February 21, 2024
Finally arrived in Hoi An after a long day traveling. It’s the end of Chinese New Year and everyone is heading home (or in line at the airport). Hoi An is in the southern suburbs of Da Nang which is 500 miles south of Hanoi.
Upon arrival we met our new local guide, Luan, aka, Tommy. Born in 1979, Tommy immediately started sharing stories of his father’s experiences (and injuries) serving alongside American GIs during the war.
Quick first impressions. We are in the former South Vietnam and the American imprint is much more apparent. Da Nang is a beach party town. Driving down the beach front road to Hoi An, you see a bar every quarter mile. Where Hanoi is more formal, Da Nang is Myrtle Beach on soy sauce. It’s also home to the famous China Beach.
Tommy says his 15 year old son prefers KFC to traditional Vietnamese cooking and that economically, the area is considered to be what’s called, “Red Capitalism”.
In the morning, we will explore the old section of Hoi An on foot.
February 22, 2024
Tommy met us promptly at 9 in the morning for a walking tour of old Hoi An. An ancient city built in the 15th century, at one time, it was THE major port on the trading routes from the middle ages. Today it is primarily a tourist destination and UNESCO World Heritage Site with temples, big markets and smaller shops built in the original homes of the local people. It somehow missed being destroyed by numerous civil wars, invasions and empirical expansions. A popular place to be hundreds of years ago while rampaging and pillaging. Today, the hordes, being a bit older and sedate, are armed with credit cards. The city’s name translates as “peaceful meeting place”, which you can appreciate as long as you don’t try to cross the street.
THE STREETS OF ANCIENT HỘI AN
HOI QUAN PHUOC KIEN BUDDHIST PAGODA AND SHRINE
HỘI AN MARKET
The morning started cloudy and humid but by midday it turned sunny and humid and time for the siesta by the hotel pool.
One of the great things about traveling with local guides is getting time to hear their personal stories. And given the history and relationship between Vietnam and the US, each story is unique and impactful.
The BUFE in the room (Big Ugly Freaking Elephant) is the war and how life changed following its end, the country’s reunification and takeover by the communists.
Tommy’s story is similar to Son’s yet different since Tommy’s view is that of a South Vietnamese child growing up during a time of sweeping social change. Much of it confusing for a child.
Born in 1979 after the communist takeover following the end of the war, he described life for himself and his family. Tommy’s father fought as an infantry soldier in the South Vietnamese Army and was wounded by shrapnel which he still carries in his knee today.
When the north Vietnamese came through, the family was told to leave the country via the boat lift or face prison. The family refused to leave so Tommy’s father was jailed for two years in a “re-education camp”.
As a young child, Tommy was forbidden from engaging in capitalist style activities like singing Jingle Bells or eating chicken since that was food eaten by rich people.
Today, of course, it is very different. The benchmark dates described are 1986 and 1996. In 1986, Vietnam opened up to western countries and visitors. Before that, all they saw was Russian tourists. And the big day came in 1996 when President Bill Clinton visited the country and removed the trade embargo.
The last quarter century has seen staggering change. New everything. Highways, airports, cities, factories, high-rises, bridges, you name it. The amount of change for the Vietnamese must be shocking.
After spending the morning in Hoi An and walking almost 11 miles, it was time to head back to the hotel for a rest. But, being wicked, rest was not ours for long.
Heading back to town we met up with Chef Meemee who arranged to take us by boat to her cooking school out in the jungle.
Climbing aboard the motorized skiff, we putt-putt-putted our way out into the river. Soon, we were vibrating away from the docks of Hoi An, the boat’s one cycle engine screaming and vibrating like a jack hammer.
In half an hour, we bounced up to a dock with red rails in the thick jungle bush. After a quick tour of their herb garden, we followed Chef Meemee to an open air thatched roof hut and began our cooking lessons.
It was time to learn Vietnamese cooking. Before long we were slicing, dicing and woking like pros. I never knew how rice paper was made but now consider myself an expert. The final exam was eating the seven course meal we prepared.
Here is a copy of the Red Bridge recipes we used to prepare our meal …
After graduation, we rolled out to the highway and hailed a cab back to Hoi An. The ride back took us past mile after mile of bars, lighted lanterns and reveling scooters. A party scene that was just starting.
PS Yummy doesn’t mean the same thing in Vietnamese that it does in English. Don’t say it. Don’t.
February 23, 2024
Our short visit to Hoi An is over and we are on the way to Saigon, aka, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).
The ride back was easy through light traffic and an occasional traffic light. Tommy shared some other experiences of his life in Da Nang and revealed he was selected recently to be the guide for the girl famous in American media known as the “Napalm Girl”, Phan Thi Kim Phuc. The horrible photo taken in 1972 helped change the American perspective at the time. The girl survived and now lives in Vancouver but returns occasionally for a visit.
Tommy said during her visit she shared an important message that if she “could forgive those who harmed her” others should forgive and forget the past horrors too.
Next stop, Saigon.
