
In Memoriam
I wade into the jaded wild surf of
Da Nang
to grieve the loss of souls who bled here,
where sullen skies
rain pellets of bruised sorrow
and sand crabs shudder disbelief.
The beachhead, once swarming
with macabre killing machines,
is colored these days in purple melancholy,
desolate, save a lone bagpipe player, howling a song
so forlorn in its cheerlessness
that the heart sheds tears without relent.
WJD
My Khe Beach in Da Nang is deserted most of the day and stretches 30 kilometers along one edge of the city. The government was wise to prevent blocked views by the resort hotels on the beach.
Locals use the beach in early morning exercise before sunrise.
The Japanese built this covered Bridge in Hội An, a city designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Hội An was a major trading center in Vietnam.
Chinese, Dutch, Japanese and Indians traded there.

Hội An was a sleepy little town (population 122,000) until UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage site. Today it is bustling,chock full with restaurants, shops, bars, other tourist stops. Classic buildings have been restoredand some of Vietnam’s delights are showcased: incredible delicious baguette sandwiches and Vietnamese drip coffee, which when mixed with condensed milk, has the taste of chocolate.

A wealthy Hội An merchant, pyjama-clad, watches passerbys stroll by.




The matriarch of a merchant family in business for 7 generations takes her walk from the back of the store to the front.




China influenced Japan’s written language and culture. The Japanese adapt and refine whatever they bring from abroad. They miniatured large potted plants to fit the requirements of space and a penchant for simplicity of design. Way Zen!

The large hanging cylinder-shaped items are month-long incense dedications to the heavens to wish luck and prosperity.


The Cham people also traded in Hội An in the 16th and 17th centuries. How they built their temples, another UNESCO World Heritage site, is a mystery, and there is speculation about where they came from, although it i highly likely that they came from India, since they practiced Hinduism and Sanskrit writing can be found on their temples.

Vietnam is a beautiful country with graciously friendly people. It’s worth a visit among your travel destinations. Go for it! Go to it!
All my best,
Warren J. Devalier
President
Interface Inc.