Day Three: Hoi An

Hoi An: Welcome to... Beirut?
With its low chinese-styled buildings with peaked tiled roofs, most of Hoi An has been protected from the ravages of the construction boom that has otherwise gotten a ravenous hold of the rest of Vietnam. Be it wisdom, foresight, or just the lure of the tourist dollar, a part of Hoi An has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Thankfully this has meant that Hoi An's Old Quarter, where most of these buildings are situated, has been protected from modernisation and the incursion of modern vehicular traffic. Small as Hoi An is, the town is not spared from the tooting of scooters or the jarring blare of horns.

As we step from 'regular' Hoi An into the quiet and calm of the Old Quarter street, the effect is like stepping into a parallel world. A hush descends on the street where only 'primitive vehicles' are allowed. It is a surreal, but welcome change. Unfortunately, this does not last.

Hoi An's supposed to look like this


But now it looks like this

Not 10 minutes into our walk, we hit another parellel street -- if you can even call the dug up length of dirt, gravel and mud a street. Deep ugly gouges snake their way along the little that's left of the path, so we have to inch our way along store fronts and navigate heaps of rubble. I hear my heart tinkle into a thousand broken bits as I survey the destruction.The vehicular regulations, are of course not applied to the construction vehicles, so the peaceful streets are beset by a constant cacophany of rubbling machinery. D had read earlier that they are laying new pipes --sewage I think -- and the works are affecting business for stores in the Old Town. And no wonder. Dust covers and bespoils every surface and mud-caked footprints sully entrances.

But the efficiency of change -- whether we like it or not -- has her merits. By the second evening, rough concrete paths were already taking shape. Some streets glisten with a fresh hot coat of pungent-smelling tar. Putting it into perspective, D said, "not everyone who comes here gets to see construction in the old town" -- so whipping out his camera,che goes of to take sexy shots of the steamroller.