Halong Bay, Hue & Hoi An, Vietnam (April 7-12)

What is it about small ship cruises on still waters with eccentric hill outcroppings, hazy skies, and floating villages? Halong Bay in north Vietnam’s Gulf of Tonkin is hard to describe, better seen, but this limestone archeological mystery with its ‘island’ peoples who have nothing but a two-room house on a carriage of oil drums, a fishing boat (sometimes motorized), children and dogs hopping about on their floats, is quite a sight to digest. The 5:30am misty sunrise found me prancing onto my tiny balcony of my comfortable cabin to do a 25-minute Chi Kong meditation followed by another sitdown session. Such quietude, from the loud rumblings of honking hooters on terra firma. Finally, a swim off the boat in cold waters refreshed this early morn rise before engaging a large brunch, and disembarking for other shores. Then there were the open cave tunnels in the limestone rock, called karsts, which one floats through with women rowing 4 seater boats with their feet!  Both were memorable sights!

An evening overnight train with four comfortable bunk beds in our first class compartment brought us to Hue, the longest reigning capital of the Viet peoples for some 1500 years. Hue is known for its gardens, particularly flowers and bonsai trees, which dot the many pagoda landscapes and rivers. These give Hue city an elegant, poetic, and aristocratic charm mixed with the Buddhist respect for nature.  There is also a poetry in Hue’s folk cuisine which boasts some 1300 dishes designed in past years for commoners, royalty, and the Buddhist vegetarian population. When Ho Cing Minh defeated the French in 1945, and took power, he moved the capital from this lovely (albeit colonially-vested) city to Hanoi. With all its elegant gardens and quiet nature, I could have spent longer in Hue for sure.

After a 4 hour drive through Danang, an airforce base of the Americans during the Vietnam War, we arrive in a charming coastal old town of Hoi An with mixed generations of trade, marriage, and architecture. First the Chinese, then the Japanese, blended power and prestige with Viet culture. River trade in this coastal city brought plenty of wares…..and headaches as occasional floods, some up to 2 metres, would overflow into these architectural marvels. At night, the old city lit up colorful lights and water floats of animal figures – for a major festival holiday to honor one of Vietnam’s past leaders. Over tea, I chatted with two high school teachers on school break – students pay about US$75 a year for high school, half that for elementary school.  The food market in Hoi An was the best I’ve experienced with lots to see, a myriad of fish types and greens. Heaven’s cuisine!  In a cooking class, I learned to make 4 dishes, so will feast and fest my South African friends when home. Look out!

A note about Danang, an otherwise uninteresting place but for some impressively beautiful and gigantic marble sculptures: An area which is protected from the high winds is under development on its coastline. Apparently, land is still quite cheap, relatively, so one sees expansive resorts, retirement villas, spas, and condos being built. In the next 5 years, the place will also be covered with expensive golf courses, rich French and Thai folk, and whoever knows who else!