Vietnam - Hoi An ( Day Four )

Getting ready of our basket boat activity.....

“Good morning. We have a good program today. You’ll have fun today.” These were the words of our guide, Tuan as we all met him at the lobby of our hotel in the bright and sunny morning. I guess, it is definitely going to be a fun day but the blistering hot sun doesn’t help as it saps your energy as fast as you hydrate yourselves with fluids in your body. The sun is like the big hot dryer or a humongously big oven that you have in a commercial kitchen that will really make you feel like a roasted chicken at the end of the day! Hahahahahahahhaaaaaaaaaaaaa…….. Anyway, better the sun than the rain……maybe for the hopelessly romantics, rain is better, right?

SLing & SYuen ready for the activity

The basket boat - ready for us.

Alvin, Annie, Richard & Teresa in their boats.

Anyway, snapping out of my creative dream for a moment of hair advertisements and face lotion commercials, we were heading out to Water Coconut Village in Cam Than, Hoi An. Cam Thanh village is about 4ha in size with nipah palm forest in a unique ecological area with flooded forest and charming landscape. 

This is the place where one gets the opportunity to cast some fishing net and paddle the unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boat while exploring the tranquility of the nipah palm tree flanked by the waterways of a past war. 

SLing and I in our boat

As we flushed out butts off our transportation that day, Tuan handed out the nicely-coned Vietnamese hat to each and everyone of us though I declined politely as I love the sun. Yeah, I genuinely love the sun and the outdoors. Then we walked for about 10 minutes along the dusted and sandy walkway to get to our destination, Tin Water Basket Tour shed. I guess, this was a family-run entity as Tuan made the arrangements with the proprietor, a rather big bellied but smiley man. 

Jonathan, Tuan & SYuen

Along the way prior to our arrival at Tin Water Basket Tour shed, I could see many other enterprising entity doing the same activity along the river. I guess, there were boat cruises along the river but we were here for the water basket experience. Anyway, I told myself that I am not going to fall in the river and I have to be careful as always. It was good to be cautious in rivers like this.

 

All four basket boats....

The water basket experience was really good. I was told in the earlier days, the guests or tourists would get their own basket boat, balanced it themselves and come back at a stipulated time. But because of its complex way of maneuvering the basket boat, some boats went turtle up and guests were in the water, drenched wet, embarrassed and all that. So, to minimized these type of embarrassments, the proprietors deck hands would be doing the rowing instead. I must say that this is quite a stable boat despite its’ small size because of its’ wide bottom section. 

Grasshopper craft.....

For me, I just enjoyed the fact that someone is rowing the basket boat for us eventhough I would be more than happy to do it myself. As we got ready to board the boats, suddenly, family members such a grandma, grandpa, brother including the proprietor and his wife were in the water with their respective basket boats ready for us. My goodness! The whole clan are out on the boats.

The basket boat....

My boat lady was rather mischievous as she swung and spun the basket boat around, stopping short of shouting “Ole!” and for a moment, my heart and my spleen exchanged places while the stomach and the heart did some flips! I could have sworn that my eyes kinda dashed from one end to the other like some cartoon characters while the hand death grip by SLing was excruciatingly painful. I guess, I grinned like a fool and pretended like nothing had happened while all the pho, sausages, passion fruit juice together with some lovely croissants, cinnamon bread , egg yoke rice, sunny side up eggs and some Chinese har kaw ( prawn dumplings ) and siew mai ( pork dumplings ) were being tossed around in that belly of mine like some cement mixer machine! Wow! You would probably be thinking “What is this man doing with so much food for the day?”, right? Come, come now, concentrate! It is about the basket boat NOT the food! What can I say – I love food! For the consolation of my food detractors, I ate in moderation! ( with a straight face in defence! )

Boat to Cam Kim Island

Anyway, coming back to our experience, there was another spinning the boat action by the so-called champion of the basket boat and I felt as though my world was spinning again. My goodness, it is no wonder why the Vietnamese are lean,mean and small in size. Too much running around, too much spinning and pinning under the boat, I guess. Always running away from getting shot at, shooting at people, bombed at or even sweating it out in the sun. What bundle of energy they have!

 

The happy faces to Cam Kim Island

I was told that the bombs did hit the river and there are craters in the river as deep as 8 meters while generally the depth of the waters are about 4feet to7 feet depending on the tide. A few shouts of joy and glee by the Korean tourists made us realized that their boat guides had managed to catch some small fish or even some small mud crabs which is a delicacy but an acquired taste, actually. Then, my boat lady made some nice nipah leaf souvenirs like grasshopper, fish on a rod, ring, necklace and even a head gear. 

The journey to Cam Kim Island

They were so creative, actually. I guess, these are the small moments that I treasure a lot maybe because I like arts and crafts a lot. She was so fast in making these craft and it was such a delight watching her do it. Then it was time to race to the dock and the grandma made poor Richard to row the basket boat with her. It was fun and delightful moments indeed. Something which I would treasure for a long long time. We rested for a while at the shed as we sipped some coconut drinks and enjoyed the breeze.

 

Walking through the village

Then it was time to go and to get on to another boat to Cam Kim Island. Just across the Bon River from Hoi An islet, Cam Kim Island is known for its traditional crafts and quiet way of life. As we boarded the boat/ferry to take us there, we were told that we are going to a rice paper making house. Personally, I felt that this is kinda exciting as this tour had had us see, feel and now, do something in our trip. I guess, when you do something in a trip like this you tend to remember the memories even more. 

The grinding of the rice to get rice flour....

As we shuttled off our boat, we headed towards the inland and walked through the narrow paths of travel. I was told that this island was once famous for its boat making skills, carpentry and even rice paper making. Nowadays , only 5 families are left plying the rice paper making trade. After some walks , we arrived a family home who makes rice paper ( banh trang ) The family who hosted us were very welcoming despite its very modest home and modest cooking facilities. They have been making rice paper for the past 30 years over 3 generations. Just look out for the sign that says “ Diem Lam Banh Trang” and you are at the right place.

 

Getting t he rice paper done....

A batter made from rice flour is poured and spread thinly over a steamer into a round sheet. Fanned by rice husks fire, the steamer is lifted up for a second layer of rice flour; pour thinly over it and after a few moments, it is lifted up and spread over a flat bamboo spreader. Viola! Mi guang noodles is born! If it is in a layer, it could be dried and made into rice paper or it could be roasted into rice cakes. Whichever way, the uses are generally for the pleasure of the stomach! Sling, Annie, Teresa, SYuen and Jonathan had a hand in making our snacks of rice noodle cake for the day. 

Rice paper delight....

Enjoying the rice cakes....

After we had had our hands into this, the very mi guang noodles we made were topped with crispy baked rice cakes, sprinkled with sesame seed and served with plain soy sauce. The taste – heavenly. Simple food but taste awesome as it is. I guess, the simple lifestyle was what captivated us that day. Don’t we all wished for a simple lifestyle and simple food, right? I don’t know, maybe I just love such simplicity as I have grown accustomed to complex and moronic urban lifestyle I have experienced each day! Who knows I may not survive here but I definitely would like to try someday to live like that! Yeah….far from the madding crowd!

 

The house of rice paper/rice cakes/mi quang

On the way back to the mainland....

After embarking off the ferry pier, we are going for lunch and Tuan reminded us that we had wanted to sample the legendary banh mi and that’s exactly what we are gonna get for our lunch. So we headed off to Banh Mi Phuong, located in Hoi An. 

The queue at Banh Mi Phuong

The goodies prepared by expert hands

Waiting for our banh mi

This shop was the place whereby Anthony Bourdain in one of his show ate the banh mi made from this shop. Banh mi is basically a baguette sliced opened across the bread and stuffed with goodies ( fillings ) of your choice such a beef , chicken, pork, eggs , liver pate, fresh vegetables and pickled vegetables. 

Banh Mi

You have a choice to know what you want with the fillings and the end product is always a great gastronomical goodness in your tummy! Upon arrival, I noted that the queue was stupendously long indeed with whites, brown, dark, fair and people of all walks of life. Luckily Tuan managed to get us a table and not too long after that our banh mi arrived – 5 of the bread goodness. We immediately dug into the banh mi or banh my goodness and it was awesome. Really good and really worth the wait also. 

the baguette

The freshness of the baguette, crunchiness of the fresh vegetables , succulent meats and tangy pickled vegetables made it all a mouth-watering deliciousness!  BTW, we were informed by Tuan that his boss, our tour operator/planner, Mr. Man Nguyen is treating us our banh mi lunch. Wow! That was indeed a very thoughtful deed by Mr. Man. I guess, it is such little things like this that makes the guests really feel honored and satisfied. Yeah, I thought that was mighty generous of Mr. Man for doing so. So, thank you, Mr, Man Nguyen if you are reading my post! You are truly a gentleman!

The shop selling the baguette....Banh Mi 304

I believe the fresh and newly baked baguette is truly an outstanding feature while the crumbs from the baguette makes it such a delicate entwinement of yeast, dough, salt and the timing of the baking. I am truly impressed. After finishing our meal, we were told that the baguette actually comes from the next door bakery, Banh Mi 304. Being inquisitive and investigative, I soon found out from the proprietor that their shop is the only one available churning out almost 300pcs of baguette per hour. I had the opportunity to go into the shop and see how the baguette were pushed into the electric oven and also had a first hand experience of feeling the freshly baked baguette. The aroma of a good and freshly baguette is truly invigorating. Further probing revealed that 3,000 baguettes are sold each day. The tricky part of this business is that you have to buy a minimum of 10 pcs of baguette each time. Again, I believe this is fair trading practice. It would be an outrage if you buy one piece looking into the production cost of the enterprising business. I think, selling in 10’s is fair enough.

We then stopped by for a cup of coffee – Vietnamese coffee at a nearby shop. As both, Alvin and I are coffee addicts in a way, we could never forgo the chance to sample good Vietnamese coffee before heading to our next destination. I guess, it was a chance for us to get some rest, get together to talk, laugh and get to know Tuan, our guide, a little bit. He is one pleasant man and it was fun talking to him and teasing him. Richard and Tuan seemed impeccably happy with one another when it comes to teasing Tuan. All in good fun. Everyone was very at ease and easy. That is the beauty of our group, actually. The dynamics of easy going people. The coffee I had was really good and smooth. I like the bitterness part of the strong coffee and I must admit, I slept like a baby eventhough I have had two cuppa that day. I just love coffee – it makes me feel alive…..Yeeeeeee hhhaaaaarrrrr!

Vietnamese coffee

My Son Sanctuary

My son sanctuary

Our last destination for the day was My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO heritage site recognized in 1999. Upon arrival, I immediately noted that this was a new attraction to the Vietnam route as the buildings at the main entrance were new. For the first time in my life, I must confess that the people running this place were the most unfriendly people I’ve ever met. The park rangers seemed apprehensive and does not look welcoming. Honest to the truth, I tried smiling to them and there seemed to be none returned.

The sight...

I could have sworn that I have never ever seen such an unfriendly group of park rangers. Even the driver who was driving the so-called coach doesn’t seemed happy. The only smiling Vietnamese that day was Tuan. I swear to God, these are truly people who should not be manning and running this place. Put some nicer people here la…..Anyway, we were there for the historical, cultural and architecture of the sanctuary. My Son is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between 4th and 14^th century AD by the kings of Champa. The temples are dedicated to the worship of Shiva or Bhadreshvara. My Son Sanctuary is nestled near the village of Duy Phu in the administrative district of Duy Xuyen in Quang Nam, Province in Central Vietnam.  The temples are in a valley roughly of two kilometers wide that is surrounded by two mountain ranges. I was excited as Tuan explained the historical part of the sanctuary whereby the site is actually a religious ceremony site for the kings of the ruling dynasties of Champa as well as burial place for Cham royalty and national heroes.

We were told that a large majority of the architecture was lost and destroyed by US carpet bombing during the Vietnam War. As we meticulously ventured from one temple, storehouse to the place of worship and rest, the Hinduism influence is undeniable. The “lingam” stone personification and design of the male and female symbolism , waterways and stone of worship were the same found in Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Candi Borobudur & Prambanan in Jogjakarta, Ayuthaya in Thailand and Bagan in Myanmar. I was even more excited as I saw that certain relics, certain stone carvings, stone building and harmonious water ways route including architecture could be seen in our very own Lembah Bujang in Kedah. I felt like one happy archaeologist, Indiana Jones replica, knowing that Lembah Bujang one time shares the almost identical civilization with these places especially My Son sanctuary. 

For once, SLing echoed the same affirmation with me on this matter and she later told me in that van that she was glad that I took her to Lembah Bujang even though she wasn’t too keen on museums those days.  She told me excitedly that she saw the resemblance of the civilization in Lembah Bujang with the civilization in My Son. I photographed My Son Sanctuary the very best I could and I was truly happy. Maybe the others may not have any clue of what I am talking about but for me , I am one happy camper. Anyway, our ride back wasn’t a happy one as the driver was a little rude with  Tuan in a way as we got out just in time for them to close up My Son Sanctuary for the today. As usual, Tuan was smiling eventhough he explained to us that the park ranger had sarcastically asked him if this was his first time to My Son Sanctuary. Yeah, they just wanted to go home early but in reality, they do not know what treasure they have in My Son. I was a little sad and I wished they were more respectful to Tuan who really took care of us in this trip. In actual fact, we weren’t late at all. We were on time before the closing time.

 

Hoa Hien Restaurant

Enjoying a lighter moment with Tuan

Rice special 

Pomelo salad

BBQ duck rice delight

Green curry rice

Our diiner place...Hoa Hien Restaurant

We arrived back to our hotel early that evening and decided to shower and freshened up before heading out for dinner.  This time we went to Hoi Hien Restaurant in Quang Khai Street, Hoi An. This is truly a very surprising restaurant. Service was excellent while food was really good. The combination of rice, beef, chicken, pork, eggs and salad platter was superb especially with a dash of fish sauce. This was the dish I remembered the most along with the succulent BBQ duck rice, pomelo salad and chicken green curry rice platter. It was a wonderful dinner again and we truly enjoyed the night especially the ambience of the river and the restaurant itself. I truly enjoy the setting of the tables, the décor and play of lights in this restaurant. So soothing, calm and peaceful. I truly enjoyed the food and the atmosphere here. It makes you feel at ease indeed.

 

My sketch of Hoi An.......

Thereafter, it was back to Hoi Ann ancient city whereby we walked our ways through the iconic historical streets and enjoyed the breeze. At least, there was a breeze that night . The other nights had been hot and humid. Soft music from the speakers above the electrical lines and later, announcement of the mandatory time to allow vehicles to go through the ancient town in three languages – Vietnamese, English and French made it such a poignant reminiscence of the olden days. I guess, it would be hopelessly romantic if young couple would sit by the lovely river and just sharing a quiet little moment together! Bah! What do I know, right? I ain’t no hopeless romantic nor a kwailo either. So, I am better off thinking of dog meat soup and eating fried crickets or scorpions by the side stall vendors, right!

Off to bed and among the fluffed up pillows , I am dreaming of ………………cannot tell…………