Hội An 2018
Adieu Madam Xong, long may you ply your trade on the Thu Bồn.
H᝙i An 2018
July in Albany; the chill is starting to bite; escape the only option. We decide to steal a couple of weeks of warmth. Cairns topped our list - warm, not too much travelling time and the opportunity to catch up with a few people. By the time we’d fought with flight schedules, airfares, accommodation options and the cost-of-living index, Greece started to look like a reasonable alternative. But with only a couple of weeks available, the extra distance was a bridge too far so we looked closer to home.
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When we visited Hanoi and northern Vietnam a few years back, there weren’t enough days to head south and visit Hội An, so it remained an enchanting idea, tantalising but unlikely to be realised until then. A few quick checks for flights, accommodation and the weather forecasts and we were hooked and booked. It was only a week later that the memory of Vietnamese visa requirements started to tickle. Even that wasn’t a problem with the process very much simpler than last time. We had them within days.
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Hội An sits upon the banks of the Thu Bồn river. Minh An is its ancient centre and has embraced tourism with a passion. An Hội and Cẩm Nam islets are umbilically connected, providing close but quiet places to stay. It was warm, frequently sunny, infrequently stormy and sumptuously steamy. The perfect place to cruise the river, the shops and the bars, seeking out places to eat and do very little else. Well, we did visit the beach and few other local attractions.
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The river is a big part of life in Hội An. It’s a freight route, taxi lane, home to many, a source of seafood, host to a million boats offering tourist experiences and, sadly, the tip to a recalcitrant few. The fresh market sits next to it and a lot of business is done along the banks and amongst its island channels as it winds its way to the sea a few kilometres east. In monsoon, it frequently floods. The market moves to higher ground, people paddle their little boats through the streets and they do a lot of mopping up. Dampness doesn’t seem to be taken too seriously in a place where mildew adds to the patina and the charm. 7
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But this lady is the queen of the river. 81 year-old Madam Xong is an international celebrity, made famous by her rather special smile and a talented
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photographer, Réhahn. She rows a water taxi and she’s hard at work every day, ferrying tourists up and down the river. You can share her sampan and her smile for half an hour for a few dollars and she’ll throw in a photo shoot. A beautiful soul.
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Minh An is famous for lanterns, they’re everywhere. Unfortunately, we missed the full moon festival, when the street lights are turned off and visitors and locals alike gather to promenade by lantern light. Even so, it’s rather lovely wandering around at night largely by their light and there’s healthy competition among the businesses to out-lantern each other. Of course, with all that wandering, there’s a fair bit of thirst and appetite building going on. And this town excels at sating both.
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Rooftop bars, excellent coffee roasters, little backyard eateries in the bush, and exquisite restaurants tucked away in the old town laneways provide beautiful fare. Though we had many special places, one restaurant shone so brightly - best curry ever - that Barbara decided to do a morning’s cooking there. There was so much food produced by her little learning that they had to invite me to share their four-course lunch. How splendid was that! Everywhere, the variety and delicacy of the flavours is outstanding. Even the tiny eateries serve beautiful food, both simple and complex. 13
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Though it’s hard to choose, I think our favourite bar was in a classy old house, which had been used as a location for a movie in 2002. The bordello set is now replicated within the house and the courtyard hosts The Quiet American Bar, a little oasis away from the bustle of the street. The bar is open to the sky and the whirring of salangane swallow wings fills the air as they careen crazily, chasing insects until dusk. It would be a restful spot even without the refreshments. 15
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Given a very high percentage of Vietnamese are Buddhist, it’s hardy surprising there are temples everywhere. We visited only a few, one in a cave, one hosting a 67m Lady Buddha near Da Nang and many in Minh An. It’s not surprising Jesus looked so demoralised. I think the sculptor must have realised the task of converting them to Christianity was too great. 17
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When we could drag ourselves away from heavy duty relaxation in the old town, we headed off on a few popular day trips. The Cham temples at Máťš SĆĄn, badly damaged during the American War, the Coconut village with its coracle boatmen, the caves and temples of Marble Mountain and a very hairy ride to and from Cham Island. The skippers race each other across this choppy channel and the spray flies. The island was limited for a day trip as there was much more to see than time would allow but it was tropically pretty. 26
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We also took a taxi out to Thanh Hà, a village where every household is making pottery. There’s even a pottery museum with some immense clay friezes. We managed to phone for a taxi to take us back to town - a not inconsiderable achievement with little Vietnamese vocabulary. Tip: attempt to use their name for the place not the Anglicised version - lousy pronunciation is better than words they can’t recognise. The M’nong ladies in the red and blue outfits make their pots very quickly, simply by walking around and around them. Others have foot-drive helpers to spin their wheels. The M’nong pots are air-dried rather than kiln-fired and remarkably different to the touch. There are only three remaining M’nong potters and we met two of them. I think one of them wanted me to stay. A small gallery in Hội An encourages them to keep going and promotes other indigenous art and craft in the hope of keeping it alive. One of several people we encountered who’s given up the fast lane to focus on what’s truly important. 31
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While the walls of Hội An seem somewhat faded and grubby, they also provide an excellent backdrop for photographs Some are so textured, they provide the subject matter as well. Beyond that little bit of drabness, there’s also a vast array of colour and life waiting everywhere to be enjoyed, if only you’re prepared to sit and wait. Drama is unfolding all around. You really know you’re living amongst Life.
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The weather was warm, the food fabulously fresh, the architecture intriguing , the colours vibrant but all of it would be nothing without the wonderful people. So many people in such a little space, so tolerant of each other, seemingly satisfied - with very few exceptions - and so industrious. People committed to their roles and others committed to preserving the connections with their incredible history and diverse cultures. We felt welcomed wherever we ventured.
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Okay, there were a few we caught napping but it was hot and they were working long and often hard hours, so who could blame them for catching a few zeds. They all gave us marvellous memories to carry home. Even the lady in the French restaurant using her thumb to taste-test the cocktails she was making - so glad I was drinking beers - and the defeated young Muslim in the Kashmiri craft shop, banished to this lovely place, yet so far from his home, his mosque and friends. 46
Then there are the families who shop for their holiday outfits upon arrival, matching their outfits. I suppose this helps them keep track of each other amidst the throng. The family group on the left numbered thirteen and everyone of them was dressed in an outfit of the same cloth. They were very pleased with it, too. Pineapples, sunflowers, hibiscus were popular but none could compete with the sheer volume of bananas. 47
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All holidays will end. Just as we sidestepped the humdrum and mundane for a moment, so must we return home. I doubt the locals will much miss our passing perhaps with the exception of a particular bar, a cafÊ and a restaurant or two - and all those people who liked to stroke Barbara’s hair. We bid farewell to those who made our stay so special before heading off to Da Nang for a night of unaccustomed luxury, some stunning light shows and a segue back into western influence. 49
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