Photo taken using Anthony's Lumix
*Blog post drafted almost a year ago. Only had the time and courage to post it now. Finally had the courage to look back at those good memories, and happy at how much they're only fleeting memories now. I wasn't able to take much photos when I was in Hoi An in December 2011 due to the rainy weather. So some photos were taken by him or taken by me using his Lumix camera.
After a tiring but really nice day visiting the countryside of Hue, we found ourselves sitting by the balcony of the hostel. It’s only been two days but I found myself so comfortable and natural with him. What even surprised me was the fact that I allowed myself to just enjoy and not think about what’s going to happen, and only focused on the present. Probably because I wasn’t back in Manila, I didn’t have a stressful job that was making me so miserable. Or that I was just really happy with what I have done the past two months, on how I was, and how my life was changing, and just happy with where I was at that point in my life. And how this sense of happiness has made me braver and more secure to put myself out there again.
But there was, of course, a small part of me that wished that I could spend more days with him. But the larger and remaining part of me was so happy of the two days that we spent together. Another amazing memory from my Big Trip, I thought.
But to my surprise, the next day he told me that he also bought tickets for Hoi An. That made me smile. And this was how it would be for the rest of our travels in Vietnam. Me buying my own ticket, with him surprising me how they would also be checking out the same time that I was.
It was only a 4-hour bus ride from Hue to Hoi An. A scenic one with views of the mountains and a big lake. The bus dropped us off at An Phu, a really nice-looking hotel on the outskirts of Hoi An’s Old Town. It was around 6pm and as we were about to leave to start looking for a cheaper hostel, a guy approached us and said that we should check the hotel first. He said that we might be surprised of how nice and cheap it might be. And it was! I got my own room for USD10 a night, a large room with a bathtub!
I’ve heard and read from so many people how beautiful Hoi An is. And I found out the reason why upon arrival. Its streets are lined up with quaint small houses and buildings with old architectures. And various clothes shops where you can have any clothes – suit, summer dress, gowns, shirts, anything – tailor made for you and they can have it done in less than 24 hours. ;) Inside these shops are also these really nice women who would call you inside their shops but weren’t pushy at all. There were also cafes, restaurants, and book shops. Weather was still not on our side, but we promised ourselves that we will not allow the rain to stop us from exploring Hoi An.
The next day we decided to see another highlight of Hoi An, the temples of My Son. We decided to do it independently and just rent a motorbike. We were also able to bargain with the bike owner and he agreed to go with us and be our guide as My Son was almost an hour ride outside of the Old Town. With our raincoats on, we headed to My Son. We passed by rice paddies and fishing ponds and muddy paths before getting to the major highway.
My Son
My Son is made up of abandoned ruins of Hindu temples scattered around the area. It was interesting to find out that Hinduism used to be prevalent in this part of Vietnam. It’s located inside the forest. It’s not as grand as the temples of Cambodia’s Angkor or Thailand’s Ayuthaya, but it has its own charm. For me is its location. Unlike the other temple sites in Southeast Asia, this was located at the bottom of a mountain and it’s right inside a forest with a stream flowing.
Hindu carvings
Tired and cold, I was getting sleepy during the ride back to the Old Town. And I think he noticed this during our lunch in My Son. ‘You can sleep, just hold on to me.’ ‘No, I’m okay.’ But exhaustion won and I drifted off to sleep. How I was able to sleep for almost twenty minutes on a motorbike and the fact that it was raining was amazing. But I guess his left hand on my leg and his body shielding me from the wind and the rain made it possible. This is just one of those moments that reaffirmed my decision to just enjoy the remaining days we had in Vietnam.
Third day in Hoi An was spent exploring the Old Town. We walked our way into the center of the town and walked by the Thu Bon River. Small shops and quaint cafes and restaurants line up the river side. But it was more beautiful at night with the street lights, lit candles from some of the restaurants, and shops of lighted lanterns.
Lanterns lit up the river side of Hoi An
Photo by Anthony
And if you’re up for a little bit of partying, go to Why Not? Bar. At a little past midnight, the Old Town was about to sleep. But on our way back to the hotel, we saw Why Not? Bar’s signage. I think it’s the only bar or establishment open until five in the morning. For almost an hour we got the bar all to ourselves since we were quite ‘early’. haha We danced to various songs and chatted with the staff and owner. After an hour, the bar was slowly getting filled mostly by both expats and backpackers. We met some of the regulars who have been living in Hoi An for a long time. There was this really nice couple from Australia in their 50’s who we shared stories with. After learning that I was a Filipino, the man was quick to say how he admires Filipinos. ‘I have great respect for Filipinos. You are hard-workers.’ He has met and worked with a lot of Filipinos back when he was young, most of which are at cruise ships. He also said that Filipinos are great cooks. Another really nice and interesting thing about the bar was how you can write on the walls. And so if you happen to be at that bar when you go to Hoi An, look for our names and the words ‘Filipina’ and ‘French’, and you will surely find them. ;)
The rest of the early morning was spent dancing, drinking, and making new friends and sharing stories with the people inside the bar.
Hoi An did not disappoint. It even exceeded my expectations despite the rainy weather. The people were warm and welcoming. The quaint and old architecture buildings reminded me of Melaka. Having a candle-lit dinner and walking by the river was really nice too. And of course having a tailored-made skirt was not to be forgotten. Four days weren’t enough for me but I had a flight to catch in Saigon. At least a week should be spent in the lovely town of Hoi An. :)
Posted on : April 10, 2013
Posted on : April 10, 2013
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NEW BLOG!
Hey everyone! I'm moving to a new blog address : www.angelicacruzph.com
Same content but with some changes in design and layout. I'll still be keeping this one but will begin posting new stuff in the new blog. See you there!
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Email : anggetravels.blog@gmail.com
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