One Hue To Get Hoi An Life

During the American War, Vietnam was divided in two.  To the north was the communist Vietnamese People's Army and to the south lay the American-backed South Vietnamese forces.  Cutting through the middle ran the Demilitarized Zone which for the decade prior to the conflict had been the official border.  As such, it was the scene of some of the bloodiest battles of the time.  This is not a post about them.

This post is about another part of the region's history.  Just south of the DMZ, you will find the historical cities of Hue and Hoi An.  Hue, which was the home of the Nguyen Dynasty until 1945, was a giant citadel built upon the banks of the Perfume River.  Its tiny neighbour, Hoi An, is more known for its importance during the Champa Empire of the 16th and 17th centuries.  The Chams were the last real obstacle to a unified Vietnam before the French and Americans came a-knockin'.

After checking out the hustle and bustle of the big city, the incredible scenery of the mountains to the north and the impressive coastline of the northeast, I was looking forward to checking out something more imperial.  From Hanoi, I took a sleeper bus for the 14-hour journey to Hue.  When I first got on the bus, my heart sank when I realised it was full of teenagers on a school trip.  Luckily, most Vietnamese people are a uniform bunch and as soon as the clock struck 9pm, everyone was fast asleep and I too could enjoy a restful sleep without a the usual noise of pubescent boys and girls in a confined space.

Stepping off the bus the next morning, I was accosted by the usual suspects - motorbike taxi drivers, tour and hotel touts and people hawking their wares.  I lied and told them that I had already booked a place and I had reserved it online.  This seemed to deflate those who would have me believe the hotel was full.  One ingenious mind, though, was undeterred and popped up with a cardboard sign with the name of the hotel I had claimed to have booked and the bus company's name that I had travelled down on, saying he was from the hotel to pick me up.  I almost felt bad having to tell him that I had never told the hotel how I was travelling to Hue nor at what time I would be arriving.  Good try, though.

I found a hotel by myself, dumped my things and headed out.  I know, I missed the shower part, but it was a boiling hot day and I saw no point in getting clean only to be dripping wet with sweat a few minutes after stepping outside.  I had been told numerous times not to bother with the former capital as there wasn't much to see anymore and while that may be true, I've always thought it a shame that places get dismissed so easily because they don't have a Taj Mahal or a Great Wall.  Some places require a bit of work and imagination and I"m willing to give them a try.  Due to the heavy bombing during the war, much of the ancient citadel was destroyed.  The walls and some buildings remained intact, but a lot of what can be seen nowadays is a replica of what used to be.  Still, it was interesting to work around and it brought back memories of all those places in China I had visited.

With even less to see and do, the former fishing village of Hoi An has taken the route that so many other places have tread.  Namely, they have opened themselves up to mass tourism to the detriment of the sleepy ambiance that first attracted visitors.  The buildings still hold up well and the charming architecture make Hoi An a pleasant place to wander around for a few hours.  However, as soon as your head dips to eye-level, all you can see are the myriad of cafes, tailors, shoe shops and general tourist-tat shops.  It reminded of being back in England to some extent.  Whether you're walking Manchester, London or Chester with their deep histories and architecture, it can't escape you're notice that each building now seems to be home to a Starbucks or some other franchise or retail chain.  It just seems like an inappropriate use.

To a degree, the naysayers were correct and the two 'guidebook highlights' of Central Vietnam could be seen in a couple of days.  However, those couple of days open up a side of the country which isn't so accessible anymore because of the progression of time and the ravages of war.