing of the site in 1969 have left it in need of repair. A bomb crater can be seen on the left.






















We were entertained by a troupe of dancers and musicians who presented stories of the daily life of the Champas who came to the area probably in 200 B.C.


We ended our time in Hui An with a walk to the beach to see the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean. On the way we encountered this antique gas pump on the sidewalk still pumping --- after how many years?








Sitting on the beach, we thought about our family and home and the extraordinary beauty that the waves of the Pacific touch on both sides of the world.

Hue, Central Viet Nam

Hue is a quiet town of about 400,000 whose residents go to bed earlier than in Hanoi---thus the "quiet" label. (Since the last national census was taken nearly 20 years ago, one can only guess at population figures.) The area was dominated by the Champa People who migrated to Viet Nam nearly 2,000 years ago and settled in central Viet Nam in the 8th century. Their skin is darker and eyes rounder than the Vietnamese. There aren't many Champas left, but we did meet this handsome musician at the My Son Sanctuary near Hui An.



The must-see attraction in Hue is The Citadel, the second World Heritage Site on our tour. It was begun in 1802 and served as Vietnam's capital until 1945. It was originally surrounded by a a twenty foot thick wall that was nearly five miles long. The interior section, which housed the emperor and his wives, is similar to China's Forbidden City. An elephant giving rides to tourists in one of the gardens along with the remnants of buildings decorated with mosaics, reminds visitors of the feudal splendor that was once Viet Nam's.




We took a group photo in front of the Holy Lady Pagoda, built in 1601. A bit later we encountered a young couple in traditional dress who will be married March 1st. Today was their date with the photographer. Little did they know they'd have sixteen other photographers snapping away. Aren't they a beautiful couple?



















The highlight of Hue, though, was our visit to the Duc Son Orphanage. We had all contributed money to buy enough rice to last three days for the 198 residents, and we looked forward to delivering it personally. The Orphanage was started nearly 20 years ago by Thich Nu Minh Tu, a Buddhist nun shown above left, to help abandoned children and those with disabilities. Since 1987 the Duc Son Pagoda has adopted 191 children. Today the children range in age from a few months to 18 years old. We were impressed by the facilities - the cleanliness, space and resources available for the children. But mostly, we were impressed by the children. Young girls were playing with the babies, older children helped the younger and those not helping with their "brothers and sisters" were involved in projects for the Orphanage. Quite a few were still at school when we visited (6 p.m.) and would return after their classes. Amazingly, we didn't hear any child crying or fussing.



















As we toured the home, one of our group - Giovanni - felt a small hand placed in his. The child, who wasn't more than two-years-old, held onto his newly adopted grandfather for the rest of the tour. Giovanni acted as he must with his own grandchildren --- as if it were the most natural thing in the world for the two to be together. At one point he showed him his movie camera, and the little guy was fascinated by the moving pictures. He even tried to work the camera himself, learning quickly which buttons to push. It was hard for us to leave--- and as for Giovanni? Well, his grandchildren are really lucky.

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is one of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites that we'll be seeing in Viet Nam. It's a place of mystical beauty where the light on the limestone islands and surrounding seas change constantly. Like most places in Southeast Asia, there is a story about its origins. This one has to do with a family of dragons that the gods sent to protect the people from the Chinese invaders. The dragons spit out jewels and jade to form a wall, and these turned into the islands that dot the bay. The place where the mother dragon flew down to live was called Ha Long - Descending Dragon.

We stay overnite on a replica of a Vietnamese junk, visit Hung Sung Sot, also known as the "Cave of Awe," sail by a pearl farm and floating fishing villages and even engage in a bit of commerce with one of the fishing boat families that live on the water. But most of all, we simply enjoy the serenity and beauty and take pictures! Below are photos of some of the scenery we try to capture with our camera. Words don't do it justice and, in a sense, neither do the pictures. You'll just have to go. To be sure it survives tourism and pollution, you might want to cast your vote for Ha Long Bay as one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World" at http://www.new7wonders.com

More from Hanoi

February 5
We begin our first first full day in Hanoi with an early morning Cyclo ride through the Old Quarter. My Cyclo driver introduces himself, and it sounds like "Phong." He repeats my name and does a better job than I. We've mastered "hello, goodbye, and good morning" which is the same word ---"xin chao"-- and "Thank you" which is "cam on." But names are another matter. We're having to sharpen our listening skills.

Seeing the street shops and people from a lower perspective is enlightening but intimidating as we compete for space with motorcycles, bikes, busses, cars and pedestrians. People wave and smile as we zip along. We see Linen Street with piles of towels, Spice Street with its exotic aromas, and even a Bamboo Street. We also see pots and pans stacked high, flower sellers on bicycles, pole vendors selling everything from vegetables and fruit to fish from their hanging baskets. (How do these tiny ladies manage the weight on their shoulders for so long?)


We leave the cyclos for a look at the Temple of Literature, both a temple honoring Confucius and Viet Nam's first university. Outside the walls are calligraphers selling painted symbols representing peace, health, prosperity and other blessings of life.



In the afternoon we visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in time for the changing of the guard. It's a study in contrasts when, a short time later, we attend a performance of a unique Vietnamese form of entertainment - a water puppet show. Lasting an hour, the show features puppeteers who stand in water and manipulate beautiful carved puppets in stories illustrating agricultural life.





The next morning we drive 90 minutes to an island village called Thoha where the entire village is engaged in the production of rice paper which is made into noodles and wraps for spring rolls. The children follow us down streets and alleys where thousands of woven frames are stacked against the walls, allowing the rice paper to dry in the sun.



We're invited into the home of one of the villagers, Viet and his family, where his wife is making wraps. We're offered rice wine, and Viet plays several instruments for us.


A centerpiece of the home - as in all Viet Nam homes - is the family altar.










On the road we encounter a festival in Lang Lim and stop to sample the sights and sounds of a village celebration. But the most interesting experience is stopping at a corn field where we watch laborers (one of whom, above left, is 76-years-old) hauling water from an irrigation ditch and watering small corn plants by hand. Most are women and again, we marvel at their strength. Lam has told us that the women were responsible for preserving Vietnamese culture during the 1,000 years of Chinese occupation (from 179 BC to 938 AD). Seeing these women in the fields makes us believers.

On the way back we stop at the "Hanoi Hilton," now a museum, where American pilots were imprisoned during the Viet Nam War. It had been built by the French in 1896 to house political prisoners. The history of atrocities committed there to both men and women during that long ago war between the French and Vietnamese and the photos and artifacts chronicling the imprisonment of the American pilots are a somber witness to the horrors of war. Everyone is silent and subdued on the return to our hotel. [John McCain's flight suit and parachute are on display.]

Tomorrow we travel to Halong Bay to stay over night on a replica of a Vietnamese Junk. We fortify ourselves for the journey by eating at a restaurant where we're the only Caucasians. The Cha Cá Restaurant serves only one dish - a grilled fish brought to your table where it simmers on a brazier surrounded by bowls of greens, noodles, peanuts and sauces. Travel and Leisure Magazine has described it as "the one dish you must eat before you die" They weren't kidding.

Welcome to Viet Nam!

We have flown into the future. Crossing the international dateline, we lost February 3rd and the birthdays of Lydia, Maggie and Bianca. We'll plan to celebrate them and the Feast of St. Blaise twice next year. The realization that we'll never know what Feb 3, 2009 was like is tempered by the knowledge that we'll get to experience Feb. 23, 2009 twice. We hope it's a good day (x2)


Today - Feb 4 - is filled with the sights, sounds and smells of Hanoi the way it seems to have been for hundreds of years --- with one big exception --- the motorcycles. Thousands, millions - or at least one for each of the 6 million people who live here - are zooming around on the streets. The driver is often not alone. Three or four others squeeze on and, in one case, a large golden retriever wedges himself between driver and passenger. It reminds us of the easy-reader book BEARS ON WHEELS. ("Four on top, five on top, six - oops! One on top.") They also carry a variety of goods with them, sometimes three times larger than the motorcycle.

Our guide gives us survival instructions for pedestrians in Hanoi trying to cross a street:
First, take a deep breath. Then 1) never run; 2) never stop; 3) never back up. It's worked for us so far. Our walking tour of the Old Quarters is a feast for the senses. Each street features a particular product, so there's tin street, wedding gift street, silk street, shoe street, etc. We're entranced by the vivid colors of three foot tall "wedding cakes" made of candy or tea or food to give the bride's parents, the chirping of birds in hanging bird cages that compete with the roar of motorcycles, the delectable aromas from sidewalk kitchens where pots boil, steam and fry meats, greens and exotic spices.
This is Hanoi.

A highlight of the walk is our exploration of a long dark alley where 32 families live in what are known as "tube houses." We peek into open doors where families live in spaces as small as 81 square feet. (9 x9 feet) There are two or three floors above this bottom room where they sleep. One bathroom is shared by all 32 families! There are 52 thousand people per one kilometer in the Old Quarters. Further out homes stand side by side looking like tiny versions of skyscrapers. Our tour guide, Lam, explains that land is so expensive that families buy a small plot of land and build up.

Our group of sixteen is congenial and fun. Strangely, there are six left-handers amongst us and six doctors, two of whom still work. If you're wondering about a connection, the answer is "yes." Most of the doctors are left-handed, and one is ambidexterous. Hmmm. Does someone want to conduct a study? Lam is a native of Hanoi where his family has always lived. He's the father of two young girls and his wife works in the tour office. We are becoming accustomed to his inflection and accent as he tells us stories of his city and his country.

One story that interested his American group very much was about John McCain. It seems that the young pilot had flown over Hanoi to take out the power plant. He missed the first time and was making a second go-around when his plane was shot down. He bailed out and landed, unconscious, in Westlake, a large lake in the city. Fishermen and bystanders hurried to rescue him. And we all know the rest of the story. Tomorrow we'll visit the Hanoi Hilton where he and 365 (!) other American pilots were imprisoned. Isn't it strange that 37 years after a terrible war we can visit and appreciate a country once our enemy? It's a testament to the power of time to heal. As we looked out over Westlake, imagining the damaged parachute and wounded pilot falling into the green water of this faraway city, we hoped that St. Joseph, for whom the Cathedral in the heart of the city is named, will call down blessings on the new relationship between our two countries.
On your mark, get set, go!