Emeraude Classic Cruises in A Special Feature On Boats and Cruises of Vietnam Word, June 2014

50 | Word June 2014 | wordvietnam.
com
Insider
PROVIDED BY ERIC MERLIN / EMERAUDE CLASSIC CRUISES
ROAD RUNNER // OFF THE MAIN DRAG // LIFES A BOAT // THE WORLD CUP SPECIAL // A DECADE ON
THE SCENE // THE NEW WORKROOM FOUR // NHA XA // H2H: MEASURING THE GAINS // MYSTERY
DINER HANOI // STREET SNACKER HANOI // STREET SNACKER PHAN RANG // WAITING FOR THEIR SHIP
// CLIMBING BLACK VIRGIN MOUNTAIN // WHEN IN SRI LANKA...
Without whom...
The majority of the old black and white photos in this issue
were provided by Eric Merlin. Used to illustrate the recently
published book, The Jewels of Halong Bay, the collection was
started when Eric discovered some old postcards of the paddle
steamer, The Emeraude, in the St. Ouen fea market in Paris.
Sailing tourists around Halong Bay in the early 20th century,
The Emeraude was one of an initial feet of four boats owned
and operated by the Roque family. The discovery of these
postcards inspired Eric to build a modern-day version of The
Emeraude, which today operates cruises on Halong Bay. For
more information go to emeraude-cruises.com
Without whom...
Without whom...
Without whom...
Without whom...
wordvietnam.com | June 2014 Word | 51
56 | Word June 2014 | wordvietnam.com
Sail away with me honey
I put my heart in your hands
Sail away with me honey now, now, now
Sail away with me
What will be will be
I wanna hold you now
Sail Away by David Gray
Cover Story
Sail away with me
Sail away with me
Sail away with me
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Lifes a Boat
We are sailing, we are sailing
Home again cross the sea
We are sailing stormy waters
To be near you, to be free
We Are Sailing by Rod Stewart
Lifes a Boat
Once Upon a Time
in Vietnam
The Vietnamese
peoples relationship to
water and the trade they
plied through it were
critical to the
development of
Hanois Old Quarter.
But today it lacks the
same signicance.
Words by Hoa Le
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I
ts not a coincidence that the word
country in Vietnamese dat nuoc is
composed of two signifcant words:
dat (earth or soil) and nuoc (water). As
architect Nguyen Huy Anh, a member
of Hanois architect association, puts it:
This refects the traditional thinking of
Vietnamese people. Water has a special
meaning: together with earth, its the
element that makes up the nature of how
people live.
When Hanoi then Thang Long was
frst established by King Ly Thai To in
1010, it was with this harmony of earth and
water in mind. He felt the location could
become prosperous due to its ideal terrain
of both rivers and mountains, as well as a
dense system of rivers, canals, ponds and
lakes. In the 16th century, Hanoi was said
to have about 400 lakes at the time the
Old Quarter was an interlacing system
of dozens of lakes and numerous ponds.
However, the present day name, Hanoi, only
came in the late 19th century. Meaning the
city in between rivers, its a moniker that
demonstrates the special meaning water has
to its existence.
And as with its younger sister city Saigon
to the south, it was water and boat trade
that enabled the development of what today
is the capital of Vietnam.
From Establishment to Boomtown
During the decades following the
establishment of Thang Long, a citadel was
built for the royal family and their court.
The commoners residential area the
precursor to the Old Quarter of today
sprung up beyond the walls to serve the
royal family. Lying along the Red River
on the eastern end of the citadel, despite
its early establishment, it only began to
fourish in the 17th and 18th centuries.
With the Red River remaining the main
waterway of the city, other rivers were used
for transportation. An economy gradually
developed based on maritime trade and
boat transportation sailing to and from the
capital and beyond.
However, it was only during the Le
Dynasty period of the 16th century that
the Old Quarter really began to fourish.
Thanks to the establishment of international
shipping routes, there was an exponential
rise in overseas trade. Thang Long found
itself conveniently located on a trade route
between China and the East Sea. With new
riverports and seaports attracting trade
elsewhere in Vietnam, Thang Long became
used as a collection and gathering point as
well as a central intermediary stop. With
trade came wealth and importance, and
Hanoi quickly became both the political and
economic centre of Vietnam as well as one of
the largest cities in Southeast Asia.
This was boosted by trans-ocean
trade, which attracted merchants from
Europe. The Dutch East India Company
established a large warehouse on the
banks of the Red River in 1645 while the
British East India Company established
their own storage facility in 1683. These
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The Story of
Tran Hung Dao
Regarded as one of the most
accomplished tacticians in military
history, General Tran Hung Dao
managed to score three victories over the
Mongols under Kublai Khan. However,
the most impressive was in 1288 when
together with other Vietnamese forces
he managed to overcome a combined
Mongol-Chinese army of 500,000 men.
Having stuttered after initially capturing
Van Don Island and destroying
Vietnamese forces on the border, the
Mongol leader Prince Toghan sent his
fleet under naval commander Omar
down the Bach Dang River towards
Hanoi (then Thang Long).
Anticipating the use of this route, Tran
Hung Dao embedded steel-tipped
spikes in the river, which were only visible
at low tide. He then deployed smaller
and more maneuverable vessels into
agitating and luring the Mongol vessels
towards the riverbank. As the tide fell,
so the larger Mongol boats were forced
into the middle of the river where they
got caught on the embedded steel-
tipped stakes. A total of 400 vessels
were destroyed while the Viet forces
managed to capture the remaining naval
crew along the river. Admiral Omar was
captured and executed and with his
naval fleet destroyed, Prince Toghan
retreated north of the border.
warehouses stimulated the fow of goods
from surrounding areas into the capital.
The British merchant, William Dampier,
described the facilities back in 1668: The
house is built parallel to the river, both ends
have smaller rooms used for other purposes
kitchen and storage. The line up from the
big house to the riverbank forms a long yard
perpendicular to the river.
Thanks to increased tax revenues, in the
17th and early 18th centuries the Trinh Lords
began restructuring the capital. Increasing
the citys size, they also built large houses to
match their social status. This restructuring
brought in artisans from the surrounding
regions bricklayers, stonemasons, carvers,
painters, engravers and embroiderers were
all mobilised to build and decorate the new
buildings. Initially dependent on the citadel
for its existence, the Old Quarter now
became an independent, residential and
commercial area with its own economy.
Boats with cargos of rice and salt would
sail up from the Red River Delta, pass
through Thang Long and unload their
goods onto piers in the Old Quarter before
continuing upstream into the highlands.
Other boats brought in locally produced
goods such as metal (mainly copper), cattle,
forest products, logs and bamboo, also
stopping by the Old Quarter before running
downstream. The goods from those boats
were brought into the capital and then
distributed to the smaller, satellite towns in
the surrounding Delta.
All in a Name
During this era the Red River ran right
along the residential area, which is now
Tran Nhat Duat Street piers and harbours
in the Old Quarter became busy trading
points. After the arrival of the French, these
areas were named after the goods that
were sold there. Hang Than (or Coal Street)
was where boats from the south and Xu
Doai (west of Hanoi) often stopped to load
limestone to supply lime kilns along the
dykes. Hang Be (or Raft Street) was where
the bamboo rafts were loaded and sold.
This trading also formed a busy market
on this street, which was called the Raft
Market or Cho Hang Be.
About where Chuong Duong Bridge is
now was a major stopping point for boats
of all kinds. There were three piers here
Ky Buoi, Tau Hieu and Sova piers
where Vietnamese, Chinese and western
boats moored respectively. A little further
south of this area, where now sits the giant
Techcombank building, was once where
To Lich River met the Red River. At this
confuence was the main trading point for
rice the street here was later called Rice
Market Street (Pho Cho Gao). Products
from the sea and other goods shipped down
the Red River such as fsh, fsh sauce, salt,
bamboo, vases and wicker mats were also
traded in the capital. Streets were formed
and named accordingly: Fish Street (Hang
Ca), Sauce Street (Hang Mam), Salt Street
(Hang Muoi), Mat Street (Hang Chieu),
Bamboo Street (Hang Tre) and Vase Street
(Hang Chinh).
During the Nguyen dynasty of the 19th
century, a wave of Chinese traders migrated
to the city, forming a new class of wealthy
merchants. They lived in streets like Hang
Buom or Ma May.
In his book, The Economic History of Hanoi
in the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries, historian
Nguyen Thua Hy describes the wealth of
these streets:
These streets all had impressive gates inside,
paved with two or three layers of tiles; the roads
were carefully preserved, with beautiful brick
houses along each side. The roadbed was curved
slightly like a tortoises back and it was cobbled
with broad stones.
Besides its commercial success, the
Old Quarter became a hub for food and
entertainment. Along Hang Buom Street
there were many Chinese cao lau restaurants,
With new riverports
and seaports
attracting trade
elsewhere in Vietnam,
Thang Long became
used as a collection
and gathering
point as well as a
central intermediary
stop. With trade
came wealth and
importance
tea shops and liquor houses. Many
places on Hang Giay were hat a dao or
ca tru theatres with beautiful women
they became a regular stop for wealthy
merchants.
Despite the bustling development of
the area, road building and maintenance
were neglected. Except on the wealthy
streets occupied by Chinese merchants,
the appearance of the streets remained
unchanged. In 1888 when Hanoi formally
became a French concession, new buildings
and road systems were constructed.
Filling Up Periods
This ushered in the frst major period of
flling in lakes and rivers. In 1889, To Lich
River was flled in to build the streets of
Nguyen Sieu and Ngo Gach. A huge lake
that once lay behind Hang Dao was also
flled in to build roads. The Opera House
was constructed on reclaimed land where
it sits today was once a lake.
Around the same time, Long Bien Bridge
was built and with the Red River starting
to change its fow the current began
moving down the Gia Lam side of the river
a dyke road was constructed along Tran
Nhat Duat in the space that had once been
occupied by piers.
However, according to architect Nguyen
Huy Anh, the period that marks the largest
wave of land reclamation was in the years
following Doi Moi in 1986. By 2000, when
land prices began to soar in the Old Quarter,
there were no lakes or ponds remaining.
Today the only body of water in the area is
Hoan Kiem Lake.
If once rivers and lakes held a crucial
cultural and economical value to the citizens
of Hanoi, today they are viewed only as a
cultural asset.
Its the result of development and the
economic boom, says Anh. However, the
meaning of water still remains sacred to
Vietnam.
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Waterworld
The former twin cities of Saigon and Cholon
were originally built for boats. The traces of their waterways
can still be felt in the metropolis of today. Words by Nick Ross
Waterworld
Waterworld
Thien Hau
In early 2013 the temple to the guardian
of the sea, Thien Hau in Thu Thiem, was
finally razed to the ground. Located next
to Saigons CBD but on the opposite side
of the river, the temple was more than a
legend. Constructed to watch over boats
entering and leaving Central Saigon, the
temple was a physical manifestation of
a belief that has stretched from its origins
in China all the way through East and
Southeast Asia.
The story of Thien Hau is the story of
Lin Moniang. Born in the 10th century on
Meizhou Island in Fujian, an excellent
swimmer, she would stand of the shore
to guide boats home by wearing red
garments, even in the harshest weather.
One day, a typhoon hit the island
while Lins brothers and father were out
fishing at sea. In the midst of this storm,
she fell into a sleep-like trance and
had a vision she saw her father and
brother were drowning. But Moniangs
mother discovered her sleeping and tried
to wake her. This diverted her attention
and caused her to drop her brother who
drowned as a result. The father returned
alive and told the other villagers that a
miracle had happened.
Eventually known as Mazu Thien
Hau in Vietnamese it is believed that
Moniangs spirit roams the seas and
watches over fishermen.
J
ust a decade ago Thi Nghe Canal,
the waterway running from the
Saigon River through to Tan Binh,
was a mess. Rubbish lined its
banks and blocked its sewers, rainy season
fooding was a constant threat and the
stench that drifted off the waterway seemed
to sit almost permanently over the houses
and shanties that lined its banks.
Fast forward to 2013 thanks to the
World Bank-sponsored Ho Chi Minh City
Environmental Sanitation Project, the Nhieu
Loc-Thi Nghe Basin has been transformed.
51km of combined primary and secondary
sewers, and 375km of tertiary sewers
have been replaced. A 9km wastewater
interceptor has been installed, centralising
wastewater collection. The canal has
been dredged, the 18km of embankments
reinforced. The list goes on.
In total the work has benefted the
lives of 1.2 million people. Thanks to the
signifcant improvement of the water
quality, even the fsh and the fshermen
have returned.
Little did the authorities realise in the
18th and 19th centuries that their plans to
dig canals and expand boat trade would
have such an effect on the city of the 21st
century. Although the Thi Nghe Canal
is one of only fve natural waterways
remaining in the Saigon-Cholon area, much
work is still to be done.
The Rise of Cholon
Left over from the 18th and 19th century
development of the then-separate cities
Saigon and Cholon, the likes of Thi Nghe,
Ben Nghe, Tau Hu, Lo Gom and Ruot
Ngua Canals were once the lifeblood of
the developing metropolis. Acting as a
thoroughfare for boats transporting goods
from the Mekong, they helped create a
trade route connecting the far south of
Vietnam with the East Sea and the rest of
Southeast Asia.
Settled en masse in 1782 after the Tay Son
forces pushed Chinese immigrants out of
Bien Hoa, Cholon now the modern day
area covered by Districts 5 and 6 quickly
became a trade hub. Boat trade ran from
China, Japan and Faifo (Hoi An) in the north
to Singapore and Malacca in the Malaysian
Peninsula. Aided by the economic ambitions
of the Nguyen Dynasty, who widened and
dug canals in the 1770s to promote trade,
a market was established on the site now
occupied by Cho Ray Hospital.
Named Tai Ngon meaning embankment
in Chinese by the 19th century the
market appeared on several maps not as Tai
Ngon but as Sai Gon, the name the French
appropriated after 1859 to rename the former
Ben Nghe as the new capital of Annam,
Saigon.
Originally connected to Cholon Creek by
Pho Xep Canal (now Chau Van Liem Street),
the French relocated the old market to a
site closer to the Arroyo Chinoise (now Tau
Hu Canal), the waterway running between
Cholon and Saigon. In the 1920s, thanks
to a scheme to replace Cholon Creek and
its connecting waterways with roads, the
Chinese businessman Quach Dam proposed
the building of a new market on the area
occupied by nearby Binh Tay Market.
With the canals flled, merchants could no
longer access the central market by boat. Binh
Tay, however, was thriving. Thanks to the
completion of Bai Say Canal in 1891 which
ran past the market both the waterway
and its wharf were constantly busy with
merchant shipping. Much of the surrounding
land also belonged to Quach Dam.
Permission was granted, Quach Dam
donated his land to the city, and in February
1926, construction began. Completed in
September 1928, Quach Dam never saw the
fnished market he died in May 1927 at the
age of 65. In 1930 a bronze statue was erected
in Binh Tay Market to commemorate this
philanthropist and businessman, dubbed by
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French media as the king of commerce. It
stands there to this day, as do many of the
canals.
The Arrival of the French
The rebuilding of Saigon by the French
on the site formerly known as Ben Nghe
now the centre of District 1 was also
planned with boats and trade in mind.
Founded in 1698 by Nguyen Huu Canh
with the establishment of a fort in Gia Dinh,
by the time the French moved in Saigon was
already an important commercial centre.
Although the main trading commodity
was rice, there was also plenty of activity
in shipbuilding, sugar production, bronze
making and handicrafts.
When Admiral Charner arrived in
Saigon by boat in 1861 with a force of
about 3,500 men, there was also a large
shipyard, as well as many other workshops
and foundries stretching along the Saigon
River. Warehouses and grain stores
belonging to Chinese traders lined the
banks of Hau Tu Canal. Far from being a
wild and uninhabited land, Saigon and its
surroundings had developed a thriving
civilisation.
Despite a spirited defense of the areas
around Saigon by the Vietnamese, the
superior weapons of the attackers ensured
eventual victory. In June 1862, the Treaty of
Saigon was signed by Emperor Tu Duc.
The plan of Saigon drawn up by Admiral
Charner changed the city from the Asian
style of villages and a citadel to a western
city. Yet the Vietnamese civilian population
living in Saigon fell from an estimated
100,000 inhabitants before the French attack
to only 6,000 to 7,000 afterwards.
Despite redesigning the city, the French
continued to make use of the existing
canals. Five channels made up the inland
waterway transport system of the time.
However, by 1900 they had been flled
in, later becoming main roads Le Loi,
Nguyen Hue, Pasteur and Ham Nghi. The
ffth canal entered the city under the area
now occupied by Ong Lanh Bridge.
Yet, the need for boat trade between
Saigon, Cholon and the Mekong Delta
remained. In the early 1900s more canals
were built, including Canal de Doublement
(Kenh Doi) as well as a number of linking
canals now found in District 8.
By 1900, Saigon had become known as
the Pearl of the Far East. Inaugurated in
1881, tramlines ran between Saigon and
Cholon. Large public works like the Notre
Dame Cathedral had been built. The frst
hotel in the colony, The Continental Hotel,
was completed in 1880, and Parisian society
with a distinct Indochine fair was in full
fow.
But the key to the success of Saigon and
its neighbor, Cholon, was the rivers, the
canals and the merchant trade by boats.
Without boats and their ability to transport
goods, the city we know today would never
have existed.
A New Challenge
Take a speedboat down Kenh Te and
then Rach Ong Lanh, two canals running
through District 7, and on the river
you see the city of the past. Stilt houses
patched together with corrugated iron
hug the embankments, fshing boats moor
themselves to the banks and rubbish foats
through the water. There is no proper
wastewater management system here the
canals act as sewers.
With the advent of motor vehicles and air
travel, boat trade in Ho Chi Minh City is on
the wane. In the process, this metropolis is
now dealing with the negative effects of a
waterway and economic system built for a
past era.
One environmental sanitation project
has been completed and more are on their
way. It will take time. But as the rivers and
canals get cleaned up, so a new notion of
water and boat travel will appear.
Little did the authorities realise in the 18th
and 19th centuries that their plans to dig canals
and expand boat trade would have such an
effect on the city of the 21st century
Speed
Karen Hewell takes a speedboat trip down Saigon River and
its many tributaries to discover a collection of underutilised
waterways. Photos by Mads Monsen and Nick Ross
T
he sun is setting along Saigon
River, and the glistening white
speedboat Im sitting on is
momentarily silent and still,
bobbing along the waves. On our left is
dense green foliage and a few lounging
fishing boats along the bank, and on the
right are some scattered villas with great
bay windows opening out to the water. Its
quiet eerily quiet and the lights of
the far off Bitexco Tower are just starting
to blink to life.
On Saigon River, youd be forgiven for
thinking you arent in Vietnams largest
metropolis or any major urban center
at all. And now that the time is nearing
six in the evening, the roads surrounding
Bitexco Tower are surely in the throes of
rush hour traffc. Yet on this particular
highway, traversed not with two wheels
but two amphibious motors, rush hour is
non-existent.
Forgotten Highways
Normally, travelling to Phu My Hung [from
District 2] would take at least half an hour,
says Carl Gay, a long-time Saigon expat who
is part-owner of the very speedboat we are
sitting on. On a boat like this? 10 minutes.
The speed and ease of travelling on a
speedboat is made obvious by the sheer
distance weve covered in the short time
weve been on the water. In no more than
half an hour, weve gone from District
2s Thao Dien area to Phu My Hung and
halfway back. On a motorbike, the journey
would have taken at least an hour, fghting
traffc the entire way. On a boat, the only
traffc is the odd fshing boat or container
ship trudging past the rivers intermediary
ports.
On a boat, you see another side of
the city. You see everything from a new
perspective, says Carl as he maneuvers the
vessel past dilapidated shanty houses on
rickety wooden stilts. Hes putting it lightly
its nearly impossible to believe that these
houses are only a stones throw from District
7s Crescent Mall.
Yet strangely, even with the promise
of commute times cut in half and access
to a side of the city few get the chance to
see, the waterways are nearly empty, and
the few yachts parked besides luxurious
mansions are silent, probably unused for
weeks. Instead, a few aging vessels carrying
the days catch or transporting goods
dominate the Saigon River. And then there
are nighttime dinner cruise boats plying the
stretch of water between Saigon Bridge, Bach
Dang Port and District 4. Unlike this plexi-
glass stallion, none of these vessels are built
for speed.
The Changing Tides
Although the river remains strangely
underutilised, a savvy few have recognised
its potential, and the future promise of
speedboat transportation. Started by the
nearly two-decade old Riverside Apartments
in District 2, luxury resorts like An Lam
and Villa Song are popping up along the
riverbank and building their own docks.
Private speedboats transport their guests
via the water, lending a rare disconnected
solitude to the otherwise diffcult-to-reach
locations.
Tour companies, too, have recognised the
potential for boosted tourism via speedy
transportation. Saigon River Express one
of the only boat tour companies that use
smaller speedboats for their operations
have connected downtown Saigon with Cu
Chi Tunnels and the mangrove swamps of
Can Gio, skipping the lengthy bus transfer.
Dai Phuoc Golf Course has even jumped
on the bandwagon by adding their own
speedboat dock for clients. Saigon River
restaurants like Boathouse and The Deck
also offer guest transportation services
between District 2 and downtown Saigon.
But unlike the public river transport
service along Bangkoks Chao Phraya River,
the developments have stopped short of
commercial water taxi services not because
of the lack of demand, but the infrastructure.
The transition from leisure boating to
commercial transport is one steeped in
complication and confusion, and the legal
hurdles are yet to be cleared.
Having a personal boat on the river is
pretty easy, but the moment you want to
turn your boat into a business, you run into
problems, says Carl. The infrastructure
just hasnt caught up to the demand. When
the demand is there, though, maybe it will
follow.
The January fre on the Vina Express
hydrofoil between Ho Chi Minh City and
Vung Tau may also have set back any
hopes. Subsequent to the accident, all
public boat services between the two cities
were suspended. And recent media reports
suggest they are unlikely to resume any time
soon. If at all.
The Future of Speed
But perhaps the bright future of Saigon
River is closer than we think. With each new
riverside development comes more reason to
take to the water and not the road. Diamond
Island has taken advantage of the river to
transport its residents between its District 2
location and Central Saigon, as for a number
of years has Saigon Domaine. Many other
new developments are setting up services
as well. The promise of a quick, speedboat
commute into the city centre is proving a
draw for apartment developments looking to
attract residents.
But for many more focused on the
recreation, the luxury and the lifestyle
that a speedboat promises, the future isnt
just about getting around. Its about what
owning a speedboat means.
With a boat, you cant worry about the
money, or the cost of maintenance, says
Carl, whose own speedboat is still strictly
for his and the other owners recreational
use. A speedboat is a luxury its about
the lifestyle. I mean, nobody buys a Bentley
because its comfortable. They buy it for
what it means.
Passengers

in the Night
Its 1am on the middle watch, Jun. 15
1977. Seaman Karlson and myself,
helmsman Monsen, observe a weak light
through the darkness on the starboard
side of our ship. Assuming its a fishing
vessel and wanting to avoid any collision,
we change course.
The light follows and we change course
yet again. This time to port side. The light
continues in our direction. But now we are
so close that through our binoculars we
can observe people of the small vessel.
They are waving kerosene lamps and
items they have lit up with a fire.
The captain is called to the bridge
and he orders us to reduce the speed.
He instructs me to proceed to the engine
room where we have a supply hatch that
we can open. I ask the people on the boat
if they need of any food, water or medical
assistance. They reply No. They only
wish to be picked up and kept safe after
leaving Vietnam behind.
I enter their vessel to do a headcount.
Twice more and more people emerge.
Five men, four women and 10 children,
including several infants. Once they are
safely onboard, our chef cooks up food
for the whole group.
We are en route to Hong Kong having
just left Singapore. In Hong Kong we
spend an extra day in port while the
necessary papers and guarantees are
procured from the Norwegian authorities.
The boat refugees are set ashore and
taken to a refugee camp.
Mads Henrik Monsen
T
he bats swoop and then circle, lit
up by the nightlight of the boat.
Noises short, sharp, animated
insect noises drift up from the
water hyacinth. Beyond a solitary vessel
chugs past, its engine breaking the peace of
the river night. A cool breeze drifts across
the surface of the water and above the
constellations are clear The Snake, Orion,
The Southern Cross shining through the
haze of the Mekong night.
3am and our boat is moored to a nha be, a
foating house, and despite the fan-cooled
cabin, my body refuses to succumb to much
needed sleep. Ive slept on water many times
before, on cruises along the Atlantic Ocean,
on luxury boats heading up the Mekong, on
ferries between one country or island and
another. But never have I slept in such a
small vessel and at river level.
Our sampan a traditional Chinese
wooden boat with a sheltered area woven
out of rattan has only two cabins. The fan-
cooled cabins are comfortable enough, ftted
with modern conveniences, Wi-Fi, mosquito
nets and couch-style seating. But the sense of
confnement, of being so close to the water,
makes me desperate for the air and the
world outside. For one of the few times I can
remember, I feel part of the river upon which
I foat. I need to let its breezes brush past me,
its stillness suck me in, its ambience soak me
up. My boat may be affected with the luxury
afforded to tourists, but beyond that I am no
different to all those other people sleeping
on the Mekong at night.
Im on a two-day trip along the Mekong
River from Cai Be to the city of Long Xuyen
before travelling the fnal 60km by car to the
border town of Chau Doc. The last frontier
before Vietnam gives way to Cambodia, the
city lies at the confuence of two snakelike
strands of the Mekong. Two years before I
boated this part of the river and followed it
up to Phnom Penh. But this time my journey
is much shorter and for company I have
the three boat attendants Tri, Hoang and
Phuoc their boss and a former tour guide,
Nghia, and Pascale, a long-term French
expat who has been working in the travel
industry for years. And of course I also
have the boat, chugging through the water,
merging into the boat and river life through
which we move.
**********
Suong lets us clamber onto her nha be.
Moored in the shadow of My Thuan Bridge
it is one of 18 lying in a row, each tied to the
next. On her boat-cum-farm-cum-house she
is breeding red snapper, together with her
husband. But the nha be is not her own.
We rent it from the owner and work for
him, too, she explains. All other 17 nha be
are the same.
With a canal-like structure running
through the midst of the house bordered
by wooden planks, Suong shows us what
happens when she feeds the fsh. She throws
the feed into the water and within seconds
they come to the surface, thrashing about as
they compete for each grain of food.
It takes six months for the fsh to grow
into adults, she says. We feed them twice
a day. At frst it doesnt cost so much. But as
they get bigger, we have to give them more
food.
Unlike other people we encounter along
the river, she doesnt seem to be struggling.
Theres no sense of complaint in her voice,
no angst or intimations of hardship. She
makes VND5 million a month, small by
city standards. But this is not the city. And
while her oldest son has already left school,
the youngest is in Grade 6. Shes making a
living. Its meagre, but the family is cared for.
**********
The sampan gets to Sa Dec and we alight,
headed for the house of Huynh Thuy Le. The
former lover of French writer Marguerite
Duras a love affair that was immortalised
On the Sampan
Nick Ross spends two days edging down
the Mekong River on a Chinese-style sampan
and lives to tell the otherworldly tale
in both her novel The Lover and then the
subsequent movie of the same name this
is the highlight of visiting this Mekong Delta
town. But before we enter the building,
Nghia guides us through the market. He
shows us the produce on sale its nothing
new to either me or Pascale and then
tells us about the town. I notice the Chinese
characters on most of the shopfronts.
Is this a Chinese town? I ask. He nods.
The Chinese live in the market area while
the Vietnamese live elsewhere in town, he
explains. Huynh Thuy Le was also Chinese,
and as we are shown around his house, now
under the auspices of Dong Thap Province,
I feel like Im walking into a 100-year-old
building in Singapore, Malacca or Penang.
There are differences, of course unlike
the Straits Chinese, in Vietnam there was
no merging of cultures but the effect is
the same. Century-old decadence, exquisite
carvings, a sense of time forgotten but not
erased.
As we leave Pascale is frustrated. Weve
been forced to have a tour guide whos told
us nothing about the house itself, but has
instead focused on the story of Marguerite
Duras and not even the book version. No
mention has been made of what the carvings
symbolise, at no point does the guide explain
the odd front door or the sunken foor in the
main hallway. And at no point do we learn
about the daily life of the family that would
have lived here.
Its a lost opportunity, a lost chance to
discover another angle to the history of the
fertile basin that makes up the Delta. But it
was a welcome visit nonetheless.
**********
Down the river we stop at a brick factory. As
you get close to Cambodia, these structures
line the riverfront. Buying up mud from
whole paddy felds sometimes the soil
is no longer fertile, so its sold on the
clay-like substance is then delivered by boat
and instantly turned into brick form by
machine. A team of workers stacks the wet
brick and leaves it to dry in the sun. Once it
has dried it is cooked in one of many kilns,
the beehive-like structures you see towering
over the river. The baking process takes up
to two weeks. Then the completed bricks are
packed up and sold on to the construction
industry.
Vietnam is in a construction phase at
the moment, and in the last decade brick
factories have multiplied. With a growing
population and increasing wealth, it seems
Cruises
BHAYA
bhayacruises.com
Two luxury, classic junk-style vessels
plying the bays of Halong. Also have a
more upmarket, cruise boat, The Au Co.
Run a range of tours and private trips.
DU LI CH SONG HONG
dulichsonghong.com
One of only a couple of services running
cruises out of Hanoi up and down the
Red River. Email dulichsonghong@gmail.
com for information the website is only
in Vietnamese.
EMERAUDE CLASSI C CRUI SES
emeraude-cruises.com
Overnight cruises on a replica of one of
the original early 20th century paddle
steamers that brought the first tourists to
Halong Bay.
HERI TAGE LI NE
heritage-line.com
Luxury cruises on Halong Bay and
along the Mekong River from My Tho
all the way to Siem Reap. Five-star
accommodation and facilities on a boat.
PERFUME RI VER EMOTI ON
perfumeriveremotion.com
Overnight cruises along the Perfume River
in Hue on a traditional sampan.
TONKI N CRUI SES
tonkincruise.com
Four junk-style boats plying the routes of
Halong Bay. Do one-day, two-day and
three-day tours in their four-star vessels.
VI CTORI A CRUI SES
victoriahotels.asia
Cruises and tours run by the Victoria
group along the Mekong. Have a range
of vessels from speedboats connecting
Chau Doc with Phnom Penh through to
luxury, two-cabin sampans for two or
three nights along the river. Often run in
conjunction with hotel stays at their three
to five-star properties in Chau Doc, Can
Tho, Nui Sam and Siem Reap.
VI KI NG RI VER CRUI SES
vikingrivercruises.com
15-day luxury river cruises and tours that
start in Hanoi and finish in Ho Chi Minh
City, with flight travel in between.
there is no end for the demand for bricks,
the basic building blocks of life. Yet it is odd
that like so much else in Vietnam, the clay
comes from recycled paddy. Even the fuel to
heat the kiln is recycled dried rice husks.
Castoffs from the process of harvesting rice.
**********
A tug chugs by, and despite its slow speed,
a wave still crashes gently into the boats
sitting in its wake. Were at the foating
market outside Long Xuyen and Ive just
descended a boat selling potatoes. Tons of
potatoes. The owners are downhearted and
negative. Business is bad at the moment,
not just for them but for everyone at the
market. Two years ago sales were so good
that the place was packed, but now theres a
slump and the number of boats selling fruit
and vegetables on this strand of the river is
falling away.
Nghia points out the fruit and vegetables
attached to posts on each boat. Theyre
paraded high above the vessels like fags.
If a boat has something attached to the
pole, then thats what theyre selling, he
explains.
What if they dont? I ask, as a motorised
canoe zooms past flled to the brim with
coconuts.
Either theyre waiting for produce or
theyre buying.
Look, says Pascale, pointing at a boat
with her fnger again. There she goes again!
Breakfast! Youve got to get a photo of her.
A woman in a motorised canoe has been
weaving in and out of all the boats. I zoom in
close with my camera lens. Com tam, I say,
Shes selling com tam!
The novelty makes we want to call her
over and buy breakfast, but weve just been
served up a spread of eggs, sausages, fruit,
yoghurt, orange juice and cereal.
Pascale thinks about it and later tells
Nghia that guests on the sampan should
have the option. They should be able to eat a
normal breakfast or they should also be able
to opt for one off the river.
**********
The sampan drifts into Long Xuyen port,
but theres no space to moor. Our driver is
waiting there, waiting to take us the last leg
of the journey to Chau Doc. Lunch awaits
us with the GM of The Victoria Hotel, before
I continue onto my resting place, another
Victoria property but this time on Nui Sam,
a mountain with sweeping views of the
countryside. All this once were able to dock.
The boat sweeps round, but the turning
space is at a minimum the small mini-
sampan attached to its side bumps into a
rowing boat. There are calls to watch out
before the collision, but after it happens not
an eyelid is lifted or incrimination voiced.
This is normal on the river. Boats hit boats.
Wood collides with wood, metal with metal.
Unlike land transport, boats are hardy, built
for the wear and tear of the water on which
they reside, the water that transports them
from one place to the next. Only hellos are
called out from the people watching us from
their boats. I respond in turn.
Eventually were able to moor and with
sadness I say my farewells. Were leaving Tri,
Hoang and Phuoc behind with the sampan,
while Nghia is returning by road to Can Tho.
Its only been short yet its been one of
those journeys, the kind of experience that
even the most hardened of traveller craves
for. Weve been on the river at the same
level as all the other vessels plying their
waterborne course.
Next time Ill need a week.
For more information on the sampan trips
organised by Victoria Cruises, call (0733)
924658, email resa.caibe@victoriahotels.asia or go
to victoriahotels.asia
Birdwatching
by Boat
Nick Ross ventures into the wetlands of Tra Su near
the border with Cambodia, and discovers the vibrancy
of nature in its most glorious form
I
wanted to go there by bicycle, but while
the early morning 25km journey would
have been cool and pleasant, I was told
the return would be too hot. They were
right. By the time I arrived by car at Tra Su
Nature Reserve in the far southwest of the
Mekong Delta, the heat was nearing mid-
morning intensity. Within 15 minutes, beads
of sweat were rolling down my face. And
that was in the shade.
Tra Su is not the kind of nature reserve
where you go cycling although tandems
are for hire. And if you walk, you miss both
the perspective and the wildlife. To get a
feel for this quite unique and little known
bird sanctuary, you need to take a boat. In
my case, two boats. These are melaleuca
wetlands, grasslands and swamp. Those
restricted to land dont fare well out here.
The frst part of the journey is by
motorised canoe and takes you through
ponds of lotus. Algae, lilies, trees with roots
built for an aquatic landscape and other
river surface fauna make up the rest of the
waterways here, the pink and white of the
lotus fowers blending in with the many
shades of green of the surrounds. But its
only as you leave the lotus behind that you
start to see the wonders of Tra Su.
Through the Water
On my visit, the water was low it was
the end of the dry season. The levels the
water had reached last year were marked
in a dark, muddy brown on the bottom of
the trees. The waterways were a half-metre
below their rain-aided high. Yet the birds
stayed year round.
We had already heard the silence-
destroying jungle call of the coucal
pheasant, a relative of the cuckoo, and
as we rounded one corner now we both
To get a feel for this quite unique and little known
bird sanctuary, you need to take a boat. These are
melaleuca wetlands, grasslands and swamp. Those
restricted to land dont fare well out here
Pirates and
Cavaliers
Piracy in Southeast Asia began in the
13th century with the retreating Mongol
Yuan fleet. Due to a huge betrayal
by their Javanese allies, they found
themselves marooned in the Indonesian
Archipelago. Consisting of mainly
Cantonese and Hokkien tribesmen, the
stranded navy officers quickly set up
small gangs near river estuaries in Java
and Sumatra and, with their junk and
pugilist and marine skills, began making
a living by raiding merchant boats along
the growing maritime routes of the region.
However, the most powerful pirate
fleets of East Asia were those of the
Chinese pirates during the mid-Qing
dynasty of the early 19th century. The
effects large-scale piracy had on both
the Chinese and northern Vietnamese
economies were immense. They preyed
voraciously on junk trade, which then
flourished in Fujian, Guangdong and
the northern part of Vietnam. They also
exercised hegemony over villages on
the coast, collecting revenue by exacting
tribute and running extortion rackets.
It took a concerted effort in the mid-
to-late 19th century by a mixture of
American, British and French troops to rid
the area of the pirates, whose fleets finally
disappeared in the early 20th century.
*This extract was originally printed
in The Jewels of Halong Bay, a book
published by The Ministry of Labour
Publishing House
heard and saw the fapping of wings. White
egrets. For the rest of the motorised trip, the
closest we got to the birds was spying them
from a distance perched on branches or just
above the water before they took fight.
Arriving at a ridge dug out of the
swamps we swapped boats, exchanging
motor for oars. Here the trees and
plant-covered waters provided a murky
background for what was to come. With
rays of sun peaking through the melaleuca,
we entered a tight channel and the birds
came into view. They were everywhere.
I spotted a white egret resting among
branches no more than three metres away,
before it fapped its wings and fed through
the trees. Then a baby white egret, oblivious
to our presence and the swooshing of the
oars. As we wound our way through yet
another narrow passage, I could spy nests
in the trees above, and then suddenly a
black-crowned night heron, perched in
between the branches, leaves and trees.
The oars were removed from the water
and quietly we foated by. Transfxed by
something else, the bird didnt see us. Its
plumage was spread before our upturned
eyes it was magnifcent.
Further on, the passageway broke out
into a wide algae and lily-covered lake. In
the distance we could see a huge group
of storks with their long angular beaks,
nesting on branches sticking out of the
water. Eventually they sensed our presence
and fapped off. The swamp hen nearby
wasnt as alert, failing to see us as it made
its way across the surface vegetation of the
water, chick in tow.
And then the sight of the day, a bird
whose species still evades me. All white but
without the s-like neck of the egret or the
stork, it perched for 10 seconds or maybe
15, giving us a clear view. The rowing
boat drifted past in silence. When it fnally
few off, it wasnt in response to us, but to
something else the rare and endangered
Asian open bill in the distance remain
rooted to its spot.
With over 70 species of bird in the
nature reserve, I want to say that Tra Su
is a birdwatchers paradise. But I dont
know what birdwatchers consider to
be paradise. For me this place was both
special and unexpected. Drifting along the
waterways creates a oneness with nature, a
sense of being in the middle of something
that youre close enough to touch. Its a
perspective you rarely fnd elsewhere in
Vietnam.
Tra Su Nature Reserve is 25km from Chau
Doc in An Giang, close to the Tinh Bien border
crossing to Cambodia
A
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T
he gusty wind cools the crackling
hot air as our boat, the Marguerite
Garden, chugs her way into the
picturesque Halong Bay. Although
this is my fourth visit to the bay, the sight
of the colossal limestone pillars rising
sharply out of the emerald green water
and glistening in the bright midday sun
still leaves me in awe.
Arriving on the boat in time for a delicious
lunch of local vegetables and freshly caught
seafood, we settle into the comfortable, air-
conditioned dining room as the limestone
monoliths, topped with shaggy wigs of
green vegetation, leisurely pass us by. Along
with the approximately 600 other overnight
cruise boats, we start our adventure into
the heart of Vietnams most popular tourist
attraction.
Yesterday
Since its dedication as a UNESCO Natural
World Heritage Site in 1994, tourism in
the bay has escalated rapidly. Long before
UNESCO, however, adventure seekers
started fnding their way to this unique and
majestic area.
The frst tourist boats were launched at
the turn of the 20th century and visitors had
the option of multi-day travel on luxury
cruisers or rustic cargo ships carrying goods
and passengers from Hai Phong Port. Early
photos show couples in long white dresses,
linen suits and straw hats picnicking in
small coves while in the later shots,
bobbed-haired women in sleeveless shirts
tour the bay on large steamers. It was with
glamour and glitz that the frst paddle boat
steamers took to Halong Bay, with high-class
chefs, electricity and ensuite bathrooms. No
expense was spared.
Although many of todays boats have lost
the early 20th century glamour, the magic
of the bay remains unchanged. The karst
landscape, small beaches and impressive
caves were as admired in the past as they
are today. The diary of a visitor in the early
1920s reads: The Bay of Halong is certainly
one of the most curious places which can
exist. Theres little real difference between
this quote, and a Tripadvisor review of
nearly a century later Halong Bay is
just out of this world, like nothing ever seen
before.
Today
Taking advantage of the clear and sunny
skies, I hop off for a quick jaunt to the top
of a nearby limestone hill. Venturing up the
stepped path, fanked by beautiful purple
fowers, I reach the summit in less than 10
minutes. At this vantage point, it is easy to
visualise the story my guide Tien had shared
earlier that day.
Although variations exist, legend dictates
that the Jade Emperor sent a dragon to help
to the Viet people fend off invaders. The
dragon dropped large pearls in the water
to confuse and shipwreck the enemy. These
pearls there are 1,600 of them are the
weathered monoliths we see today. Although
changing throughout history, the name Ha
Boating on the Bay
Navigating the karsts of Halong Bay on pleasure cruises
is an old tradition. If you look at it right, Katie Jacobs
nds, not much has changed
Tourism to the Bay
Already sat on a shipping route, with
regular maritime services between Hai
Phong, Hong Kong, Hanoi, Saigon and
Tourane (Danang), it was only at the
beginning of the early 20th century that
Halong Bay opened up to tourism. The
pioneer? The French-born law graduate
and entrepreneur, Paul Roque.
The second generation of a family
that had first arrived in Vietnam with the
French colonisation of Saigon, by the
time Paul opened up the bay, there were
already regular car services running
between Hai Phong and the seaside
resort of Do Son, a favourite holiday
destination. However, it was only with
the arrival of four custom-built paddle
steamers from Hong Kong the
Emeraude, Saphir, Rubis and Perle
that the true magic of Halong Bay could
be opened up to the general public.
The French public were instantly
entranced. Almost 1,000 of the stone
islands of Halong Bay had been
named, most of them reflecting their
unusual shapes: Elephant Island, Hen
and Cock Islands, Incense Burner
Island. Others resembled boat sails,
or heads, candles, and of course, a
dragon. Then there were the caves
The Cave of Surprises and the Cave
of Wonders with their large stalagmites
and stalactites. Excursions on Halong
Bay became popular, drawing visitors
from all over the colony. Within a
decade, tourists were flocking in from
overseas. And despite two world wars,
the company Paul set up continued to
operate until 1954 when the French were
defeated at Dien Bien Phu.
It was only in the 1990s that tourism
returned to the bay. But the knowledge
that this natural wonder could draw in
the tourists had already been created
almost a century earlier. A replica of
the original Emeraude paddle steamer
bought by Paul Roque sails the
bay to this day.
Long descending dragon in English
is largely credited to a group of French
sailors who reportedly witnessed a giant sea
snake, or dragon, in the bay.
Over a multi-course dinner, the highlight
of which was the seasoned fresh crab, I
discuss the current tourism situation with
Victor Seow, Asia Pacifc representative for
Tonkin Cruises. Victor, onboard to assist with
on-the-job staff training, tells me how Tonkin
Cruises tries to set itself apart necessary in
a market saturated with identical itineraries.
Although tourism is increasing, the
number of boats is becoming excessive
and as competition gets stiff, the quality of
service is the frst to go, he explains. Were
very conscious of that at Tonkin. Which is
why Im on-board, to ensure that our service
is always improving.
The Marguerite Garden, one of four boats
operated by the Hanoi-based company,
specialises in one to three-night cruises to
Halong and neighbouring Bai Tu Long Bay.
With 10 well-appointed rooms, the ship is as
luxurious as it was comfortable. Designed
in the traditional junk style, warm wooden
interiors accented with modern furnishings
create a welcoming ambiance for the ships
20 passengers. Windows cover two sides
of my bright, spacious room and, after a
long day of exploring, I happily sink into the
large, soft bed.
Tomorrow
Lying on the roof deck, watching the sun
set across the water, it is easy to forget that
thousands of other visitors are nearby. As the
waiter serves ice-cold beer and the hills turn
to shadows against the pink sky, I block out
the other boats and hope the serenity of the
bay will continue for visitors long into the
future. As the backpackers and adventure
seekers of the 1990s are replaced by the large
tour groups of the present, it is impossible to
predict where the future of tourism lies for
Halong Bay. Although the number of visitors
shows no signs of slowing, increasing
complaints of overcrowding and pollution
are already impacting the integrity of
tourism in the Bay.
The next morning, following a sunrise
session of tai chi, I kayak over to one of
the many foating villages that call the bay
home. Making our way past foating rubbish
and oily water, the threat of pollution is all
too visible. Nearby industrial development,
close proximity to major shipping routes
and an increasing number of tourists is
threatening water quality and straining
waste management.
Aiding in the effort to improve
environmental standards is the recently
launched Halong Bay Alliance, a group
of NGOs working with the government
and local stakeholders to strike a balance
between sustainable economic development
and effective environmental protection. The
aim is not to reduce the number of tourists,
but to sustainably manage their impact.
Improving environmental standards will
ensure that the bay remains the special place
it is for generations to come.
With the sun rising in the sky we cruise
back to shore, the hills slowly receding
behind us in the hazy afternoon heat.
Vietnam is very lucky to have such a
stunning landscape, says our guide Tien,
as we make our way back to the capital.
But in the future I hope that everyone,
from the local communities and visitors, to
the tourism companies and government,
will join together to protect the delicate
environment of Halong Bay.
Katie travelled on the Marguerite Garden,
courtesy of Tonkin Cruises. Their newest boat,
the four-star, 11-room Garden Bay, was launched
at the end of May. For more information visit
tonkincruise.com
The diary of a visitor in the early 1920s
reads: The Bay of Halong is certainly one
of the most curious places which can exist.
Theres little real difference between this quote,
and a Tripadvisor review of nearly a century
later Halong Bay is just out of this world,
like nothing ever seen before

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