On two separate days we venture into the countryside that surrounds Hoi An. Distances are small, but the paths are many, and on the first outing we eventually get quite lost, providing us with incentive for a second round of exploration. Hoi An lies about 5 km inland from the coastal beaches, which are predominantly used by fisher folk. The main road leaves behind the endless tailor shops and sidewalk eateries and spills directly into emerald green rice fields. We check out the wild and windswept beach. Round basket boats lie stacked on the beach, nets folded on their ramshackle bamboo platforms, ready for the next outing. We first head south to the area where “tour” boats travel to some of the local islands. The only real action here is some fierce and animated gambling, which we watch for a few minutes, completely baffled.
We head back north and begin taking some side roads. It’s a mazelike quilt of rice fields, shrimp and fish farms, beautiful vegetable/herb gardens, against the backdrop of the tranquil pace of daily life. There are stunning pagodas, colorful cemeteries, roadside barbers, and as we delve into still quieter patches, the same water coconut palms we saw in the Mekong Delta, which are being harvested for their leaves. Alongside the small paths are vegetable stands, all manner of coconut fronds drying, being stacked, sewn, or woven into walls and window shades. The houses have window coverings made from plaited coconut, and we even see walls that can be lifted into awnings, held in place with sturdy bamboo poles. Water buffalo wallow in mud holes at the edges of paddies, or pull rudimentary plows through the thick semi-dry mud of dormant rice paddies. Once the fresh breath of early morning has passed, the heat intensifies, and the land shimmers with heat. Field workers are barefoot, carrying twin watering cans which they sway rhythmically, spraying soft showers across the young crops. Algae from the rivers is used as fertilizer. Everywhere we stop, people try out their rudimentary English, generally asking whether we’re married, how old we are and how many children we have.
In early afternoon we stumble upon more vegetable gardens and find a delightful open air restaurant where we sample Hoi An rice paper pancakes. We crisscross more of the countryside, and head home. Below a collage of the two days.
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