The bridge over the Han river

A few weeks ago we moved offices. The house we were renting as office was too small for our growing team. But there was another reason. The owner informed us that the monthly rent would increase at the renewal of the contract. Real estate prices in Da Nang are rising exponentially. Houses and land are on the rise, to almost being unaffordable. Our old office was located in a prime area, close to the sea and in the middle of the tourist hub, so there was no escape. We had to look for something else.

We found it across the river, further away from the sea. In a new development.

I cannot walk to the office anymore as I used to do before. Now I go on my scooter or bicycle. It is quite an enjoyable little trip, despite having to go via a busy road full of heavy transport to the harbour of Da Nang.

I first cycle through the narrow alleys and streets of my neighbourhood. The sidewalks are vibrant with small food stalls in the morning. People eating breakfast (pho, my quang, and the like) and enjoying coffee and tea. On my way back, nothing can be seen of these street food stalls. The small chairs and tables are neatly packed away under a tarp or umbrella.

Then I really hit traffic, getting on the big road. I join tens, hundreds of motorbikes. I cross the Han river, straight to the West, in land. The river flows from South to North, cutting the beach area off the mainland. While cars and motorbikes pass me tot he left, to my right, down in the river, a small wooden fisher’s boat floats on the rhythm f the river. I see the fisher man taking in the nets.

It is trip full of contrasts.

The fisher man in his wooden boat, wearing the typical conical hat against the sun which is getting stronger every minute now. In the background I see the ferris wheel of Sun World and the skyline of Da Nang, with -amongst others- the administrative building of Da Nang, also called the “Giant suppository”. Behind this, the mountains colour dark.

I pass a big mall and super market, popular with Korean tourists. But it is too early, all is quiet here. I turn and follow the river for a while. Water buffaloes are grazing on the river bank. Crickets and cycads produce there high-pitched sounds in the trees lining the street. The new development has many open plots. But the parts that are built, have already this typical Vietnamese mix of houses, small shops and street stalls selling coffee, sugar cane juice and the like. In a few years you won’t notice anymore that this is a newly developed area.