Hoi An (Vietnam)
04 October - 08 October 2023
Ever
snapped a photo and felt that someday, perhaps years later, you'll have a
photo in hand *ahem*, jpeg on screen,
and be gazing back into that moment, finding yourself immersed in a
blend of nostalgia, anticipation, and the profound realization of time passing?
What do you call that feeling? What is that called? Is there a word to capture
that inevitable feeling, is it "Pronoia"?
There
have been countless instances in my travels, and in my life, where I've
anticipated in the moment how and in what form I'd reminisce about that exact
point in time from a distant future. And even though I fully comprehend that
it's just continuum of events (or moments) that connect what feel like two
distant point in my memory, when I actually
get to the ‘other side’, peering through the mists of time, there’s both a sensation of being linked and also
somewhat detached simultaneously—a liminal sensation, like I’m standing on the
edge of myself, yet knowing I was part of that past moment and knowing that I
had thought in the past about myself inevitably looking back.
"Pronoia,"
itself is belief that the world conspires favourably to put you in a reasonably
good position and so I don’t think that its encapsulate the exact sentiment I’m
going for. So perhaps I’ll create a term, something like
"ephemerosy."
EPHEMEROSY – in case you’re wondering, the sentiment is meant to encompass the fleeting nature of moments (the ephemeral) coalesced with wistfulness and nostalgia, or the ‘rosy’ view. It’s meant to encapsulate the bittersweet and the somewhat oddly surreal essence of reminiscing about how you think about and perceive a past moment in your future.
Truth
be told, these days I experience this type of feeling almost daily with my son,
knowing that 'this,' his present, will someday be a moment I'd yearn to
revisit—a moment that will only be accessible to me at some point through
photos or videos. Much the same way, I used to take mental pictures of my
father driving away from the station each morning after he’d dropped me off. I
knew that one morning there would be a final drive, the last time when he’d
drive away, after which those visuals would just be a memory of the past,
something that I’d need to retrieve from my internal hard drive.
We
humans are dealt a cruel blow when it comes to the concept of time. We perceive its directionality only from current
to future, which can be cruel. Always advancing, never reversing, always
departing. It's that departure that constantly resonates. Certainly we could
argue that we're always arriving, which is true. Yet, arrival lacks foresight,
it lacks certainty and clarity, while departing is constantly marked by
retrospection.
I've
always believed in precognition, which for me is not the idea of truly
foreseeing events but more so about sensing the circumstance of future places
and moments. Let me give you an example, for me personally, I'd always
envisioned and inherently felt that at some point I would have a wife and son to
accompany me future travel adventures. Even in during my exceptional tenure of
enigmatic singleness, even when I was getting on in years and nearing my 40th
birthday, it was there. Even when the mechanics of that vision seemed absolutely
unclear, or in fact, impossible, there was always an internal certainty—an
innate understanding of a future truth that felt pre-determined.
And
I have to say, it’s an odd realization when an anticipated future becomes the
present.
Arriving
at Ga Ha Noi station, the main train station in Hanoi, it felt oddly familiar. Navigating the ticket validation process, the platform
entrances, boarding the right carriage—it felt preordained. Of course, I'd
traversed this exact journey previously, back in 2009, with my good friend Jet
Frichot (which you can read about here Escape from Hanoi (2009). But the point is that there was a feeling or certainty in me that
there would be a time in the future when I would do this journey again
and that it would be with my own family. Maybe that’s odd? Or maybe that’s
just life and that’s the way everyone thinks. Who knows?
The
overnight trip from Ha Noi to Da Nang generally spans about 16-17 hours. On this evening we were scheduled to take the
SE3, Reunification Express, departing Ha Noi at 19:20 and with an arrival time
in Da Nang of 12:28.
For
all of you that want to know a little more about the Reunification express and luxury
train travel in Vietnam, let me just clarify. The SE3, Violette train, (4)
berth VIP luxury cabin option isn't quite the romantic, cocktail-laced, piano
bar-style journey that one might associated with luxury train travel.
That in itself may be why some travellers tend to criticize Vietnam Rail's
service. Let me be clear however, Vietnam never touts this service as defining
the ‘concept of luxury’. The reality of the service is never overplayed. Certainly
it’s a basic and relatively comfortable overnight trip which traverses Vietnam.
You’ll get some essential amenities,
like a crude toilet and equally crude public wash basin, and yes, you’ll mainly
spend the duration of the journey in your small box of a cabin with any noteworthy
highlights coming into frame within final 90 minutes of the approach to Da Nang….but
so what? The point is that it get you from departure station to arrival station
a minimum of fuss.
For
any of those that are looking for pointers, please see below:
My
advice for this journey:
- Temper your accommodation expectations;
it's adequate and functional.
- Bring sufficient food and drinks for the
16-hour trip; onboard options are limited.
- If you're a light sleeper, bring earplugs
and an eye mask.
- Rest well in the morning; the best
scenery is just 90 minutes from Da Nang.
- Expect shared cabins and avoid
anticipating luxury
- Bring along back-up toiler paper because
you never know.
Arriving
at Da Nang station, we were swift in exiting and hopped into our waiting
transfer. In fact we were into our vehicle so fast and speeding southward to
Hoi An before you could say 'Can I have chili on that Bahn Mi?'. For the uninitiated,
be aware that every station, every airport and more than likely every arrivals
hall, anywhere in Vietnam, will be awash with touts baying for your fiscal
lifeblood. My advice is just cut the hassle and cut the unnecessary thought process
of trying to deduce the best deal? There is no best deal when it comes to taxis
and yes, everyone of them is out to price gouge to varying extents – why not
set yourself a ride up in advance? It’s ready on arrival and it completely
negates any anxiety you may feel that negotiating the ‘offside trap’.
Hoi
An
If
you've never been to Hoi An, let me tell you, it's a marvel. Nestled a couple
of kilometres inland from some wonderful beaches that face out onto the South
China Sea and sidled neatly against the Ton Bon river, this town weaves together
a captivating tapestry of historical richness and timeless charm. Its UNESCO
World Heritage status certainly speaks volumes, and it easily draws in travellers
from all over the world with its maze of ancient streets, lantern-lit alleys, hidden
bars and restaurants, glorious weather and warm, friendly people.
Hoi An Golden Holiday Hotel & Spa - Hoi An - Vietnam
Hoi
An is effectively an open-air museum that’s been coloured magnificently a by a
mixture of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese influences. It manages to evoke a
tangible sense of history, which is something you can get to grasp almost
immediately.
After
our approximately 45 min drive south from Da Nang’s major rail station, we arrived
and settled into the fabulous Hoi An Golden Holiday Hotel & Spa. A really
wonderful boutique hotel with magnificent staff, great amenities and excellent
proximity to Hoi An’s old town centre. Not that we gave ourselves any real
amount of time to absorb our immediate surroundings because as soon as we’d finished
lunch we gotten ourselves changed and were exiting the building in earnest to do
some sightseeing.
Hoi An T/T Cocktail Bar, Coffee & Antiques - Hoi An - Vietnam
An Hoi Bridge - Hoi An - Vietnam
Hoi An - Vietnam
Hopping
on the gratis rental bikes that our hotel kindly provide to all guests, we got
to pedalling the short 1.5kms towards into the town centre, in the process
riding past many typically framed Hoi An style buildings characterised by their
ochre-yellow colours adornments of intricate wood carvings. There’s just an immediate
sense of stepping back in time once you enter the old town. As a one time
bustling trading point you get to see the remnants of a bygone era, with wooden
Chinese shopfronts standing side by side with colourful French colonial
buildings and ornate Vietnamese tube houses.
One
of many great things about the old town of Hoi An is that its pedestrian privileged
as there’s a strict ‘no car policy’. You can spend your time leisurely
strolling through its quaint streets without the havoc that you associate with
other major Vietnamese cities. This in itself adds to entire experience,
allowing you to easily absorb, observe and experience with a frenetic
manufactured pace being imposed on you. Inga, Aiden and I strolled through the
cobble stone streets, taking in the surrounds and stopping pointedly to have one
of the famous Vietnamese egg coffees (which in actual fact a translated
creations from Hanoi).
As night descends Hoi An quickly transforms into something quite special
Lantern boat rides - Thu Bon River - Hoi An - Vietnam
Inga & Aiden loving the lantern boat rides- Thu Bon River - Hoi An - Vietnam
However
you may perceive Hoi An during the day, as twilight descends the town
metamorphoses into a realm of magic and enchantment, allowing itself to become awash
with colourful lanterns that adorn the streets, the waterways and all sorts of boating craft on
the river. Glowing plums of colour paint vibrant rainbows of light on an ever-darkening
canvas. The transformation if both enchanting and captivating. I’ve always had fond
memories of Hoi An, especially in the way that it transformed from its daytime
personality of ancient daytime trading hub into a nocturnal wonderland. But was
once ‘just’ some of beauty has now become ever so grand and majestic. Hoi An’s
night expose is now on steroids, it has elevated its evening allure to be
facilitated with gorgeous lantern boat rides and a number of light-infused
experiences. To me however the true highlight was simply witnessing Inga and
Aiden reaction to their first time experience of Hoi An's enchantment. Neither
of them had any sort of benchmark, nothing to compare it to, so all of this was
a first, and you could see the impact that it had just from noting their facial
expressions and reactions. This is now the part of travelling that I truly love
the most. For me, their excitement stands as the true essence of this journey. Their
joy now becomes the true price of admission.
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Some of the other highlights we
had in Hoi An over the next few days included riding out to An Bang beach, another
slice of paradise. Palms tree, cocktails, crashing waves, breezy days and the
quintessential beach scene. Quaint beach bars amplifying its attraction, allowing
you to casually while away hours under a bright sun and soundtrack of waves riding
up the shoreline.
The Deckhouse - An Bang Beach - near Hoi An - Vietnam
On another day we took a round
boat basket ride on the Ton Bon River. From what we found out, the round basket
boat in Hoi An dates back over 2000 years to the Cham people who settled in the
area. Originally designed for fishing in shallow waters, the circular shape of
these boats allowed for fisherman to easily move around and collect fish from
their nets. These days of course the round boats are still part of Vietnamese
culture but these days, perhaps more significantly, it’s become a way for tourists
to have a different sort of experience and its both exciting and unique for
this part of the world.
Hoi An, it’s a place of culinary delights, tailor shops, Full Moon
festivals — but also so much more. It's also a symphony of history, culture,
and flavours that will forever linger in our memories.
I'm so glad that we all got to experience Hoi An's magic and I
know it'll leave an indelible mark on Inga & Aiden. Whilst this was just
their first encounter, somewhere in their thoughts, I know that they sense that
Hoi promise of wonder and magic is not just a one time experience.
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