The Cham towers make an imposing sight on the hilltops
Left to right - me, Christine, Kellie and Marie
This area is about 20 km from Quy Nhon
These young gentlemen were some of the many people who greeted us warmly as we walked through a village.
This is the rice papers drying in the sun - I am sure that we benefit from the added minerals!
These women took my eye as they enjoyed a drink and a lively chat while sheltering from the drizzle.
These women know how to shop!
Dinner in "food alley"
Breakfast at a lovely cafe by the sea - we did a lot of eating over the three days
Examples of the great folk art at the Sunrise cafe
Shopping, Eating, and Sightseeing - September 30, 2008
It was great having Christine, Marie and Kellie to stay for three days. One of the enjoyable things about having visitors is seeing my city, and the surrounding area, through their eyes. The three of them are great travelers who get pleasure from seeing everyday life and quirky sights. Another bonus is my visitors arrived laden down with treats like Baileys and magazines as well as wonderful gifts from my family. I am very fortunate to have a family who work so hard to find the things that I “need”, such as water-proof pants and yoghurt culture, as well as all sorts of funny, touching, helpful and yummy items. I am blessed.
The three days were full of food, walking around the city, sight-seeing in the local countryside and shopping. On the first day they enjoyed a visit to our local food market, watching the life of my street from the front porch and walking around the neighborhood but they found the weather very hot. I had not realized how much I had acclimatized to the heat – for me the temperature is relatively cool now. In the evening we went to the fish restaurant whose menu featured in my last blog, for a lovely meal and a short walk down by the sea.
The wonderful Barbara, of Kiwi Café fame, helped us to hire a taxi on Saturday for the day and went for a tour around the local countryside and a swim at a virtually deserted beach. One of our stops was at the Thap Banh It (“three cornered patty”) Cham towers. This group of four towers, built in the 11th or 12th century, are built atop a small hill which afforded great views of the surrounding countryside. I know that people who have been to places like Angkor Wat in Cambodia may find our towers only moderately impressive but I really enjoy them. I have seen these ones often from the distance but had not visited them before so I was really glad of the opportunity.
Another aspect of Vietnamese life that continues to fascinate me is the buffalo and ox carts that share the roads with more modern forms of transport. Once we had communicated our wish to see the buffalo up close, (using a picture in a dictionary having completely mystified him with a poor attempt to mime one), our tolerant young taxi driver obligingly stopped a driver who agreed to allow us to take photos. We then stopped for a walk through a small village and had tasty Pho Bo in a little restaurant before making our way to the beach. My visitors were grateful that the day was overcast and had a couple of swims but I found it a bit cool and only had one.
In the evening I took my tired visitors to “food alley” for a spot of street dining. This is a bit of a challenge for newcomers but it is part of the Vietnamese experience. The banh xeo (shrimp pancakes) were as good as ever but I got the next thing wrong and it wasn’t very nice so we decamped, via cyclo and motorbike to another area and topped up with some noodle soup. I persuaded them to make one more stop at one of my favorite cafes. I enjoy the Sunrise, not just because it has great views from the roof garden but also because every floor is decorated with crazy sculptures made from driftwood.
Unusually Sunday was a drizzly day. Normally it is either fine or pouring here. We had a slow start and lingered over brunch at a seaside café before going shopping in central Quy Nhon. I had warned Christine and co that this is not a shopper’s city but these women, who have shopping down to a fine art, proved me wrong. Amongst the shops and stalls they managed to find all sorts of quirky items such as a bead curtain with pictures of large goldfish, decorative plastic dishes, sunshine yellow jandals, paper Chinese dolls and plastic ‘crystal’ hands which flash red and blue while holding a religious figure. They will be in Cambodia next and then go to Bangkok – I suspect that the plane will need extra fuel for their homeward journey!
Thank you for coming to Quy Nhon Christine, Kellie and Marie. It was a lot of fun having you here.
