Ha Long Bay and Hoi An Viet Nam

What’s the first thing you want to say in Viet Nam? “Good Morning, Viet Nam!” It brings back memories of the Viet Nam War (they call it the American War) and the isolation these people suffered for the 20 years after the war. Our guide simply said, “The Americans tried to help the south stay independent and it didn’t work.” The US Airfield in Danang is still there as a “historical marker”, although it’s decrepit and abandoned.  And what does China Beach look like? Picture 1 shows that beach (one of the 6 best beaches in the world according to Forbes) lined with luxury hotels.

After such a warm welcome by the Indonesian people, we found it very different here. The people don’t smile as much here; they don’t rush out to shake our hands; the people in markets don’t seem welcoming (although they work hard to sell their wares). I don’t know if that’s because we’re American or because their life since the war has been very difficult (the average Vietnamese earns $200/year). We have lots of questions, but we hesitate to ask. We read today of another dissident being arrested for actions against the state and we certainly don’t want to put our guides or ourselves in a difficult situation.

Our first stop was in Ha Long Bay in the old North VietNam. Natural erosion of water and wind has created an archipelago of approximately 3000 limestone islets. We had a gloomy, cold (low 60s) day and it may have been better than a bright sunny day. The shadows and fog lent a sense of mystery to the area. Two of the more famous islets are the Fighting Chickens (Picture 2) and the small islet in Picture 3, which is on one piece of the Vietnamese currency.

As we wandered among the islands on our local boat, called a Junk, we saw independent fishermen on small boats with nets, like the one shown in Picture 4. The fishermen and their families live on floating villages, like the one shown in Picture 5.

Pictures 6, 7 and 8 show a few of the scenic views of islands. It was very difficult limiting this to so few pictures!

After a day at sea, we docked in Danang, which is a large container port about half way down the coast. It’s in the northern part of the old South Viet Nam. Rather than stay in Danang, we headed south to the old port of Hoi An, which is a World Heritage Site. On the way, we stopped at the village of Hoa Chau to experience village life. We visited an old temple from the 15^th century (although extensively remodeled in the 18^th century), the local market (Picture 9) and a local kindergarten (Picture 10). The children enjoyed running up to us and touching us, then running away. As we left, our guide heard them say in Vietnamese, “Grandmas and Grandpas”!

Then it was off to Hoi An, which is a World Heritage Site over-loved! All groups seem to follow the same path and seem to get there at the same time. After seeing the basics, we turned around and walked the path backwards and it was a quiet, quaint little city (Picture 11). UNESCO has recorded 850 sites of historic significance in naming it a World Heritage site—wells, bridges, houses, shops, temples, pagodas and tombs. Probably the most interesting site in the city was the Japanese bridge (Picture 12). Hoi An was occupied by Chinese and Japanese over the centuries and this was built by the Japanese in 1593. It was also a major trading port throughout the centuries, until it silted up by the 18^th century.

As a remembrance of the Chinese occupation, Picture 13 shows the Chinese Assembly Hall. It was part temple and part assembly room, with meeting spaces along the side. In the foreground is a very interesting sculpture. In the background is the temple entrance and you’ll notice the round cones hanging from the ceiling. These are long ropes of incense that have been coiled into this shape (kinda like mosquito coils). These are donated by people, in the hopes that their wishes (written on the paper hanging down in the middle) will come true.

Finally, we visited a silk factory. There were demonstrations of the process. In Picture 14, the young woman is creating silk embroidery for a picture. In Picture 15, you can see the silk worms, placed on a tray of mulberry leaves. They spin silk for 7 days, when new “kids” are brought in. There was a room full of absolutely gorgeous silk fabric—some from as little as $12/yard. Betsy was so overwhelmed by the selection that she left without anything!

Our next stop will be 2 days in Ho Chi Minh City, or as many people still call it,

Saigon.