I Left My Heart in Da Nang
Honestly, I was not that excited when I learned that I'd be sent to Vietnam for work. I've always wanted to go to Vietnam (mainly for the food), but I wasn't that excited to be going to Da Nang, a place that's rather unknown for me. Extending was out of the question since what I wanted really was to go to Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi. Besides, I knew I'd have to bring and take home a lot of stuff for the exhibit we're participating in.
I had to book a separate, different from where the event is taking place to because of budget concerns. I learned that the venue is located at the seaside. So apparently, Da Nang is a coastal town. It is probably the Boracay of Vietnam because our Vietnamese partners said accommodations in the area is rather expensive. Coming from a country known for its beaches, I wouldn't be impressed that easily, I thought. But right after settling in at our hotel and having my first meal in Vietnam, I didn't ever want to go home.
Superb food
First meal in Da Nang was Bun Mam (rice vermicelli with fish sauce, pork and fresh vegetables, little bit spicy) and Banh But Loc (small, circular, clear chewy dumplings). After checking in at the hotel, my colleagues and I went out to look for some place to eat before we go to the event venue to set up our booth. The hotel attendant suggested a restaurant that serves good local food, but as we were walking, we noticed this small stall in a street corner serving local food. We were curious and also very hungry so despite not knowing how to speak their language and we knew they probably won't understand English, we went to the the girl making food and pointed at what the other people were having. In the instant they served our food, and tried it, I fell in love with Vietnamese cuisine. "Ayoko nang umuwi!, I said. And the work hasn't even started yet. 😂
At the dinner, we got a taste of what Da Nang is proud of–its seafood. Clams, oysters, fish–just pick anything and the hotel crew will grill it for you. There was also free flowing beer, because what is a party without liquor. 😆
The next night, since dinner was no longer sponsored, my colleagues and I went to the nearby market to see what we can buy and pass time until dinner. After walking around, we decided to dine at the Indochina Riverside Mall, just a few minute away from the market and overlooking Han River.
The mighty sun rises over the city of Da Nang. It's going to be another day perfect for beaching. See the highway over there? Yep, there is no traffic jam in Da Nang.
We were checked in at White Sand Hotel, about 20 minutes away (by taxi) from Centara and in the morning before leaving, we have our breakfast at the hotel. The hotel serves a mix of local and international food, so we did not have any complaints with the food. BUT even if they served purely local food, I wouldn't complain. Who the hell complains about Vietnamese food anyway??
Pho Hoa–I listened closely as the restaurant crew said the name of this food because I need to confirm how it is called by locals. Background: there was this one time a former colleague said that we are pronouncing this food wrong. Instead of the three syllabic "fo ho-wa", it should be pronounced faster to become two or monosyllabic "fuh", "fwah" and since then it became one of our favorite jokes/memories. We still laugh about it until this day.
Braised pork (+egg), the closest I could get to adobo in Da Nang. I loved Vietnamese food, but when out of the country, I always look forward to going back home and having adobo. Our hotel in Da Nang always serve sticky rice instead of the regular white rice. In the Philippines, we usually only use sticky rice for kakanin which are for desserts, so during my entire stay in Da Nang, I've always had sticky rice.
One afternoon, after bathing in the sea and looking at a shop selling local goods, we walked back to the hotel and along the way, we decided to just dine at one of the seafood restaurants that lets you choose fresh seafoods and they will cook (paluto/dampa style in Manila) instead of going at the area near Han River (that seemed fun) that we saw the other night. We wanted a seafood soup and was surprised that it was a porridge. Oh, language barriers. But it was still good and for a fair price.
Seafood porridge for the main course. After bathing in the sea and looking at a shop selling local goods, we walked back to the hotel and along the way, we decided to just dine at one of the seafood restaurants that lets you choose fresh seafoods and they will cook (paluto/dampa style in Manila) instead of going at the area near Han River (that seemed fun) that we saw the other night. We wanted a seafood soup and was surprised that it was a porridge. Oh, language barriers. But it was still good and for a fair price.
Fried noodles on the side because we were in the mood for carbs on carbs on carbs.
We passed by a lot of bahn mi vendors in the streets and to be honest, I was already famished I wanted to stop to just buy one for myself but I didn't want to spoil dinner because we planned to dine out. But while waiting for our 'seafood soup' which was really a porridge, all 3 of us decided to still have bahn mi, aside from all the food we ordered. Carbs on carbs on carbs I tell you. But Vietnamese food is just soooo good. And this bahn mi costs less than a dollar!
Visit to Quang Nam Province
During the last day of the event, we went to the nearby Quang Nam province for a field visit.
A plate of fresh spring rolls prepared by the staff of Ai Nghia Cooperative for us when we visited their office in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. (No photo of the equally good fried spring rolls.) One of their newest products is rice paper (used in wrapping spring rolls). I only wanted to try the rice paper, but they did not serve that (only later at the production area) so I had to eat spring rolls laced with my ~favorite herb cilantro/coriander or wansoy in Filipino to be able to try their rice paper.
A lot of Vietnamese food is laced with cilantro. After several days of eating Vietnamese food, cilantro was starting to grow on me and given a few more days in Da Nang, I'd probably completely accept its taste. "Is this herb the reason why Vietnamese are slim? Because I will start adding it to all my food when I go back home." Cilantro in my favorite adobo? Gotta give it a try one time. 😂
Then we went to VINA House for lunch.
The field visit was finished early, so that afternoon we had time to go around and explore Da Nang.
Visiting the Goddess of Mercy
From the mountains, we went back to the shores. It was probably the heat that made me want to swim this time.
Da Nang Beach
Perhaps it's the heat. At this time of the year, temperature in Da Nang reaches up to 37 degrees. I came from the hottest province in the Philippines yet I'm still not use to this kind of heat. A colleague said it's because I stay in the office and when I go out I ride an airconditioned car, and so on. It was way hotter when I tried going inside a solar dryer in Bangkok, but it is almost comparable. Four in the afternoon here seems like 2pm. And I always wake up at night due to thirst.
I don't know. Maybe it's just because I haven't been to the beach in a while. Has it been years? There are many beaches back home and as I said, they no longer seem to be special. Plus I always prefer to go to the mountains over a trip to the beach.
Perhaps it's because Da Nang is simply charming in its own way--with its cool, calm, and clean water and powdery sand. Yesterday, I was dying to get into the water and I almost didn't want to get out of it when we went for a dip in the afternoon. This morning, I went for a dip alone and I could probably spend hours just soaked in the water (but I had to go because my companions were probably be worried as I didn't tell them I was going to the beach).
The fishing boats in Da Nang are cute, aren't they? The boats are round-shaped and are made of woven bamboo baskets coated with tar or varnish to waterproof. The boats vary in sizes from one-man boat to carry a single person or those that are big enough to carry several people and their fishing gear and catch. Small boats such as the one in this photo works by using paddles and oars. My colleague said the boats are shaped as such to suit the water conditions in Da Nang. I find them really cute especially when floating in the water. I would've wanted to try riding in one in the water. Next time.
A lifeguard pulls over by the shore after a morning survey of the beach while riding a basket boat.
I was watching as he paddles in the beach that's already filled with people early in the morning. After several minutes, he pulled over and I was so tempted to ask if I can ride the boat just to experience how it feels to ride the round boat in the water. 😂
Went for a morning walk (and ligo!) at the beach and was somehow surprised to see a lot of people in the beach that early (past 6am). There was a group of what seemed to be aunties and uncles dancing with a loud "Chilly Cha Cha" in thr background I almost went up to them to join the dancing. 😂 I saw a lot of individuals exercising--walking, running, doing sit-ups and planking. Kaya sila fit!
Da Nang dazzles at night
The people of Da Nang sure love their lights. Bridges, buildings and othed infrastructures gives off colorful lights once it gets dark, giving additional charm to this coastal city.
From the Marble Mountains we went to a mall and then went back to the hotel to get our stuff before heading to the airport.
Last meal in Da Nang was also Bun Mam (rice vermicelli with fish sauce, pork and fresh vegetables, little bit spicy), which was also the first meal I had in the city. I went to buy banh mi but I wasn't satisfied with it so I dropped by the corner where we had our first meal when we arrived in Da Nang and ordered what I also had back then. I never really thought patis/bagoong (fish sauce) would go well with noodles. 😅
Then there's the fake pho hoa 😅. Last meal in Saigon.
I had to book a separate, different from where the event is taking place to because of budget concerns. I learned that the venue is located at the seaside. So apparently, Da Nang is a coastal town. It is probably the Boracay of Vietnam because our Vietnamese partners said accommodations in the area is rather expensive. Coming from a country known for its beaches, I wouldn't be impressed that easily, I thought. But right after settling in at our hotel and having my first meal in Vietnam, I didn't ever want to go home.
Superb food
First meal in Da Nang was Bun Mam (rice vermicelli with fish sauce, pork and fresh vegetables, little bit spicy) and Banh But Loc (small, circular, clear chewy dumplings). After checking in at the hotel, my colleagues and I went out to look for some place to eat before we go to the event venue to set up our booth. The hotel attendant suggested a restaurant that serves good local food, but as we were walking, we noticed this small stall in a street corner serving local food. We were curious and also very hungry so despite not knowing how to speak their language and we knew they probably won't understand English, we went to the the girl making food and pointed at what the other people were having. In the instant they served our food, and tried it, I fell in love with Vietnamese cuisine. "Ayoko nang umuwi!, I said. And the work hasn't even started yet. 😂
At the end of the first day of the event, we couldn't go back to our hotel immediately since we had to attend the solidarity/cultural night at Centara Hotel (the venue of the event) sponsored by the organizers.
At the dinner, we got a taste of what Da Nang is proud of–its seafood. Clams, oysters, fish–just pick anything and the hotel crew will grill it for you. There was also free flowing beer, because what is a party without liquor. 😆
The next night, since dinner was no longer sponsored, my colleagues and I went to the nearby market to see what we can buy and pass time until dinner. After walking around, we decided to dine at the Indochina Riverside Mall, just a few minute away from the market and overlooking Han River.
This was half of our dinner. Because takaw-tingin is real. Mall version of Bun Mam, fried rice (because I was craving for it after a colleague said the hotel's fried rice is good). I liked Bun Mam (the first meal we had in Da Nang) and I was amused when I saw a big serving of it being delivered to another table, thus I ordered the same for our to share. But I should've informed the others because I had no idea they would each order a big bowl of noodles. Well, we did try our best to finish everything.
The mighty sun rises over the city of Da Nang. It's going to be another day perfect for beaching. See the highway over there? Yep, there is no traffic jam in Da Nang.
We were checked in at White Sand Hotel, about 20 minutes away (by taxi) from Centara and in the morning before leaving, we have our breakfast at the hotel. The hotel serves a mix of local and international food, so we did not have any complaints with the food. BUT even if they served purely local food, I wouldn't complain. Who the hell complains about Vietnamese food anyway??
Pho Hoa–I listened closely as the restaurant crew said the name of this food because I need to confirm how it is called by locals. Background: there was this one time a former colleague said that we are pronouncing this food wrong. Instead of the three syllabic "fo ho-wa", it should be pronounced faster to become two or monosyllabic "fuh", "fwah" and since then it became one of our favorite jokes/memories. We still laugh about it until this day.
Braised pork (+egg), the closest I could get to adobo in Da Nang. I loved Vietnamese food, but when out of the country, I always look forward to going back home and having adobo. Our hotel in Da Nang always serve sticky rice instead of the regular white rice. In the Philippines, we usually only use sticky rice for kakanin which are for desserts, so during my entire stay in Da Nang, I've always had sticky rice.
One afternoon, after bathing in the sea and looking at a shop selling local goods, we walked back to the hotel and along the way, we decided to just dine at one of the seafood restaurants that lets you choose fresh seafoods and they will cook (paluto/dampa style in Manila) instead of going at the area near Han River (that seemed fun) that we saw the other night. We wanted a seafood soup and was surprised that it was a porridge. Oh, language barriers. But it was still good and for a fair price.
Seafood porridge for the main course. After bathing in the sea and looking at a shop selling local goods, we walked back to the hotel and along the way, we decided to just dine at one of the seafood restaurants that lets you choose fresh seafoods and they will cook (paluto/dampa style in Manila) instead of going at the area near Han River (that seemed fun) that we saw the other night. We wanted a seafood soup and was surprised that it was a porridge. Oh, language barriers. But it was still good and for a fair price.
We passed by a lot of bahn mi vendors in the streets and to be honest, I was already famished I wanted to stop to just buy one for myself but I didn't want to spoil dinner because we planned to dine out. But while waiting for our 'seafood soup' which was really a porridge, all 3 of us decided to still have bahn mi, aside from all the food we ordered. Carbs on carbs on carbs I tell you. But Vietnamese food is just soooo good. And this bahn mi costs less than a dollar!
The anatomy of the best banh mi I had in Da Nang--toasted bun, grilled sliced pork and sausages, scrambled egg, lettuce cucumber, lettuce, (yes of course it has coriander, but by this time my taste buds were already anticipating it), some other veggies, and chili.
Visit to Quang Nam Province
During the last day of the event, we went to the nearby Quang Nam province for a field visit.
A plate of fresh spring rolls prepared by the staff of Ai Nghia Cooperative for us when we visited their office in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. (No photo of the equally good fried spring rolls.) One of their newest products is rice paper (used in wrapping spring rolls). I only wanted to try the rice paper, but they did not serve that (only later at the production area) so I had to eat spring rolls laced with my ~favorite herb cilantro/coriander or wansoy in Filipino to be able to try their rice paper.
A lot of Vietnamese food is laced with cilantro. After several days of eating Vietnamese food, cilantro was starting to grow on me and given a few more days in Da Nang, I'd probably completely accept its taste. "Is this herb the reason why Vietnamese are slim? Because I will start adding it to all my food when I go back home." Cilantro in my favorite adobo? Gotta give it a try one time. 😂
The women workers of Ai Nghia Cooperative rice paper production. This is how the rice paper used in wrapping those spring rolls (above photo) is made.
Then we went to VINA House for lunch.
Visiting the Goddess of Mercy
On the way to and from Linh Ung Pagoda, where the gigantic and magnificent statue of Lady Buddha is. From the sea, we went to the other side which are the mountains.
The majestic Goddess of Mercy (also referred to as the Lady Buddha, but is actually Lady Bodhisattva) looks over the coastal city of Da Nang. The local people believe that the goddess not only protect the fisherfolks but also offers them strength to face storms and strong waves. The statue stands at 67 meteres high in Son Tra mountain overlooking the vast ocean. At night, the Goddess of Mercy is lighted and can be seen from the shores of Da Nang.
From the mountains, we went back to the shores. It was probably the heat that made me want to swim this time.
Da Nang Beach
I'm not quite sure why but there's just something about Da Nang waters that attract me. I've seen much more beautiful beaches in the Philippines, but usually I only see beaches as pretty, that's it. Only few had the charisma that calls on me to go in there and soak in its sandy and salty goodness.
Perhaps it's the heat. At this time of the year, temperature in Da Nang reaches up to 37 degrees. I came from the hottest province in the Philippines yet I'm still not use to this kind of heat. A colleague said it's because I stay in the office and when I go out I ride an airconditioned car, and so on. It was way hotter when I tried going inside a solar dryer in Bangkok, but it is almost comparable. Four in the afternoon here seems like 2pm. And I always wake up at night due to thirst.
I don't know. Maybe it's just because I haven't been to the beach in a while. Has it been years? There are many beaches back home and as I said, they no longer seem to be special. Plus I always prefer to go to the mountains over a trip to the beach.
Perhaps it's because Da Nang is simply charming in its own way--with its cool, calm, and clean water and powdery sand. Yesterday, I was dying to get into the water and I almost didn't want to get out of it when we went for a dip in the afternoon. This morning, I went for a dip alone and I could probably spend hours just soaked in the water (but I had to go because my companions were probably be worried as I didn't tell them I was going to the beach).
The fishing boats in Da Nang are cute, aren't they? The boats are round-shaped and are made of woven bamboo baskets coated with tar or varnish to waterproof. The boats vary in sizes from one-man boat to carry a single person or those that are big enough to carry several people and their fishing gear and catch. Small boats such as the one in this photo works by using paddles and oars. My colleague said the boats are shaped as such to suit the water conditions in Da Nang. I find them really cute especially when floating in the water. I would've wanted to try riding in one in the water. Next time.
A lifeguard pulls over by the shore after a morning survey of the beach while riding a basket boat.
I was watching as he paddles in the beach that's already filled with people early in the morning. After several minutes, he pulled over and I was so tempted to ask if I can ride the boat just to experience how it feels to ride the round boat in the water. 😂
Went for a morning walk (and ligo!) at the beach and was somehow surprised to see a lot of people in the beach that early (past 6am). There was a group of what seemed to be aunties and uncles dancing with a loud "Chilly Cha Cha" in thr background I almost went up to them to join the dancing. 😂 I saw a lot of individuals exercising--walking, running, doing sit-ups and planking. Kaya sila fit!
Da Nang dazzles at night
The people of Da Nang sure love their lights. Bridges, buildings and othed infrastructures gives off colorful lights once it gets dark, giving additional charm to this coastal city.
After the event was over, my colleague and I had a whole day in Da Nang before leaving back to Manila the next day. Originally, we wanted to go out of Da Nang to see the ancient city of Hoi An, but when I googled how to go there, I found it complicated so we just settled for a sightseeing within the city.
The view of Da Nang city from the Marble Mountains. Marble Mountains is a cluster of five marble and limestone hills. The area is known for stone sculpture making and stone-cutting crafts. In the mountains and inside the caves are several Buddhist and Hindu shrines.
Even before learning about the Marble Mountains, my interest was already piqued by this place where a tall structure was connected to the mountains (it gives an idea that it is an entrance/elevator because you'll see people coming out of it and walking to what looks like a temple on top of the mountain. It is indeed an elevator and visitors have to pay 30,000 VND (two way) to ride on it and get to the top. We saw no other entrance.
From the Marble Mountains we went to a mall and then went back to the hotel to get our stuff before heading to the airport.
Last meal in Da Nang was also Bun Mam (rice vermicelli with fish sauce, pork and fresh vegetables, little bit spicy), which was also the first meal I had in the city. I went to buy banh mi but I wasn't satisfied with it so I dropped by the corner where we had our first meal when we arrived in Da Nang and ordered what I also had back then. I never really thought patis/bagoong (fish sauce) would go well with noodles. 😅
Then there's the fake pho hoa 😅. Last meal in Saigon.
