Central Vietnam

Leaving Ho Chi Mihn City meant trading in the sun and warm temperatures of the south for the chilly drizzle and clouds in central Vietnam. We took a one-hour flight on Vietnam Airlines to the city of Da Nang – probably a name you are all familiar with from the war as it was the location of a major American air base.

Da Nang is off the tourist trail and it was nice to again be among Vietnamese, rather than scores of foreign tourists. The city does have an excellent museum called the Museum of Cham Sculpture, the largest collection in the world. A civilization I knew nothing about, the Champa Kingdom once ruled the south and central regions of what is now Vietnam from the 7th Century through the 19th. At its peak, the kingdom controlled the spice and silk trade between India, China and Indonesia. The society adopted Hinduism, especially Shaivism, from India, which is apparent in its sculpture – especially their frequent depiction and dedication of temples to the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu. While many of the ruins left over from the Champa Kingdom were destroyed by American bombings, some significant sites remain throughout Vietnam.

Da Nang felt almost like a ghost town while we were there due to the observance of the Tet festival. Most shops and restaurants were closed and families stayed in their homes eating and drinking. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we stumbled upon some older locals celebrating Tet in their home down a back alley near our hotel. They were sitting on the floor of the house’s front room, around a big pot of steamed clams on a Bunsen burner and drinking rice wine. It was late afternoon when we passed by and it appeared they’d been sitting there drinking all day, when they excitedly beckoned us to come join them. Communicating through hand gestures, our ten words of Vietnamese vocabulary and a bit of English they remembered from America’s occupation during the war, we sat with these friendly folks for several hours eating the tasty clams and toasting to Tet.

In Da Nang we rented a motorbike and headed down the coast towards Hoi An. We stopped at the Marble Mountains along the way, a group of five marble and limestone hills littered with caves, tunnels and temples. What should have been a peaceful hike amongst the spiritual hills, was tainted by the shouting and scampering of hundreds of Vietnamese teenagers on holiday. Regardless, it was still an impressive site.

We continued on along the coast to the charming city of Hoi An. The old town is an UNESCO World Heritage site, which has helped to preserve the stunning French colonial architecture and design. The biggest attraction in Hoi An is the hundreds of tailor and cobbler shops, offering custom made clothing and shoes at a fraction of western prices and ready within just 24 hours. While wandering the streets, we couldn’t resist a look in the shops. Once you’re in and looking through the fabrics, catalogues and displayed garments, it’s almost impossible to leave without giving into the possibilities of made-to-order duds. I had a beautiful tweed jacket made with green silk lining and trim, while Scott picked out some dark blue silk for a Chinese-style shirt. The next day the clothes were finished and fit perfectly. If only I had more money and more time, I would have designed a whole new wardrobe.