While the fish I have eaten in Vietnam have been delicious, they have not been the only source of fish flavor in the cuisine. After having eaten “fish sauce” with virtually every meal, I looked up the recipe: liquid extract of anchovies coated in sea salt and left to age in a wood barrel for over a year…yummy! Still unsatisfied with their fish-tasting options, Vietnamese chefs discovered the “fish herb”. Frequently camouflaging itself as basil or mint where it might stow away in an unsuspecting lettuce wrap or bowl of pho, it has often left me wondering “What is this strange and unwelcome…oh, fish herb, you got me again!”
Grilled Snapper, Ben Thanh Market, Saigon
Fish with caramelized onion sauce at Morning Glory, Hoi An
Pork Cau Lau (bites of which taste like fish–surprise!)
Hoi An is a great place to borrow a bicycle and cruise around on the well-paved but quiet roads, with or without a particular destination in mind. Head north or east, and you’ll end up at the beach. Head south and you’ll end up in the ancient town, where 16th century Taoist temples and Chinese Assembly halls still remain.
Fish warn each other of strange abductions by these UFO’s
Dragons protecting ancestor icons
The Three Gates
Coiled incense with hand-written prayer inside
The fierce guardian
Staring contest: Dragon vs. Goat
Along the way you might cross rice paddies or small rivers and see people living the small town life. On the outskirts, coffee shops are full of men playing games, each shop dedicated to either cards or checkers. A customers jump off his motorbike, spots another patron unoccupied, and invites him to a game.
Boats on the river
Souvenir vendors greet you with “You buy something?!?!” Is it intended as question or a command? Or left purposely ambiguous?
In the nearby Marble Mountains, flights of stairs carved into the stone lead to pagodas and caves housing large Buddha statues. From the peaks you can see the ocean, agricultural fields, and the skyline of Da Nang.
Marble Mountains
Marble Mountains
Marble Mountains
It’s a quiet place, especially in this week’s rainy weather.
As November ends, I can’t help but realize that almost a year has passed. Has the time flown? No, not at all. Almost every day has been unique, every destination has been an era unto itself, so many sensory and thought experiences have presented themselves new and different–if anything, time has seemed to pass more slowly. But now I’m already reminiscing about the places I have been, looking through photographs, and feeling nostalgic. I guess it should be no surprise, but it was difficult to start and now it is difficult to end.
But conclusions can wait, there is still one more two-week vacation to be enjoyed.
Hoi An sea shore
