Day 29 - Hoi An and Cam Kim, Vietnam

Day 29 – Hers

The guidebook said that Hoi An was most pleasant if you managed to get behind its tourist resort facade – so today we determined to do just that.  We set off straight after breakfast to walk the 4km to the beach, shunning boat tours and guides – we even decided not to hire bicycles so that we could focus on the scenery and local life around us.  We followed the main road out of town to the beach – past hotels, restaurants and spa resorts, but also rural fish farms and workshops: a blacksmith’s, a carpenter’s, a brick works and many little small holdings.  People with rice paddies dried their rice on the pavements in front of their houses, masseuses sprinkled blossom in front of theirs, shopkeepers lit sticks of incense at places where people had died on the roads – honouring them brings good luck, Vinh had told us - temples gonged the faithful to prayer and morning session school children played in the gated yard.

The beach was spectacular – set within a small resort village with a large bike park and a colourful array of shops.  Rows of coconut palms shaded the village side of the beach – then soft, white, sand stretched out to the sea.  The hazy islands on the horizon and a few picturesque fishing boats – plus a couple of jet skis - completed the scene. 

The beach vendors were just setting up for the day when we arrived.  They planted forests of incense amongst the palms and out onto the beach – presumably wishing for good luck in their day’s sales.  One vendor came over to us and spoke with us for about 10 minutes, trying to get us to buy fridge magnets, bookmarks, plastic fans or silk purses.  Apparently it is important to get a sale from your first customer of the day – it ensures your luck, Vinh told us – but unfortunately for our vendor, we cannot purchase anything much now as we will still have to carry it for 3 months...

The sea was glorious – clear, clean, warm – with just enough swell to know it was the ocean and not a saltwater swimming pool. I swam out a bit and then along the shore, playing ‘spot the sandals’ on the way back.  A fantastic place for a beach holiday – but just a short break for us in our adventures.  We strolled the side roads coming back – and found a terrific local market (no Western faces here...) where we bought some provisions for lunch.  We returned to the hotel for lunch and a swim in the pool.

 

Day 29 – His.

To be honest Hoi An isn’t the most exciting of places. If you don’t like beaches, wandering around buying things and searching for a good place to have dinner you are pretty much stuffed. However, there is one cool thing to do. By the main area for tour boats there is a section for the local ferries. It’s pretty easy to recognise. It’s the bit of the dock where people are pushing motorbikes onto a boat. All you have to do is jump on the boat and stand there. I’m not being lyrical here – you literally have to jump.  After a bit, when the boat is scarily overloaded, it will set off and someone will tap you on the shoulder and ask for money. The money he is asking for is the fare. You will pay more than the locals but expect it to be around 10,000 VDN. Then fifteen minutes later you dock at the other side. This is what we did. It turns out the other side is a small island called Cam Kim – though I prefer kit kat – it’s easier to remember. Kit Kat is only 15 minutes from the main town but a century away in time. The island is a commune and is the centre for artisan woodcarving. Just walking around will show you how traditional houses are made, how people live, and the work they do. Mostly people keep chickens and tap out amazing carvings on their doorsteps while occasionally looking up and shouting hello if they see you. It truly is a wander through a lost Vietnam. The return journey was much easier – after all we knew what we doing then. The view from the boat as we approached the town was magical and it is likely that view hasn’t changed much in hundreds of years.

After getting off the boat we went to the folklore museum which is only a few doors down from the ferry dock. The museum is better housed than it is displayed. That is to say the exhibits are a little dusty and tired but the building they are in is worth a look in itself as a traditional waterfront building.  Being in a wet season area Hoi An is subject to periodic flooding. On some of the buildings are flood marks. They are a red line marked on the wall with a date. The 2009 line was taller than me though 2011 only came just above my knees.

At the museum, we were persuaded to try the ‘Art Tea’ – a special blend of tea made with water from a well believed to have properties of purification and longevity.  The attendant – in traditional dress – boiled the water on a small earthenware charcoal-fired stove and served us our tea in tiny cups from a beautiful ceramic teapot, accompanied by sugar-coated ginger and coconut.  It was very refreshing.  We are beginning to buy into the benefits of hot drinks in hot weather.  We could also have had a go at making the local pottery – but decided to watch another tourist making a complete hash of it instead.

An interesting thing we saw on the way to Hoi An was a truckload of dogs. They were all barking and wagging their tails. They looked like a red haired Labradors. Vinh said they were farm dogs which meant they were for eating. I was sort of reminded of Cruella DeVille. But then why not dogs? After all we eat sheep. But all those wagging tails. There was something sad about it. I wonder if we can find a restaurant that serves dog in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

After we got back we went for a swim. This is becoming something of a habit – but given the climate and the fact we had been walking since early morning – it was something of a necessity. It is strange how the sun tires one so. So after a swim and dinner I think we are just going to chill out – we move on tomorrow.