The Wenzel’s Big Adventure

After island-dwelling, we returned to Vietnam’s mainland and, more specifically, the coastal cities of Da Nang and Hoi An. Although these two cities are almost connected, they are quite opposite. Like Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang is a modern, energetic urban sprawl.  

After landing and settling in at our high-rise Airbnb, we shipped Corey off to Thailand to deal with her visa issues. See: Corey’s Vietnam Travel Visa Issues Blog. In her absence, the kids and I took the opportunity to catch up on rest, laundry (me), episodes of Ice Road Truckers (Jack), and Barbies Dreamtopia (Hadley). The downtime was good; we needed a bit of a recharge. We left the apartment for a few hours to check out the nearby My Khe Beach, have a bite to eat and grab a few groceries.  The trip was a bit of a failure. 

We made the five-minute walk to the beach, looked around, and then decided to grab something to eat and return. It seemed like an easy plan; I had found a couple of small restaurants nearby before leaving and thought I was prepared. The first place we stopped was closed (even though the Google machine said it was open), and the other only served seafood.  The kids were almost dead from starvation, as most five-year-olds are after not eating for 15 minutes, so I circled back to a small, overpriced spot at the base of our apartment.  Hot dogs and French fries were the kids’ only food options, which was not good. The fries were an odd yellow colour and tasted like they’d been cooked in ancient oil, and the hot dog’s casing was impenetrable.  The Pho I had was tasty but not something the kids wanted.  There were no other nearby options, so I grabbed some stuff for sandwiches from a nearby convenience store, and we headed back to the room.  I should have gone with this option from the start, but as most know, I am a slow learner.  Back in the room, bellies full of sandwiches, I asked if the kids wanted to head back out and hang out at the beach.  It was pretty hot that day, and they declined, stating it was too hot and that maybe they should watch a bit of TV. I felt the same way, and so we chilled in the room.  

For supper that evening, we left the apartment.  I found a nearby Italian restaurant, confirmed it was open and set out.  It was a pleasant stroll to this delicious little spot in the rain.  When we arrived, we found only one other group in the restaurant: a mom and three kids.  Hallelujah, we didn’t have to worry about disturbing someone’s romantic dinner.  The other family, however, proved to be so loud that at one point, Hadley covered her ears and said, “Dad, why are they so loud? Don’t they know you’re not supposed to scream in a restaurant?” And we think our kids don’t listen…..  Screaming kids included, our little date was still quite enjoyable. 

The apartment’s washing machine received a decent workout during our stay.  Most of our clothes were pretty grubby from the island, and laundry service was actually quite expensive, so the machine in Da Nang was a godsend.  The balcony was equipped with a drying rack that could be lowered from the bottom of the above balcony, and I came equipped with drying lines from Canada.  Our stay was located on the 17th floor of the building, and I learned an essential lesson about hanging clothes on a line at that height: string the line through an arm or leg hole.  I didn’t do this, and the shorts from Jack’s banana suit blew off the line and over the edge.  Thankfully, they landed on a veranda on the 6th floor; unfortunately, the doors leading to the veranda were locked and finding someone to open them proved challenging.  In the end, we found an unimpressed maintenance guy to open the door so we could get the shorts.  Jack never found out that we almost lost his favourite shorts. 

As mentioned, Corey had to spend a night in Bangkok to reset her Vietnam travel visa.  During this time, she tried to relive her youth by staying in the same hotel on Khao San Road that we stayed at during our first backpacking trip back in 2012; what a romantic.  She enjoyed a few beers at a pub we frequented, ate spring rolls she dreamt of for 12 years and strolled the street and adjacent area.  She had an early morning flight and decided that she hit the hay early to get a good night’s rest.  She forgot, however, that when we were on Khao San Road 12 years ago, we didn’t go to bed, mostly sober, at 10 PM.  That is about when the street comes alive, and the party starts.  The thumping music of nearby clubs did not lull her to sleep, and at 4 AM, she gave up and made her way to the airport; getting old is a bitch. 

Not as refreshed as she would have liked, Corey returned to Da Nang and our apartment mid-morning the next day.  We shared a few laughs over her “night away,” had breakfast, and then went down to the beach.  The water was warm and had just enough roll for enjoyable bobbing. While exploring, Jack found small dead fish floating in the surf and on the beach. We are not sure what caused them to perish or what kind of fish they were, but the kids set to gather and bury them.  

Da Nang is home to a very unique bridge that comes alive on the weekend (literally). The frame of the bridge was built to replicate a dragon, and from around 9 PM to 9:30 PM each Friday, Saturday and Sunday, alternating 150’ flames and water spray shoot from the dragon’s mouth.  The dragon’s body has lights that change colour, creating an incredible visual experience.  You can even stand underneath the dragon’s head to feel the heat and get soaked during the show.  We did not get that close, choosing to watch the show from a safe distance, but the experience was truly one-of-a-kind.  

From our apartment, we made the 4 km walk to the bridge, stopping at an amazing French bakery for a tasty treat and then at a random street vendor for beer, soda, and fresh fruit; the kids did a fantastic job on the long walk. 

After the Dragon Bridge show, we explored the Son Tran Night Market.  While Mom and Dad enjoyed a $0.70 pint of draft, the twins watched a local talent show, which happened to be right out front of the beer garden.  The kids saw a few dancing groups, which got Hadley dancing and talking about her upcoming gymnastics season this fall.  After eating some delicious market food, we got a ride home, all worn out from the day’s adventure.

We stopped at the French bakery again the following day to carb load before our big day of adventuring. We booked a driver and car for the day to show us a few spots before dropping us off at our place in Hoi An.  

Our first stop was the Lady Budda statue, located northwest of Da Nang in the hills of the Mui Da Nang peninsula. The statue is 220’ tall and located in a park home to multiple Buddist temples and dozens of Buddist statues; the whole area is gorgeous.  

Next was a stop at Marble Mountain.  There are five standalone mountains, all with cave systems created by Mother Nature and by the excavation of marble, a practice that is no longer allowed.  During the Vietnam War, the Huyen Khong Cave was used as a hospital and refuge for Vietnamese revolutionaries.  

We didn’t do much research before stopping here and only thought there was one cave.  A cave mouth was visible from the parking lot, and we thought it was the only one. 

Entering the cave, we found a Buddhist prayer area and questionable-looking stars leading to a viewpoint. We watched a few adults falter slightly when climbing the skinny and slippery steps and decided the kids could do this with no problem, and they did!  There was no grip tape or hand railings, only the odd ring anchored into the rock.  The kids rocked the climb up and down. 

Returning to the cave floor and venturing further in, we noticed many demonic figurines and statues in very specific and leading positions.  Researching later, we discovered that we had toured Dong Am Phu, which translates to Hell Cave. Thankfully, the kids were too young to understand the symbolism of the space. 

After the cave, we stopped for a bathroom break and found stairs leading to another cave. By this point, we were all hungry bordering on meltdown city. Corey purchased rice hats for the next stop in our expedition, and we set off, crushing a few snacks along the way.

Our final stop before Hoi An was the Coconut Forest Basket Ride on the That Cha River.  This unique adventure could have started better for Jack.  Part of the basket ride is wearing traditional rice hats, which Jack wanted to avoid doing.  Why, you ask? We’re not quite sure, as Jack loves hats, but we narrowed it down to the possibility that “we asked him to the wear the hat for a picture,” but he didn’t want to because he’s five and five-year-olds sometimes like to go against the grain.  Not always, but they do like to die on small, specific hills periodically….as do we, apparently…  We eventually got him to wear the hat, over top of his red and white trucker hat, for a picture.  In the picture, he has a mighty scowl on, but don’t worry, he came around and absolutely loved the experience and even put the rice hat on again at the request of the boat guy.

The draw of the circular bamboo boat ride is the energy the locals who put it on bring.  Before loading onto the boat, we were treated to a guy dancing to techno in a clown suit; that’s how you start a ride. Further into the ride, which snakes you through a coconut mangrove and down a river, the guys rowing the boats put on a show by wildly spinning their boats to the Gangnam Style song.  Our rower, who had the pleasure of taking four of us instead of the recommended two, also got in on the fun and spun us around a few times: cue arm workout!  I’ve never seen the kids laugh so hard; we all did.  We also saw a fisherman pull in and throw out a large net, which I thought was cool. 

We only had a few days in Hoi An, but the days we did have were fun and rewarding (for Corey).  Before we set out on this big trip, Corey purchased and glued patches onto the kid’s backpacks.  The wear and tear of our travels ripped a few off of Jack’s, and she had been endlessly searching for someone to sew them back on.  Tailors and seamstresses looked at her funny each time she showed them what she needed to be done.  During dinner on our first night, I noticed a sewing machine at the back of the restaurant. Further conversation with the wife/owner revealed that her husband was a cobbler and made shoes/sandals by hand: Jackpot!  Corey explained what she wanted done, and I dropped the bag and patches off the next day.  I picked the pack up later that day and was surprised to find out they had sewn all the patches (not just the ones that fell off) by hand! Their sewing machine was too big for the thin pack material, so they had to do it the old-fashioned way.  There is something to be said about doing things by hand.  

Hoi An is an old city, which is evident in the beautiful old buildings that make up the core area around the market. One evening, we walked around the market admiring all of the lovely handmade clothes and goods, and we hope to come back to purchase some of these fantastic items when we don’t have 5 months of backpacking pending. I spent a morning walking through the local market, where you find everything from bolts of fabric to light bulbs for your house. Fruits and vegetables were outside the market, and meat and seafood were in a building a few yards away.  

While touring the beautiful market area, we found an open square, and kids were running around, having the time of their lives.  Jack and Hadley joined in and were quickly welcomed by the group.  What made the experience so memorable wasn’t the fact that our kids were once again playing with locals, getting around language barriers to enjoy a game of tag or hide and seek.  No, it was the small wiener dog (owned by one of the kids) that would chase the group around the square, only for the group to turn on him, and then they chased him.  One little girl caught him and was roughing him up pretty good, and I thought she was going to get a nip, but she never did.  The dog fought his way free and started the game again.  Sadly, all good things must end, and the kids broke up, returning to their homes for the evening, taking the little weiner dog with them.  

One of the main things to do in Hoi An is a lantern boat tour on the river.  For the tour, you purchase a paper lantern from a local on the riverfront, and then they put you in a boat to cruise up and down the river.  During the cruise, you light a candle, place it in the paper lantern boat and then release it and a wish down the river.   It’s a magical experience for most, but not our little Hadley.  After lighting and releasing her candle/lantern/wish, she watched them peacefully float down the river.  Multiple boats and people release these things, and the drivers do not try to swerve to miss them.  Hadley watched as her lantern boat floated right into the path of a big boat; we all know who won that battle.  The poor girl was devastated, and we were sad for her. We consoled Hadley, and eventually, she started feeling better; trying to understand loss is tough for anyone, especially a 5-year-old.  The night turned around for her and her soul was finally soothed when we found some live music on our walk home. The kids have grown to love watching people play music during our trip, and we love it too—well, most of it.  

The other hot ticket experience in Hoi An is lantern making.  Corey found a local known as the “Lantern Lady” to show us how to make lanterns from scratch.  There were different class lengths and options that allowed you to either make the inner wooden frame from scratch and then attach the outer covering or pick material for the outer covering and attach it.  We chose to do the latter, and it was a fun experience.  I suck at crafting, and even I was able to do this one.  We each made a lantern, tested them with a light and were on our way.  We’re happy to report that the lanterns made it to Canada in one piece.  We shipped them from Cambodia; I’ll fill you in on that experience in a later post. 

The icing on the cake for Hoi An wasn’t a tourist spot or experience but rather a lunch with a couple of sisters.  Hannah and her sister Fiona who run May’s Coffee Booking Office, located just down the road from our hotel, were two of the sweetest people we’ve met on our trip.  We passed by their shop a couple of times, not giving in to their cat calls (people are always trying to get you to stop in), and then, on our last day, stopped in.  We stopped for lunch, and during that time, the sisters played and joked with the kids.  After the kids finished, Fiona got out her manicure kit, gave the twins manicures, and painted their nails.  Not only did she paint their nails, but she also drew little characters and designs on their small nails.  After the manicures, she gave them little hand massages, making the kids’ days.  Corey and I sat back and enjoyed a couple of beers.  It was an excellent way to end our time in the cute little town.