It used to be that the men of Hoi An would row, row, row their boats, gently down the stream…to the ocean!
Hoi An’s proximity to the ocean, and the fact that it is a well protected harbour on the river made it an ideal trading port. Since it is so well preserved it makes the town a very attractive UNESCO World Heritage site.
While walking along the quay in the ancient town, we were persuaded (ok, Katina negotiated a good deal!) to take a boat ride along the river and around one of the islands and we saw and learned some amazing things.
There is a small but active fishing community in Hoi An where the fishermen continue to use traditional methods of fishing. Their boats are all made locally and follow the designs of centuries past…with some upgrades, like engines!
Each night the fishermen go out to sea and fish. By dawn, they are back at the Hoi An quay where they deliver their catch to the market.
Early one morning I got on my bicycle and went down to the market…I have never seen shrimp this fresh before!
Fish is not the only thing you can get at the market.
Fresh cut flowers…
Fruits and vegetables…
This guy has all of his eggs in one basket… 🙂
Meat…
Noodles..
This guy has the coolest job in the market.
It was enjoyable to just stand and watch the organized chaos around me! In addition to all the people on foot, there were bicycles and scooters making their way through as well – either simply shoppers making their way to their favourite vendor, or delivering goods.
In addition to the fishing and market, we had the opportunity to see other ways that the locals lived on the river.
Getting from point A to point B…
This woman must have been around 70, and she was waiting patiently moored by the quay trying to convince tourists to take a boat ride with her.
We also tried our hand at paddling a traditional bamboo basket boat! Not as easy as you might think!
Hoi An is not just about tourists, tailors, and shoemakers as mentioned in my previous post (and on plenty of other websites), but has a rich aquatic history which continues to exist today in the practices of the locals. Between the boats and the market, Hoi An is a feast for the eyes!
Farewell to Vietnam
We had an amazing time in Vietnam. The hustle and bustle of Hanoi, the serene calm of Halong Bay, and the cozy “tourist town” of Hoi An gave us 3 very different views and a variety of experiences in Vietnam. As you can see, we were so enchanted with Hoi An that we stayed much longer than expected, and so we were not able to make it to Ho Chi Minh City (this time around!).
We now wish a fond farewell to Vietnam as we move on to our next set of adventures in Cambodia!
Comments
6 responses to “Row, row, row your boat…”
I am having a great year travelling with all of you. I never miss a day. Love to all. Trish Sinclair
Hi Trish,
We’re so glad you’re enjoying the snippets that we put together to share our experiences! Thanks for your feedback!
Thank you so much for this wonderful visit to Vietnam . Had NO idea how beautiful and compilex a place this is. Such a creative and strong people. Will have to do some reading to remind myself re “that little war” that the US “won”. Your photos, as always are amazing. I love how you guys are always willing to try new things, whether it be crafts, goods or basket boats! Question, while you were there, was there any mention of, or reminder of ‘that’ war? Did the population bounce back / recover or was much of the damage an American PR thing?
Hi Herta,
The thing is…if we’re going to be in a place and maybe not visit again (at least for a long time) then we might as well “go for it” and try new experiences.
As for the Vietnam War, there wasn’t any reference to the war other than when we were in Hanoi on tour. Otherwise, tourism is tourism. There were tons of Americans in Vietnam and the people didn’t seem to treat them any differently. In my opinion, the population hasn’t recovered fully, and I think it will still take some time to get all the way there.
Hi Oliver,
I like your song too! Great blog–love all the photos! We’re glad that you had such a great time there! Love, Mom P.
Hi, Oliver, this is a most enjoyable posting and as always, love the photos with the commentary and you are funny. I also was very interested in learning so much about Vietnam and how or if this country has recovered. It was fun to go with you all on this journey because you did so many different things and it showed a lot about everyday life. My favourite photo is the one with all of you smiling. Love and Hugs to all