Hoi An the Peaceful Meeting Place
After a wonderful breakfast (I loved having noodles for breakfast paired with small glasses of guava juice and that wonderful cold, sweet Vietnamese coffee) we took a brief walking tour of Hoi An's Old Town before heading for the bikes.
It is easy to see why Hoi An is such a popular destination. This city of 120,000 is home to wonderful resorts on pristine beaches and an old town worthy of a 1999 UNESCO World Heritage designation. The name Hoi An translates to "peaceful meeting place", yet because of its lunar full moon festival it is also known as The City of Lanterns.
Bright Beautiful Lanterns are Everywhere in Hoi An
Lanterns in Profusion
Hoi An was Vietnam's largest trading center on the East (South China) Sea for more than two hundred years. But its importance waned in the 18th century with the collapse of the Nguyen rule and ensuing battles which left Hoi An in ruins. The winner Emperor Gia repaid the French for their aid in the war by giving them exclusive trading rights to nearby Dà Nang, which relegated Hoi An largely to backwater status.
Hoi An's renaissance came in the 1990's in part through the efforts of a polish architect, educator, and conservationist Kazimierz Kwiatkowski. Today Hoi An's links to Poland are noted throughout the city.
I noted the "I Heart Poland" on the Incense Offering
During the tours it was pointed out how severe flooding is very common in Hoi An. Further, over tourism now poses a risk to Hoi An's Old Town. The city is as fragile as it is pretty. To help reduce further damage Old Town is now closed to auto traffic.
Hoi An offers a different face by day and by night with a bustling restaurant zone on one side of the river and a large shopping district with a focus on art, textiles and exquisite custom tailoring on the other.
After our tour, and a walk through the large waterside market, we boarded a ferry to cross the river to where our bikes were waiting for us.
Waterside Market
After collecting our bikes we cycled through rural Hoi An on small streets and crossing numerous bridges in its rich marshy agricultural area. All along the way there were stacks of recently harvested and dyed marsh grass drying in the sunshine. The grasses are used by weavers to make the sleeping mats commonly used instead of mattresses throughout Vietnam. We stopped in to visit one family of weavers (a woman and her 93 year old mother) in the process of weaving. They told us they weave two mats a day selling for $12 each.
As we rode, we passed more farmers working with their water buffalos and lots of children eager to wave and test out their "hello's".
At the end of the riding we stopped at the Dao Tien a new restaurant on the rivers edge for one of the best meals of our trip. The menu included two spring roll appetizers and then presented crispy fish with young mango, grilled chicken with honey and five spice and cabbage salad. The meal was rounded out with wok fried vegetables in oyster sauce and steamed rice in pandan leaves. Truly a delight.
Rice Paper Appetizer
Birds Nest Rolls
Steamed Rice in Pandan Leaves
Boat Themed Waterside Cafe
At the conclusion of the day those that were interested went for fitting at a noted local tailor sho (BeBe). I took a photo of Walt Disney in with me to show them some trousers that I'd like. I wondered if they'd be able to create a couple of pairs like Walts. One summer weight linen the other in heavy wool lined half in silk.
Walt Disney's Slacks
24 hours and two fittings later my beautiful pairs of new slacks were dropped off at my hotel. I asked how they did it so fast and was told they employ dozens of seamstresses who work all day and night. The slacks will serve as a cherished souvenir of the trip.
Roadboy's Travels © 2023
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