Off to Hoi An

We had a great night’s sleep and were ready to get the day started when I went to the washroom
and was promptly scared away by two big cockroaches! Brad, being a very brave soul, went in and killed them, only to find another outside the washroom door and two more hiding in the corner of the ceiling!

Reluctantly, I checked every towel before having a very fast shower! Once ready, we went up to the hotel’s breakfast which featured pho, eggs, fresh fruit galore and many pastries. The passion fruit and lychee were both so fresh and delicious! Vietnam is also big on fruit juices so we are drinking watermelon juice quite regularly.

At 8, we meet our motorbike drivers for the morning. Brad and I didn’t originally book this bike tour, but after seeing so much of Hue yesterday, we decided to go on it so we could go to some smaller villages. I think we were both nervous having seen the traffic and how people drive here, but we got on our helmets and hopped on the back of the bikes and we were off!

I wish I was brave enough to have removed by hands from the shoulders of my driver so that I could video the insane traffic and many near misses, but I wasn’t. We zoomed (effortlessly?) through the morning rush hour and I reflected on my life and if this was indeed a stupid way to die! In any case, I held on for dear life and tried to enjoy the views.

The ride was far less harrowing once we left the city and I began to understand the allure of the motorbike as a means of travel. The breeze is pretty great when you’re going 70 km/h!

Our first stop was to see how rice is harvested and prepared. I had no idea that the rice grains all begin as brown rice and then can be polished by pounding to make white rice! Brad got asked to pretend to be a water buffalo as well, so please check out that photo because the woman pretended to whip him and it was hilarious as it sounds!

Before leaving, the woman who was doing the demonstration gave us bananas from her garden. I actually dislike bananas, but these were shorter, fatter and more dense. I thought they were great! Anyway, after our banana break, we went to the local market. Women everywhere were seated on the floor with piles of vegetables, fruit, and fish and meat. Nothing is refrigerated. It was quite the sight to see raw, butchered chicken and duck just hanging out in the heat. This is quite common as electricity is scarce here (and, as such, expensive).

We hopped back on the bikes and drove through more small towns, which I loved seeing! Our second stop was at a forest where there were three American bunkers leftover from the Vietnam War. There had been a big battle at the site as it is fairly close to the DMZ.

Back on the bikes, we scooted onto a street of people selling incense. Incense is incredibly popular as it’s used as an offering for the spirits of their ancestors. All the shops have colourful displays out front and it’s not uncommon for people to get dressed up and do photo shoots in the shops. I got to try making incense as well, but I won’t give up my day job anytime soon! We also got to see a woman weaving a conical hat, which many people still wear.

Our final stop was at the colosseum. Between 1865-1902, the king would host battles between an elephant and a tiger three times a year. This was done as a symbolic demonstration of his power. The elephant is a symbol of the king and because the elephant always won, it was a message to any potential rebels that they should stay within their station. The French put an end to this practice.

Our journey back into the city was scary, but we all made it back in one piece! Despite a few nerve wracking moments, we were so glad to have gone on the tour!

Brad and I grabbed a quick lunch of bahn khoai and shrimp, pork and cassava steamed in banana leaves before getting ready to board our bus on the way to Hoi An. The bus ride will take about three hours and we get to drive through the mountains!Read more