Subject: Report # 67 Da Nang, Vietnam March 7, 2016 Monday Day Two Partly cloudy & 74 degrees Part #1 of 3 87 Pictures
Report # 67 Da Nang, Vietnam March 7, 2016 Monday Day Two Partly cloudy & 74 degrees Part #1 of 3 87 Pictures
Day two began with another tour with our travel agency. Our destination this morning was a drive to Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The good news was that we did not have as far to travel as we did yesterday, as this tranquil place is located south of Da Nang. Our group loaded up in two buses, and were on the road by 8:10am. Since this tour was about 8 hours, we would need to be back onboard by 4pm at the latest.
We happened to get the same bus, driver, and guide as we had yesterday. He did speak slower than yesterday, but we still had problems understanding him, as we sat in the back of the bus again. We would have to be satisfied with the info we had been given on the ship for this port.
We drove to the part of China Beach that had the fishing boats, both the traditional blue and red vessels and also the "bowl" boats. Dozens of these were in the water, all fishing in one way or another. This was simply a photo stop from the bus. Continuing on, we drove all the way along the beach to a huge marble shop and factory. Surprised that we turned into the driveway, this was not a scheduled stop on our itinerary. And although we used it as a pit stop, we assume that the profit made from the sales made there was shared with the guide and his buddies or the tour company they work for. As you know, this happens often. Located right at the base of the Marble Mountains, which consist of five limestone mountains with tunnels and sacred sites, this factory had some fantastic statues and shrines. In the back of the property, was a carving area where workers were busy creating these huge pieces. And of course, they had a large shop that offered every shade of jade carvings and marble items that exist. We were curious as to how much the big items cost, but if you showed an interest, the sales girls stuck to you like glue. It did work for some folks, because we saw many of them packing plastic bags from the shop. They told us repeatedly that they could ship anything to our home, no matter how big it was. These carvings look great here, but maybe not so much where we live.
On the way to the town, we passed the swanky section of My Khe Beach or China Beach. This was the pretty part of town, with white, sandy beach on one side, and restaurants, bars, cafes, and hotels on the other side. It's obvious that this place lights up at night, just like it did back in the 60's when the beach area was full of American GI's looking for rest and relaxation.
On the seaside, we saw one high end hotel after another. The Crown Plaza was a huge complex resort and had a popular casino. A little further down the road, we passed new construction for more resort hotels. Two golf courses were across the road as well. It was not too far from here that we entered the town of Hoi An. This city is Vietnam's best-reserved buildings, over 1000 years old, built from the riches of the former spice trade.
We debarked the coaches, and waited until tickets were purchased for our group by our guides. Although Hoi An is not a big place, it would have been quite helpful to have a map of the layout. In fact, it was supposed to be given to us by our guide. From what we could see, it would be easy to get lost in here. All the streets and alleyways kind of looked alike to us. We visited three ancient buildings first. The main and most important building was that of Quan Kong Temple. It was built in the early 1600's for a famous general of the Chin Dynasty. The second place we toured was the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, built in 1697. The third stop was at an ancient home called Tan Ky Ancient House. We'll let the photos give the story on each of these stops.
Lunch was served at a restaurant in the town by the name of Vy's Market Restaurant and Cooking School. Traditional Vietnamese dishes were being prepared in separate stalls while we watched. The menu included a clam soup (one of us had vegetable soup by request), a beef dish with grilled rice crackers, little spring rolls, stuffed calamari, a sweet and sour shrimp platter, a chicken dish, assorted veggies, sticky rice, a red snapper, and finally a dessert of frozen yogurt with diced local fruit. All the food went well with the beer or soda. We preferred this style of service, since the platters of food were split between only four people at each table. We sat with a nice couple we did not know, from Illinois/Florida by the names of Wayne and Jackie. We shared a lot of information, giving each other tips about touring.
After spending an hour for dining, an HAL group entered and filled the rest of the tables. So this restaurant must be the designated one to take care of large groups, as the other eateries in this complex are relatively small. We were given about 1 ½ hours to roam the village on our own, shopping, site-seeing, or simply finding a shady spot to relax and watch the activities on the river. We have to admit, it became tiresome saying "no thanks" to the many vendors selling souvenirs in the streets and alleyways. However, some of their items were nice such as the three-dimensional cards, little flying kites, nylon-woven hammocks, and bookmarks. Some of the more interesting shots came from groups of young ladies crouching over cooking fires and making lunch for the folks on the streets. Elderly women carried fresh veggies, and cooking utensils over their shoulders in baskets. Think their things weighed more than they did.
Bikes and cyclos, those two-seaters man-powered bike transports were allowed in this village. You had to watch where you walked, or you would easily get run over. The bikers stop for no one, unless they are selling something.
Our meeting place was at the famous Japanese Bridge, Lai Vien Kieu. This ancient wooden-covered bridge separated the town, with one side being Japanese and the other, Chinese. Inside this bridge is a mini-temple with a shrine dedicated to a god who is believed to control the weather. This structure is also well guarded by officials, and a point where they checked for tickets to this complex. We simply showed our tour stickers, saying we were with a paying group, as we had not been issued a ticket. It was fine.
After the hour plus of strolling through the hundreds of shops, we came away with a bag full of treasures. Most of the fun was in the bargaining, which the vendors gladly did. By the way, they happily accepted US dollars, as well as the Vietnamese dong which was worth 22,000 to one US dollar. Some folks had exchanged some US for the local money at a money changer, but we don't think they dealt any better.
By 2pm, most everyone was back waiting for the buses. The afternoon had gotten much hotter, and shade was hard to find. The guides summoned the coaches, and we walked out one of the main gates. Sure was nice to board the air-conditioned buses for the 45 minute ride back to the ship. We did make two photo stops along the way at China Beach…….first at the resort area, then at the aromatic (fishy smell) section where the fishing fleet was stretching nets over the surf.
We were back around 3:30pm, tired, but not enough to miss the required passenger safety drill at 4:15pm. It did go rather quickly, and we have to say that all of the cabins are checked by the room stewards. No one is allowed to hide out in their rooms, as the stewards check each and every one. While we lined up in our assigned spots with friends, we could watch the boat traffic around the ship. In addition, one of the Star Ferry ships had arrived in the slip across from us early this morning.
Sail away was at the aft deck, and well attended until a strong wind came up once we left the pier. Since the harbor was a very small one in comparison to other ports, we did not need a local pilot onboard. His small vessel did follow us closely as we left the bulkhead. The warm foggy haze had descended from the mountains, probably shrouding the city once again. By the morning, we bet the visibility will be near zero, like it was when we arrived two days ago. There was no sunset once again due to the fog, but the delicious crispy fried pork spring rolls in a tangy sauce the waiters served made up for it. Konnie joined us for the sail away, and since she knows many of the Lido waiters, they will go out of their way to bring her (and us) all of the special treats. Proving that what goes around, comes around, especially if you are nice.
We made a pass through the Lido where an Asian buffet was offered. The waiters were wearing white silk Chinese jackets with the pointy Chinese hats. Most of the food items were the same as what we ate in town today. Our menu in the dining room had some Asian appetizers, but we ordered the meatloaf and meat sauce spaghetti, always welcomed entrees for us. Most all of us had two very active, full days in port, and were done in. Doubt if anyone was going to the show, Tempei, a Japanese juggler who performed at the World Championship of Circus Artists held in Paris. We are sure his performance was unique from the usual suspects, so we may check him out at the next show, if he comes back to the stage.
We will have a most welcomed at at sea tomorrow as we head towards Phu My (pronounced foo-me) for the city of Ho Chi Minh.
Bill & Mary Ann
The drive to Hoi An thru Da Nang
High rise of Da Nang
A few modern buildings
Newer construction
The marble factory and shop
Beautifully carved figurines
Some were huge
And expensive for sure
Master carver at work
How would these look at our driveway?
Pink jade
Garden ideas
Taking a walk outside
Table and chairs in green jade
Examples of jade carvings
Abstract art
Traditional figures
Very Asian
Sparrows
Marble Mountains in distance
The marble from the factory came from here
River fish cages
River with fish farms
More rice fields
One way to transport things
Someone's pet dog
Cyclo rides for rent
Entrance to Hoi An – tickets, please
Former spice trade capital
Waiting to enter the city
A corn vendor
Hats and baskets at front door
One of many shops in Hoi An
It's all about the shopping as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1999)
So much stuff
Built in the 1800's
Bonsai plumeria
Have never seen plumeria bonsais
Fish fountain
Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (1697)
Lion-dog guard
Chinese-style architecture
Clever foldout cards
Entering the hall
Brilliant bouganvilla
Cards and silk treasures
Entrance to the hall
Shrine offerings
Famous place
Chinese figures
A protector
Fearsome
Ornate ceiling was not part of the original design
The phoenix represents nobility
Treasures of the dynasty
Mary Ann listening to the history
Warriors
Don't touch
Incense pot
Pay a donation – light some incense
Five-sided lantern
Smell of incense was intense
Chin Dynasty treasures
The dragon signifies power
Replica of ancient boat
The fish is symbol for scholarly achievement
Lovely gardens
Have to have one of these
And some of these too
Clothing abundant
Packing groceries the hard way
Artist studios
A cyclo driver
Vietnamese dog
Lacquer bowls and wooden cyclo
Ornaments
Our walk continues
Lanterns line the city streets
Getting lost
Gold is the royal color
A tailor shop
The embroidery factory
Young girls at work
Following a photo
Works of art were quite expensive
One of the nicest balconies
Wooden buildings preserved from the 1800's
