When walking around for the first time, Hoi An came across as an overly touristy place, with its many tailor’s shops and western food restaurants & bars. Ultimately, it could be any popular part of Southeast Asia if it weren’t for the characteristic colourful lanterns and gondolas which gave the streets a cosy atmosphere. Turns out, some destinations are popular for due reason!
Seeing old craftsmen meticulously shaping wood into fishing ships, discovering the food scene, and exploring beyond the Old Town facades unveiled the charm and history of this World Heritage Site – Hoi An was once the most important port of the region, attracting many Chinese and Japanese merchants whose influence is still noticeable in the architecture of houses and temples.

And like many parts of Asia, when it rains, it pours… If one can keep an attentive eye, in between jumping enormous puddles and dodging the splash caused by speedy scooters, maybe the marks on the walls meant to track the evolution of the invariably heavy floods can be spotted!
I too was confronted with some rainy days. As outdoor exploration wasn’t an option, I figured I would turn to indoor pastimes. I then discovered the Precious Heritage Art Gallery, a space that pays tribute to the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam showcasing stunning portrait pictures of wrinkly ladies and their unassuming smiles, alongside colourful and detailed traditional costumes, a decade long project by French photographer Réhahn, who is now a resident of Hoi An.

To top the experience, I met wonderful Portuguese, Miguel and Nuno, who restored my faith in befriending fellow nationals while travelling. We all shared the opinion that Portuguese are difficult to find when backpacking in this part of the world and might be challenging to connect with. On this topic, there are nationalities who rejoice when crossing paths with their own (notoriously, South Americans and Israelis), while there are others who rather spend time with foreigners when abroad, perhaps preferring novel social interactions with counterparts whose ways, culture and language are unfamiliar.
I’ve also met an Italian, Matteo, one kind-hearted human who shared my taste for tea and meaningful talks. One experience we shared that stands out looking back at all the tea & coffee breaks I’ve had in Vietnam was sitting in the charming indoor gardens of Reaching Out Tea House. This space employs speech and hearing-impaired staff. The customers can enjoy a tranquil atmosphere enveloped in the aromas of locally grown products, and they can also have a first contact with sign language to communicate with the women & men so grace us with a kind hospitality that doesn’t require an exchange of words.

After a week of pleasant bike rides along incredibly verdant rice fields, afternoon delights with Vietnamese coffee and many stops to a delicious vegan bánh mí (inspired in the baguette during colonial times) tiny stall right at the heart of this picturesque town, I took off to Dalat in the infamous sleeper bus. Beginner’s luck landed me a comfortable reclined “seat” in the ground level, spacious enough for a petit person like me. Thankfully, I slept for several hours on a +15 journey, despite the bumps and the very loud, recurrent beeps of the driver.