From Siem Reap to Hội An to Hanoi

What did we do in Cambodia besides be awestruck by Angkor? We toured a silk farm. We visited the new Angkor National Museum. We got $5 foot massages. We went horseback riding in the Siem Reap countryside. We shopped for kramas—the traditional Cambodian checkered scarves. We handwashed our clothes. We honed our bargaining skills. We worked on our upcoming travel plans.

Silkworms eating mulberry leaves at the silk farm in Siem Reap, Cambodia — One silkworm said to another: “Salad again?”

A single thread is made up of 40-60 strands of silk in Siem Reap, Cambodia — A single thread is made up of 40-60 strands of silk from the cocoon of the silkworm, which is killed before it emerges to prevent breaking the continuous filament (ergo, silk ≈ vegan)

Creating a patterned silk scarf (or krama) on the loom in Siem Reap Cambodia — Creating a very fancy patterned silk scarf (or krama) on the loom

Riding horses through the rice paddies around Siem Reap, Cambodia — Riding horses through the rice paddies around Siem Reap

Then on February 21 we flew back to Vietnam, to Đà Nẵng, and headed down to Hội An, a cute coastal town about an hour south. Hội An is known for its tailors, but we didn’t quite realize that everyone in town was going to want to make us clothes and shoes (in the same way people usually try to sell us postcards and trinkets).

Hội An, Vietnam by night — Hội An by night

At first we didn’t know what to do, but eventually we succumbed to their offers of custom-tailored finery. Steph had a dress made, then sandals. I had a jacket made, then some button-down shirts. Then Steph had a jacket made. Then I had another jacket made. Then Steph had another jacket made, and another pair of sandals, and another dress…

Things were getting out of control, and we knew we’d have to send it all home (as we’ve been doing with all the crazy things we pick up on the road). The whole lot ended up weighing 6kg. We sent some to the US, but most to France, so we’ll have something decent/different to wear when we finally get there.

Justin posing with a jacket he had custom-made at Thinh Thanh in Hội An, Vietnam — Me posing with a jacket I had custom-made at Thinh Thanh

Stephanie showing off the leather sandals she had made at Tram in Hội An, Vietnam — Stephanie showing off the leather sandals she had made at Tram

On February 25 we left Hội An for Đà Nẵng to pick up the “sleeper” train to Hanoi. I put sleeper in quotes because it arrived at 4am, so we didn’t really get a full night’s sleep. Thankfully we booked a room for the night so we had a place to crash during the early morning hours.

The Livitrans car after being coupled to the train to Hanoi — The Livitrans “luxury” car coupled to the train in Đà Nẵng

That said, it was a beautiful ride along the coast, with stunning views of the South China Sea on one side and the lush and mountainous interior on the other. At one point it occurred to me how typical this idyllic beauty is of countless portrayals of the Vietnam War. Except these rice fields and that dense vegetation were the backdrop for the war itself. Actually being there, riding in a train through the now invisible DMZ between old-south and old-north, the normalcy of the place seemed incongruent with the images in my head depicting the one-time savagery of war.

View out the train on the way from Đà Nẵng to Hanoi, Vietnam — Looking out the window towards the coast on the way to Hanoi

2 Comments

csg

Mar 7, 2011 11:20am

Ah. My heart. I’m so glad you guys got something made. I hear the garment district in Bankok is similar. And your jacket looks sweet.

justin

Mar 7, 2011 5:30pm

Oh man csg, you would absolutely love Hoi An. Not only is the town cute-as-a-button (in stark contrast to the rest of Vietnam) but thinking back on our few days there, I probably could have had a whole new wardrobe tailored. But it’s probably a good thing that we stopped when we did.

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