Hoi An, Part 2

My second day in Hoi An was pleasant. The weather is sunny and clear, but it does get hot.
I went on a tour with the English couple. It turns out he is also a retired high school teacher, geography and history. His wife is a retired nurse, and this is her retirement trip.
We hired the driver from the train station in Danang, and he was excellent. On the way to the ruins in My Son he stopped at the house of a lady who makes rice paper, for eating. She does the entire process, from husking the rice, to grinding it, then mixing it with water to produce a thin batter. The next step is the interesting one. She has a large pot of very hot water, over which is stretched a cloth. She ladles some of the rice batter, which is very liquidy, and spreads it over the cloth. The whole thing is covered with a lid. After  a few seconds she adds another layer, and covers it for a minute.  She then uses a cloth covered rolling pin, and she rolls the whole thing up. It is then spread on a table cloth, where it dries. I actually took a turn making one. The "paper" can be used for making spring rolls, or it can be covered with sesamr seeds, and letf to dry. It ends up like a crispy thin tortilla.
After this demonstration we went to My Son. This is a temple complex built over several centuries, from about 200 AD to 1000 AD, by the Champa people. It is interesting in that this is the time period when the Mayas built their temples. My Son has a great Hindu influence, but the settings of this site and the Mayan sites are very similar, hot humid jungles.
My Son does not have a lot of temples left. The area was invaded many times, by the Khmer, the Viet, the French, and finally the Americans bombed the hell out of it, because the Viet Cong used it as a base.
You must notice that I spend a lot more time describing the food experience rather than the antiquities.
We also saw a demonstration of some Champa dancing. Very beautiful and graceful. I have to say that the great majority of Vietnamese woman are tiny, beautiful, and very graceful. It is something to see a group riding their bicycles, dressed in flowing white robes. They wear loose pants, covered by a robe to their knees, and slits along the side. Beautiful silk. It does look lovely. It is embarrassing seeing a stout Western tourist trying to wear such an outfit. Sort of like an elephant in a bikini.
The food in Hoi An is great. I have found a little restaurant where a small mug of "New" beer is 20 cents. Hoi An had a couple of specialty foods. One is a "White Rose', which is the white, thin rice paper, with a shrimp in it. Served with fish sauce it is delicious. I also had crab with a tamarind sauce to die for. There isn't a lot to a crab, but every drop of the sauce was eaten.
In the evening I left my hotel to take a night "sleeper bus" to Nha Tranh, but that's another story.
I should mention my hotel in Hoi An. Huge room, a/c, mini fridge, bath tub. The hotel is beautiful, it has a large swimming pool, which is decorated with statues, plants, and is open to the sky. I spent some time floating, looking at the sky. There is also a good breakfast buffet. The cost, 25 dollars a night.
Hoi An should have been a cheap visit, but I went nuts shopping. I actually had to buy a second piece of luggage, and it is full. And I haven't bought any coffee yet.
Till the next time
Ralf

Nha Tranh

Last night was another interesting experience. I took a "sleeper" bus to Nha Tranh. A sleeper bus is quite unique. There are no seats as on a normal bus. There are three rows of "beds" the length of the bus, two levels. The "beds" are almost horizontal, but there is room under each "head" for a space for the feet of the person behind. Quite ingenious, and not uncomfortable. The biggest problem with taking a bus is the constant use of the horn. The horn here is used to warn motor bikes, and bicycles, and other vehicles that you are going to pass. So you can imagine how often you would toot your horn, if you did it every time you passed someone. I did get some sleep though.
I arrived in Nha Tranh at 6 am, got a hotel, and took a shower.One of the nice things is that you can get a hotel at 5, or 6 in the morning.
Nha Tranh is noted for its beautiful beach, and it is a very nice one. One colourful sight were kids flying very pretty kites. I stopped counting at 50.
Vietnam doesn't have daylight saving time, so the sun rises before 5, and it is dark at 6 in the afternoon. As I walked along the street I looked in on a Catholic church. I saw the end of the 7 am mass, and the church was packed, with people standing outside. There were 3 masses, 5, 7, and 9 AM.
I also visited a beautiful pagoda, which also had a Sunday service. A lot of elderly Bhuddist nuns, dressed in grey. Quite a charming sight. There is also a huge white Buddha statue, with many steps to climb, which I of course did.
I should apologize for my spelling. My mind has become somewhat frazzled.
The Vietnamese language is interesting. A French Missionary introduced the Roman alphabet, thank goodness. But the Vietnamese retained the idea of Chinese symbols, so that each syllable is expressed separately. So Hanoi is written a Ha Noi. Toronto would be To Ron To. So when I see a Vietnamese sentence I have no idea where one word ends and another begins. An interesting concept. It is difficult being in a country where you can listen to a 10 minute conversation, and not recognize a single word.
I went for a swim in the evening, and actually saw my first stars in Vietnam. It only took me three and a half weeks.
Till the next time
Ralf

Cham Towers

While I was in Nha Tranh I went to the train station the get information on how to get to Phan Tran, my next stop. I was told 9 am.
When I got to that station the next morning the lady told me there was no train to Phan Tran. I was confused. I finally got an explanation. There was a train to Cham Tran, which is about 6 km from Phan Tran. From the train station I could take a bus. So I got to Cham Tran, and when I got there I discovered that the the towers I was looking for where in Cham Tran. So I decided to skip, Phan Tran, see the towers in the afternoon, and then take a sleeper train to HCMC. (This is almost starting to sound like an Abbot and Costello routine)
As soon as I got off the train several taxi drivers approached me. I tried to explain that I wanted to walk to the towers. "Not possible, too hot, too far". I had about 9 hours to kill, so I said i will try on my own.
Well lo and behold the towers were about a half hour walk.
I have to say that visit was one of the most beautiful afternoons on this trip.
The Cham towers are on a hill, overlooking the town. There is a beautiful garden complex, and a very good visitor centre. The Chams are Hindus, and these towers are still used as temples by the local Cham people. It is a site which is well maintained, and CLEAN, a rarity in Vietnam.
There was no-one there, it was peaceful, beautiful vista, and a nice breeze. I stayed for well over an hour, and actually felt refreshed, if that's possible when the temperature is in the high 30's.
I spent a couple of hours walking the town, and I was the only tourist. The ladies in the market got a kick out of me, and one wanted to sell me a live duck. I declined.
Several little kids stared at me in wonder. It's interesting being on the other side of the camera lens.
I still had 4 hours to kill. That's a long time to sit in a railway station, but the 4 hours did eventually pass.
Off to Ho Chi Min City
Ralf