Tourist for a week - Hoi An
- Photo Video of adventures - Enjoy
We didn't take too many photos, yet I will do my best to share the highlights of the journey.
First stop on our journey, we left Ho Chi Minh to arrive in Da Nang and travel to a small town of Hoi An known as the lantern city of Vietnam. Every month there is a festival when its full moon, all the electricity is turn off and lanterns guide the way. We missed this celebration as it is near the end of the month. None the less it was a place full of lantern and was expecting a sense of magic to be in the air. This was overpowered with that all too familiar buzz of tourism that sort of strips away a natural and beauty that is pure in places. Requiring one to adventure out in the dawn or when no one around to capture a small glimpse into what the place really I like.
In saying all this, the city didn't disappoint with a great atmosphere and very colourful buildings and decorations.
One night we adventured into the city to eat dinner, people watch and look at the river as little lighten candles float down stream along with the continuous stream of boat with passengers getting a water eye view.
Our homestay was on the waterfront which turn out to be really nice. The fisherman left early morning to return before sunset. The first full day we did a motorbike tour. This was incredible, best decision. Not many photos taken, it was an overcast day yet this not dampen our spirits to explore.
On the back of the bike we weaved through rice fields, down valley and through little settlements. Had morning coffee with the locals who were rather taken by two long hair females who were opposite in skin tone. There is a road that Is like the 'ocean road' in Australia. It is open on one side and offers amazing views. It cuts through the hills and passes around the cliff front. I loved the climb, the sights and just simply breathing in crisp ocean air.
While allowing the wind to pass all around me, sitting in a position of been able to see a lot, I had an overwhelming sense of it just been a very rich spiritually experience. Seeing, tasting, smelling, touching and embracing the surroundings to gift a renewal within. What more could a girl ask for.
Hopefully the photos capture this a little. Not too sure if it was as I was travelling with an African Sister, or if it was just my nature. I organised the trip before I left. Leaving space for things to be added or my travelling partner to add in her own agenda. I realised part way through the trip that my take on travelling is somewhat different from the normal line of thought. Firstly while travelling in itself is amazing, there is a balance to be made. Its about supporting the local people, about experiencing the culture present in. While in this case language was no barrier really as we were on the tourism trail so every spoke English. It did come clear that there is a clear difference between having or rather expecting "western" culture demands in terms of food, accomodation and then that of living and staying among the locals.
By the time the journey had come to an end I felt that there need to be more awareness of this. It needs to be promoted, to stop the mass tourism of visiting place and staying in hotels that all the funds are going off shore. Here even the workers are not Vietnamese so sometimes no funds go to the place you are visiting.
Awareness needs to be made.
( I will touch more on this when talk about next place - sapa)
For now, this is Hoi An, a beautiful part of the country that is not captured in photos. It is very touristy and picturesque at the same time.
I did find a piece of myself there, that deep spiritual connection of oneness. I dance in this delight and saviour it to carry me until I can step foot on land once again.
In saying all this, the city didn't disappoint with a great atmosphere and very colourful buildings and decorations. One night we adventured into the city to eat dinner, people watch and look at the river as little lighten candles float down stream along with the continuous stream of boat with passengers getting a water eye view.
Our homestay was on the waterfront which turn out to be really nice. The fisherman left early morning to return before sunset. The first full day we did a motorbike tour. This was incredible, best decision. Not many photos taken, it was an overcast day yet this not dampen our spirits to explore. On the back of the bike we weaved through rice fields, down valley and through little settlements. Had morning coffee with the locals who were rather taken by two long hair females who were opposite in skin tone. There is a road that Is like the 'ocean road' in Australia. It is open on one side and offers amazing views. It cuts through the hills and passes around the cliff front. I loved the climb, the sights and just simply breathing in crisp ocean air.
While allowing the wind to pass all around me, sitting in a position of been able to see a lot, I had an overwhelming sense of it just been a very rich spiritually experience. Seeing, tasting, smelling, touching and embracing the surroundings to gift a renewal within. What more could a girl ask for.
Hopefully the photos capture this a little. Not too sure if it was as I was travelling with an African Sister, or if it was just my nature. I organised the trip before I left. Leaving space for things to be added or my travelling partner to add in her own agenda. I realised part way through the trip that my take on travelling is somewhat different from the normal line of thought. Firstly while travelling in itself is amazing, there is a balance to be made. Its about supporting the local people, about experiencing the culture present in. While in this case language was no barrier really as we were on the tourism trail so every spoke English. It did come clear that there is a clear difference between having or rather expecting "western" culture demands in terms of food, accomodation and then that of living and staying among the locals.
By the time the journey had come to an end I felt that there need to be more awareness of this. It needs to be promoted, to stop the mass tourism of visiting place and staying in hotels that all the funds are going off shore. Here even the workers are not Vietnamese so sometimes no funds go to the place you are visiting.
Awareness needs to be made.
( I will touch more on this when talk about next place - sapa)
For now, this is Hoi An, a beautiful part of the country that is not captured in photos. It is very touristy and picturesque at the same time.
I did find a piece of myself there, that deep spiritual connection of oneness. I dance in this delight and saviour it to carry me until I can step foot on land once again.
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