Arrival in Vietnam

After just two and a half hours of flying, we arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam on June 26. With a German passport, we didn't have to apply for a visa, but we still had to queue with all the other travelers in the crowd at immigration. Unfortunately, the processing was very slow, and the line extended all the way to the escalators in the access area. The processing system really needs improvement.

When we finally left the airport, heavily laden with our luggage, we were greeted by 37 degrees Celsius. Even the Vietnamese at our new accommodation for the next thirty days, La Casa Tra Que, were sweating.

The staff here are really very nice and accommodating and made an effort to find us the most suitable room for the month. Other guests also seem to love staying here: an older couple, who are also staying for a month, is here for the second time, and an American is here for the third time – and that's been continuous for five months. We immediately received plenty of tips on where to eat well and cheaply. The staff seem to enjoy eating at least as much as we do.

One restaurant recommendation we took to heart was Bánh Xèo Trà Quế for pancakes (Bánh Xèo). Before the food arrived, we played with the sweet young cat in the restaurant – she wanted to play and be petted at the same time and was literally rolling around our feet.

The other guests were visibly amused by our attempts to eat. Although we had made homemade summer rolls in Germany from time to time, we were not quite sure how to assemble everything here. There were sections of rice paper, a whole heap of salad vegetables, cabbage, cucumber, carrot, mint, and coriander, along with folded pancakes filled with sprouts and shrimp and a bowl of peanut sauce.

Then a woman took pity on us and showed us that you tear off a piece of pancake, roll it up firmly with the vegetables in the rice paper, and then dip it into the peanut sauce. So simple when you know how.

The way back led us through fields of lettuce and various herbs. Over the path, trellises with magnificent pumpkin plants were strung up, and Simon had to be careful not to bump into the low-hanging pumpkins. As dusk fell, the swallows flying above slowly split off with the bats. A really beautiful walk home.

The next day, we explored the city center of Hoi An, the so-called “Ancient Town” or “Old Town”. We are staying a bit off the beaten path on a peninsula outside the city – but it’s easy to walk in along a path lined with rice fields.

Here, you can shop for all sorts of things, admire historic buildings, or relax in a café. You can book a boat ride on the river at any time, and the monthly lantern festival also takes place there. There are plenty of ATMs in Hoi An, but there is only one VP-Bank ATM where you can withdraw money for free.

Hoi An was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 – as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port from the 15th to 19th centuries that reflects the blending of various cultures through international trade. Some of the well-preserved buildings from that era can still be visited today. In tourist offices, you can buy a ticket for 120,000 VND per person to visit five of the 25 historical sites, museums, and performances (www.hoianworldheritage.org.vn).

From the ticket options, we visited the Quan Cong Temple – a nice little temple that is not too crowded. The pond with bonsai trees in the center is very atmospheric, and there is also an exhibition area. When we were there, floral watercolor works by the artist Thu Hoa were on display.

The Museum of Traditional Medicine and the Museum of Local Products are located in the same building complex. Downstairs, dried herbs and roots that were used for healing displayed, as well as the production of medicine, depictions of examinations, and a historic sickroom. In the upper area, you learn what is grown and harvested in the area: Agarwood as a component of incense stick paste, black pepper, rice, sedge, and betel nuts as offerings.

Next, we visited the Tan Ky Trading House – a elaborately decorated residence in a Japanese-Chinese style from the early 19th century. Various pieces of furniture, bedrooms and much porcelain can be seen. All in all, not particularly large, but interesting to understand how wealthy Vietnamese lived at that time. The building has also endured several floods over the years – plaques on the walls show the year and water level. Between October and December, the rivers here apparently regularly overflow, which has also been confirmed by the staff at our accommodation.

The Fujian Assembly Hall was very worthwhile – a magnificent Chinese temple with many fish ponds.

But we also enjoyed the Minh Huong Ancestor Worship House. It is designed in a Chinese style, with round passages and ornate room dividers.

You can visit the Ba Mu Temple for free, which is especially popular for the reflection of its facade in the pond in front.

The Ruan Hahn Gallery and the Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum, featuring photographic works by the French artist Réhahn that showcase the lives of the locals in Hoi An, can also be visited for free. Additionally, the museum displays the traditional clothing of various tribes from all regions of Vietnam.

On the very first weekend after our arrival, the monthly lantern festival took place in the Ancient Town along the Hoai Arm of the Thu Bon River. Many souvenir stands were already set up in the afternoon, and merchants were offering their goods – fortunately, the sellers in Vietnam always remain friendly and are not too pushy.

As soon as it got dark, lanterns lit up everywhere in the city, especially on the many boats on the river. The festival was well-attended, and the boat people were surrounded by tourists. Traditionally, small lotus-shaped lanterns with candles are also set afloat in the evening. Each lantern carries a wish or a prayer. You light them, make a silent wish, and then let them go.

It was really beautiful to see the city bathed in such warm, soft light.

Some attractions are a bit hidden, like the stone well near us in Tra Que, which has existed since at least the 13th century.

Not far from there is the grave Mộ ông Nguyễn Điển – the entrance is right in the middle of the salad patch. It belongs to a member of the Nguyen family who was born in Tra Que and was an important official at the imperial court in the 19th century.