Moments in Hoi An
Little things paint a bigger picture. Colour only one number and the painting is incomplete. Fill in all those shapes to paint the full experience. But sometimes a small patch is so brilliant shines out alone.
Hoi An sits astride a delta. Small islands and flat hinterland rich in alluvial deposits. Perfect bicycle country. On a bike – one day – a day when blue poured out of the sky into irrigation ponds. When kingfishers sat patiently on lines and herons stalked silent and sure footed through reeds. I realised not a soul in the world knew where I was. What a feeling of freedom. I dropped my bike by a tree. Sat and savoured the moment.
A motor bike staggered over the dirt filled ruts behind me and I watched with envy as it stopped. One passenger shimmed up the next tree and threw down some coconuts. A clearly yelled ‘you’ hurtled towards me. Had to be me, no one else was around. Confirmed by gesticulation my bike and I hauled ourselves over.
My providers
With about as much English as my Vietnamese. A mass of smiles and signs we exchanged names, ages, home towns and occupation. Shared a drink of coconut water and the juicy flesh within. Three people connected by nothing bar the beauty of a day.
Only when they left, with a parting gift of two more coconuts placed in my basket, did I reflect they had machetes large enough to cut off my arm if not my head. That in my western world of paranoia they would be considered dangerous weapons.
Fear never entered my mind.
Do you have a micro moment? Micro moments? Mini adventures. Those minutes in your life you will never forget?
