What doesn't kill you will just make you stronger

Trip Start Sep 01, 2005
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Trip End Dec 04, 2006


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Flag of Vietnam  ,
Tuesday, October 3, 2006

I had wanted to visit The Victoria Hotel in Hoi An as it was and still is a very special place for Amber and I when we were in Vietnam last. Set on the beach some distance outside of Hoi An I got on my mountain bike and headed north for a little more than half an hour and then east towards the coastline. I figured that the hotel was a bit further north up the coast so I made a left turn and cycled my way along the beach. There was a line of litter that consisted mainly of branches and leaves that stretched for as far as the eye could see. The beach had turned a dirty grey colour as the top layer of fine sand had been dispersed inland. The fishermen were not fazed by this and still continued to go on about their daily routine although the catch on closer inspection was miniscule. I had passed a couple of resort complexes and was sure that the next one would be it but I still hadn't come across The Victoria. The beach was becoming a hazard zone with litter everywhere so with not much gas in my tank and the sun grilling my head and arms I decided to try for a little bit further on the road 01 Dead end
01 Dead end
 . Half an hour later it had dawned on me that I had gone to far so I turned back for Hoi An. The houses this far out had definitely sustained more damage then the houses closer into town. I had countless people invite me into their homes or whats left of it and they showed me their open kitchens and walls that have tumbled down. I could not express my condolences enough but they were just interested and so happy to see me and learn where I was from. The spirit of the Vietnamese people had not been damaged and they were happy despite the fact that they didn't have a roof over their heads. Life goes on and people went about their daily chores doing the laundry and salvage what they could. The government workers were out in force clearing the streets and helping to restore electricity to the people although it would still take a day or two more until that would happen.

Under a few hours I hit the intersection where I had come from and decided to head straight on with a hunch that the Victoria was near by. Indeed it was and I came across it after half an hour. The hotel was closed and was reopening the next day and a multitude of people were employed to clean up the 5 star hotel. In my mind it deserved a 6 star rating because of their number one employee Darling. Amber and I had met Darling on our romantic visit here and she had greeted us with the warmest hospitality. Originally from Russia she had been working for the circus and at 32 years of age she was rescued from the circus some years ago and given a new lease on life at the Victoria where her duties included combing the beach once a day, to eat a lot of bananas and give the odd tourist an half an hour ride on the beach 02
02
 . Darling is an elephant. I asked reception where Darling was and I was shocked and sad to find out that she had passed away 11 months ago due to a stomach infection, it had happened over the span of a week. I paid my respects as she was respectfully buried on the hotel grounds where she did spend the best years of her life. She will be missed.

Heading back I saw a sign that read Hoi An 5km, and then it dawned on me. I had cycled all the way to Dannang which was 30 km away. No wonder why the houses up there were hit so badly! The cycling in Yangshuo must have helped with conditioning as I continued on in the old town for another hour or so. Eight hours was the cut off point and by the end of it I had managed to roast my arms in the process. It is the second worst T-Shirt tan that I have ever had, second to the time I fell asleep on the beach. It still hurts now...

Met up with my Border Buddies Will and Paul and a couple of others where we caught up over dinner on the second floor balcony over looking the main street. I should say we tried to catch up but it was hard with all the constant drumming and lion dancing action on the street. The lunar festival had started today and we were lucky enough to be in town for it. At one time there were up to four individual groups dancing around in the same area 03 River on the way to Dannang!
03 River on the way to Dannang!
 . It was complete madness as there was no co ordination whatsoever between the groups and it caused traffic jams in the intersections where people and motorcyclists would maneuver around the Lion Dancers. I counted up to 15 separate groups and then gave up as the drumming was pounding constantly. Some groups even had 6 metre poles for the Lion Dancer to climb up to the top and dance for the people on the second floor of the restaurant opposite us. The only co-ordination between the dancers turned out to be the 9.30pm cut off point when the streets returned to its usual peaceful tranquility. You wouldn't compare them to the Chinese Lion Dancing that you see on TV or experience in Chinatown back in Sydney but the enthusiasm and energy that these kids (aged between 8 and 14) infected everyone within ear shot. For three hours they played non-stop and for the most part they put on a excellent performance.
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