It was not nearly as early when we awoke this morning. Diem and I have had a wonderful few days, but a tiring one. It was almost 8 when we decided to move and began packing for the return to the mainland. After getting ready for the day, stuffing clothes and toiletries in backpacks, we headed out for a quick breakfast. Then, we walked past the fishmongers and onto the northern edge of the small sleepy town.
Surprisingly we found another seafood market hiding in the shade of a pavilion. Tropical trees obscured the market, making it almost unnoticeable. Only this market was unique in that everything was still alive. Bowl after bowl of clams, shrimp, mussels, urchins, sea cucumbers, and occasional grouper swimming in circles. Air pumps humming in a symphony supplying oxygen to the soon to be devoured delicacies. It also happened to have a seaside restaurant. So Diem and I sat at a table in view of the island town.
Breakfast with a View
Diem and I sat quietly in the slight breeze of the morning. Then, finally, our waitress came by, and we ordered some coffee and a couple of seafood breakfast plates. Diem was having the rice, and I, my go-to plate of stir-fried noodles. Shortly after, our dishes arrived. Diem’s, simple fried rice with seafood and egg. Mine, a high piled concoction of slightly cooked vegetables, chunks of small squid, and an extra healthy dash of black pepper.
Breakfast was simple but delicious, and Diem and I just sat in a lazy desire-less want to move. Eventually, we did manage to acquire a bit of motivation and began to make our way back to the inn. As we walked towards the inn, I noticed a rather unsymmetrical and steep set of old, worn stairs. It had the classic characteristics of a temple site at the top. I looked at Diem, and she nodded yes in approval.
Lady “Bach”, Bà Lởn Temple
I made my way up the steep staircase and stepped into a compact but extensive temple grounds. I again found the typical island representation of the tiger marking the site’s entrance. The grounds themselves were tightly fitted into the edge of the town, surrounded by exterior walls of adjacent houses. The temple grounds, however, still maintained enough space to have separate buildings. The main structure was also more prominent than other structures I had discovered around the island.
The Lady Bach temple was well maintained and very clearly in active use. I again found the site to be written in Hán tự script. A clue to the age of the site. While exploring the area in and around the grounds, I came across an old stone steel (an information marker) that gave the construction date a vague late 19th century. Traditional brick structures with plaster covering, wooden rafters, beams, and porcelain roof tiles. A very classical Vietnamese architectural format in use from early imperial times to the establishment of the Democratic Republic in the first half of the 20th century.
The main temple contained everything to carry out traditional Buddhist rites and ceremonies. Gongs, drums, incense, candles, and prayer mats rolled up and stacked against the walls. I explored the temple with a manner of slight urgency. Diem was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and we had a ferry to catch.
Awaiting Our Transport
I cautiously made my way down the not-at-all symmetrical staircase to the street by the sea. Diem was waiting in the shade, and we walked towards the inn. We gathered our things, checked out, ordered two coffees, and sat on the inn’s porch. The convenient thing about all of this was that we could see the ferry from the porch. It would blow its horn 15 minutes before departing, and we sat watching the locals unload the goods from the newly arrived vessel.
Eventually, it was time to go, and we said our farewells to our hosts. We zoomed away from the inn and down the dock towards the awaiting ferry. We paid our fare, loaded our bike, and boarded the boat. It was not the same vessel we had come over on, and this particular boat possessed a covered top deck. Diem and I climbed the stairs to the top and found an empty bench to sit and enjoy the view across the straights. We made way, and slowly the islands shrank in the distance. Eventually, the fishing nets of the coastal flats came back into view, and we turned the corner towards the tiny port.
An old man in the river
As the ferry swung to port, a man in a nervous old boat turned in against us. I became curious about the man and his craft and stood transfixed on the old boat, with an archaic inboard motor and ancient wooden rudder. As he would swing the boat to and fro, he would stir the sand on the riverbed below. He made some transaction with the ferry bags of rice or something, then sped off as fast as he came. At that, Diem and I exited the boat. We collected our motorbike and headed straight up the coast towards home.
Home to Da Nang
Having had a great anniversary trip, we had two girls waiting for their grandparents to be picked up. We unloaded back at the apartment and then zipped across the ward to gather the girls. The southern fried chicken was the request for dinner, and I obliged the girls. We hadn’t cooked in over a week, so we had to purchase a few groceries. Diem grabbed a pig’s head and freshwater snails. Something that has become a bit of a treat at our house. I have mainly grown to love plucking the braised cheeks straight from the jaw bone.
It had been another incredible journey around Vietnam. We had some downtime coming our way. The school would be releasing for the summer shortly, and we had some family coming to visit for vacation. In addition, we were set to negotiate a space this week to open a shop. Then we would begin the process of building out our business. As I’m typing this, I realize that downtime is a relative term. It’s a good feeling to know that as fast as I write, more material is made. I can’t wait to see what the next adventure is around the corner.
Click Here for other posts on the Cham Islands, or check out a fun video below.
You can also click here on the Cu Lao Cham Marine Park, a UNESCO world biosphere reserve.
