Whispering Shadow

I had told Lien from my homestay in Hoi An that I was going to see the sunrise at 7 AM in the morning. She scoffed, saying if you want to see the sunrise in Vietnam, you should get up at 5 AM. Having nothing better to do while in Da Nang, I ended up doing just that.  Volleyball for the more energetic lot! I walked to the beach at 5 AM and to my surprise, it was brimming with people. When I say people, I don't mean tourists who frequent the beaches in Da Nang, but the locals. They were out there - practicing Tai Chi and Yoga, mud-bathing or sun-bathing or just bathing, playing volleyball and football, taking strolls hand-in-hand with their loved ones. They were all out there - octagenarians and septuagenarians, married couples, singles and youngsters on a date, teens and children of all ages. They all seemed to be having fun, engaging with people known and unknown, greeting them with smiles and occasionally,  inviting them to be a part of their activities. These f...

Today was a day I followed my impulse and chucked all plans. Instead of going to the Ang Bang Beach, I spent my morning in Hoi An, cycling to the Tra Que Village to see the sunrise. Instead of leaving for Da Nang post-lunch, I left early taking the public bus traveling like the locals do. And then, I spent my afternoon going to the Marble Mountains followed by a superb Vietnamese massage with blends of Thai, Swedish and Hot Stone therapy mixed in it. The Sun did rise in the West today Such a flow is very contrary to how I typically operate. Being a Market Development Manager, a Teacher and an Operational Leader of a Site, coupled with my background in Engineering, have made me extremely prone to the occupational hazard of extreme planning. It, of course, has its benefits in personal and professional life. With travel, I end up significantly optimizing costs vs. experiences. I make the most of the time I have, combining rest and reflection with experiencing the locale. I usua...

An artist making traditional hand-painted paper-mache masks  Today was my second day in Hoi An. I spent the morning at the Ancient Town, which unlike the previous night, was a bit less bustling and frantic. The blue skies, pastel yellow walls, and the people going about their chores offered interesting avenues for photography. I even visited some of the ancient houses, assembly halls, museums and even saw a cultural performance. Later in the day, I went to the coconut palm eco farms on the outskirts of Hoi An, taking a tour in a basket boat with a lady named Tinh. I closed the day with a visit to Rehahn's Photography Gallery as well as the Precious Heritage Art Gallery. Any architecture against blue skies is always stunning A local fisherman, at the Cam Thanh Village, casting the net The highlight of the day was seeing Vietnam through Rehahn's lens. He came to Vietnam in 2011 like a tourist. He clicked a picture of a 78-year old lady who took him on a bo...

I spent today morning visiting the Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue. I then traveled to Hoi An where I spent the evening at the Ancient Town which is an 'exceptionally well-preserved example of a small-scale trading port active the 15th to 19th centuries' (UNESCO).  Each level is dedicated to a Buddha that appeared in human form Both these places attract hordes of tourists given their historic and cultural significance. Both are incredibly stunning sights for very different reasons -Thien Mu Pagoda, because of its idyllic setting and the harmony with which it stood in its surrounding and Hoi An Ancient Town because of its traditional architectural design and layout against the riverbank.  However, the feelings they evoked in me were exactly the opposite. The Thien Mu Pagoda made me feel extremely peaceful and calm while Hoi An made me feel agitated. It was not to do so much with the physical setting as it was to do with the people.  Guarding the sanctity of the Pla...

Typhoon Jenny which was supposed to hit the Philippines Coast turned towards North Vietnam and China. While Hue is away from its path, it has led to non-stop rains for the last 15 hours. Initially, I was a bit disappointed about the weather playing spoilsport.  Given I had little time in the town, I didn't want to spend it sitting in my room.  Leveraging all my experience of dealing with the Mumbai Rains, I spent much of the morning visiting the Imperial Citadel and the tomb of Tự Đức the longest-serving emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty. In hindsight, it worked well in my favor given many travelers chose to stay indoors. Besides, rains have the magical quality to drown all the ambient noise, almost providing a background score to your travel. The only downside was not being able to use my camera to click photographs.  The rain didn't go away but didn't keep the fun at bay either As I was reading about the stories of the different emperors, I was reminded...

I had the opportunity to visit the Vinh Moc Tunnels and the Ben Hai River Crossing today in the Demilitarized Zone that separated north and south Vietnam during the Vietnam War. While the visits were quick, I couldn't imagine what the Vietnamese people would have gone through. Many near the border lived in poorly ventilated tunnel systems built so deep and concealed so well that American bombs couldn't breach them. The first level was used by the soldiers, the second level was the residence of villagers and the third level the weapons, ammunition, food and medical supplies. Remember, this was also a time when electricity was uncommon, when food was hard to find and when sanitation didn't exist in its current form.   The Maternity Room was closest to the exit facing the sea so that it was well-ventilated The largest room in the tunnels - the only one in which I could stand upright The effects of war are still felt in the region. Quoting from  the MAG...

After spending two days of time in the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park exploring its landscape, I decided to spend day three on a bicycle along the country-side. The state of the cycle at the homestay was not top-notch, but it was a fully-functional basic cycle. I decided to take my chances given the direction I was headed in was not going to take me through steep slopes.   Companion for the Morning I have never cycled long distances before so I thought I will go as far and as long as I can. In the process, I experience life in the villages surrounding the national park, with its creatures - humans, buffaloes, cows, ducks, hens, dogs and butterflies.  Just the AVERAGE setting for the ride The second best part of the journey was visiting the Moi Moi Potato Farms to meet their many animals as well as eating the home-made peanut dumplings with some chilled beer. However, the best part of the journey was meeting many local children traveling to school on t...