Don't Pay The Ferryman

Today we were heading out to the Red Bridge Restaurant - about a 30 minute boat ride away from Hoi An.

Our lovely friend Lisa form the Little Hoi An Boutique Hotel had organised a local chap to take us there on his boat.  She also took us down to meet him.  We walked down the steps of the hotel thinking we would be walking, but she said no, that the car would take us...... 4 of us + the driver + herself. The car was a Toyota Corolla!  When we got in, Jenny said "And where are you going to fit Lisa?" 

"Right here" she replied as she squatted down by Jenny's feet in the back seat.

The car drove us about 2 blocks and then we piled out of the Corolla like it was a clown car and walked the rest of the way.

The Vietnamese women are all petrified of the sun darkening their skin in any way.  Lots of people with white skin try desperately to get a tan and the Vietnamese who have gorgeous coloured skin are wearing socks, long pants, two jumpers, scarves and hats, face masks and gloves to the beach in 38 degree weather.  It's bizarre - you always want what you don't have!

I always thought that the face mask was to protect you from airborne bugs, but when I saw Lisa walking - in her long sleeve uniform and denim jacket (it is 35 degrees!) and she had her forearm covering her mouth, I asked her about the face masks.  She said, "We hate the sun.  I don't want dark skin."

When Marie and I pointed out our freckles and moles on our arms, she looked at us with what seemed like pity.....

My new best friend....  

Lisa spoke to our El Capitano and told him what we wanted to do.  She quoted us a price and told us not to pay him until we got back.  Chris broke into the chorus of Chris De Burgh's "Don't pay the Ferryman...Until he get's you to the other side..."

There really is a song for every occasion.

So, you know how it's been hot here.... well, lookey here at we went and did to make sure that we were cool today on our boat ride.  Smart cookies hey?  We may not be fashionable, but being cool was the only focus.

The ride out into the breeze was very pleasant, even if the boat was decked out with chairs for children.  It took some manoeuvring to get in and I was a little unsure as to how I was going to get out sans chair!

Tûng's boat didn't have one of these on his boat, and for this I was very glad.

This was a little slice of life that can only be seen from the water (or from across the other side of the water on the island!)

This is the back of the fish markets.

There was lots and lots of rubbish in the water, which is both sad and disgusting.    The mindset here is obviously that the water is where you throw shit and I can only come to that conclusion based on the amount of people I have seen blatantly toss their rubbish in the water without a second thought.  They didn't even have a sneaky look around to see who was watching them first!  It reminded me of this song that I used to watch on Sesame Street.  The tune is so catchy, I apologise in advance for when it gets stuck in your head.

Check it out here

⬇

Willy Wimple

Who remembers him?

I asked Tûng about his boat by pointing at it (My Vietnamese is coming along nicely) and he mimed back at me 'praying' by putting his hands together.  So from this, I can only surmise that this is somewhere they put offerings?  It was made out of a foam esky.

Check out the size of the boat that they are standing up and balancing on whilst throwing out this fishing net!!!!

We made it to the Red Bridge Restaurant unscathed....

We ordered some refreshing drinks and the most delicious food ever!

Our Captain waited patiently on his boat for us to dine, then we had time for a couple of photos and then it was back on board....

This is our Captain - Tûng.  When we first met him he had just ridden up on his pushbike. He told us to wait 5 minute and he would get the boat started.  About 10 minutes later, he got back on his pushbike and said "later.... 5 minute" and rode off.  We gathered he was having trouble starting the boat and had gone to get something/someone?

He never returned on the bike, but appeared on a different boat.  This boat, the whole way, sounded like it wasn't going to make it.  It chugged along, spluttering and spitting.  Every time we heard a loud noise, I'd look at him, but he just said, "No problem".  To Tûng's credit - we made it there AND back!

And thank goodness we did, cause this is what the life jackets looked like!

Gee, she's a lovely lady.

There's a lot of waste not want not here in Vietnam and they seem to use whatever materials they have to fulfil their needs.....

Having just gotten my Skipper's Ticket, I am pretty sure that this wouldn't be considered a regulation marker..... but it works!

What a great day - a fabulous boat ride.....

A delicious luncheon......

And we made it back in one piece....

We were all hoping that Lisa had arranged for us to be hauled back to our hotel in this modern buggy.... but it was not to be.

Willie Wimple

Willie Wimple went a’ boating
Making dirty water here
Pouring stuff there, 'till the gunk was everywhere
Now if every kid did it, can’t you see
What an icky mess it would be?

No place for fish to swim
No lakes for sailing in
No rivers, no streams, no submarines,
No swimming ever again!

Now if every kid did it, can’t you see
What an icky, messy, no-fun world it would be?

Yuck!