VIETNAM – Fran’s Journal 6-20 March

First “day” of trip – dark. Arrived Mpls/SP at 2:45 and boarded on time (6:05) headed for Denver. We might have been able to have gotten another hour’s sleep before leaving.

Many hours later somewhere over the Pacific we are making our way to Hong Kong. At home it is 6:00 PM. In Hong Kong it is 8:00 AM. I have no clue what time it is HERE (where ever “here” is)……So we arrived at our hotel aroud 9:30PM, went to our rooms, dropped luggage, and found the bar.

8 March: Had Saigon tour including Museum of War, very well done. Had dinner at Chataeu Restarant. Jerry, Steve and I had some beers in hotel bar until closing.

I am 60!!! It’s about 6:00AM and I’m up for my birthday. It’s warm because the air won’t run without our key card in the light switch and we can’t figure out how to turn off the closet light. Today we take a tour of the city – Ho Chi Minh.

Saw the War Remnants Museum. That was very difficult for me, especially the section on the effects of agent orange. Went to the post office, a beautiful building built at the turn of the century by the French. We also went to a Buddhist temple with unbelievable ceramic reliefs all around the top of the building – both inside and out. After lunch we went to the Chinese market in China town. We walked through canyons of stuff – fabric, shoes, luggage, spices, candy. We watched the men outside loading cyclos with huge bundles they couldn’t even see over to deliver from the market. Chuck traded his assistance with one load in order to get a picture.

We are up at 5:00 so we can leave Saigon by 6:45. We are headed to the Cu Chi tunnels. The traffic is unbelievable 7 million people live in Saigon and there are 4 million scooters – all of them are out there today! Cu Chi – what a story! Living and fighting from these underground fortresses. As we made our way through one of the tunnels we met the residents – bats. A couple of our “tunnel rats” weren’t too comfortable with the little flying mammels, but we managed. I think the guy who demonstrated the “ins” and “outs” of the tunnels was in my guide book. We also went to a temple dedicated to five different religions – Hindu, Islam, Buddhism, Catholicism, and Taoism. We saw part of one ceremony – three different ones are held each day at noon. Our drive to and from Cu Chi is through the jungle. We saw rubber plantations, rice paddies, water buffalo – so many unusual things to someone who has lived all her life in Minnesota. The Vietnamese seem so “happy” or maybe content. They work very hard. Their children are so well taken care of. I wonder what their family lives are like.

Up at 5:00 and off to the airport to catch our plane to Da Lat. We arrive at 8:45 and we’re on the road into the mountains to see a beautiful waterfall. We rode to the bottom in a small rail car – then back up again. Went to a lovely Buddhist monstery, then to the summer palace of the last emperor of Viet Nam. Checked into our hotel then went to lunch. After lunch we went to another temple, a craft center where they make beautiful embroidered wall hangings and a market where I got some tea. We had a beer in the market and were very entertained by a young lady selling paintings on silk. Da Lat is a lovely little mountain city on the move. It’s the flower capital of the world. There were acres and acres of green houses and flowers and plants everywhere! Bonsai is a really popular art here. At the monastery we saw a 300 year old bonsai tree.

I am standing at my hotel window overlooking a daycare watching an adult playing with four little ones. Children here are so cared for by men and women alike. Lots of grandparents taking babies to the park, mothers and daughters walking arm in arm -a lot to like about these people.
On the bus at 9:30 and headed to Nha Trang. We drove through the mountains on a brand new highway (fortunately). Stunning views! Many places were being cleared for coffee trees, others for banana trees. Drove through areas of ethnic tribes peoples. Soil is very red – iron? Does that mean volcanic action? I think so. Where is Gary when I need him? At certain elevations they had planted huge grasses to stop erosion. a big problem. A little farther down, kudso had taken over everything. We had to pull into a roadside garage to get a tire or two changed. As we got closer to Nha Trang the new road ran out and we’re on a paved goat path! Nha Trang is unbelievably beautiful!

Fishing: After a very short lesson, I dropped my line and THEN, I caught the first fish! Very small, dark grey with bright blue spots. He went back and that was the end of my luck. Everyone caught at least one fish. Jennifer was the most successful. The water was so clear. The little islands in the bay are volcanic. Two have electricity – the rest don’t.
Snorkling: Fun, lots of coral. Lunch – OK. Then a nap, but first I tried to climb over some rocks to wade, and fell and really banged up my left shin and thigh. After nap more fishing, then a barbeque supper and back to the hotel.

Left Nha Trang at 6 to catch flight to Da Nang at 7:45. Short flight then on to Hoi An, an ancient trading center. Several countries set up stations here – Japan, China, India, etc. Hoi An is also the major center of the Champa culture. We toured a museum holding many pieces of Champa architecture which were uncovered in an archeological expedition at the turn of the century, 1900-1905. These people were very sophisticated and highly influenced by Hinduism. Now, Hinduism has been replaced by Buddhism. We also visited Marble Mountain and climbed to the top. Beautiful! All around the base of the mountain are marble carving work shops – statues, fountains, mortar and pestals, jewelry, on and on, BUT not from Marble Mountain. Inside the mountain were many “rooms” which usually were altars and worship centers. One very large one was used as a hospital for VC soldiers during the war. In Old Hoi An we had lunch, then went to a couple of shops. One tailored silk cloth into garments, but it also had the silk worms and showed the entire process of spinning the thread and weaving it into fabric. Really interesting. We met some fun kids at the bar at our hotel. They love to tell us jokes.

Shopping in the old city – a free day.

On the road to Hue. Drove through Phu Bai and what was Camp Eagle where Don was stationed. Difficult for me and Betty. Hue ancient capital of Viet Nam and at center of many struggles for control of the land. Also another art and fashion center. Saw beautiful mountain scenery, old highway #1 at the mountain pass, China Beach and drove within striking distance of Khe Sanh battle field. Yesterday Chuck, Jerry and Steve visited Phu Bai where Jerry was stationed then went on to My Lai -“very solemn” – Chuck’s description, a dark day. No one who lived and was at all aware of what was happening in the 60’s and 70’s could not know a trip through Viet Nam would have many moment requiring reflection about who we were, and are, and what we want to do about it in the future.

Cruise on Perfume River – mostly a sales pitch to a captive audience. Hue Citadel is a large structure as was the emperors’ tombs which all served to impress us with how much the Vietnamese people were taken advantage of by their rulers. It should be no surprise to anyone what appeal communism and Ho Chi Minh had for these impoverished people and their bankrupt country. AND we do joke about the similarities to US politics and the shenanigans in Washington, but I am very proud of our govertnment and our constitution, and our people’s constant efforts to keep our leaders honest, if not noble. On to Hanoi – this should be interesting!

Today is our trip to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage Site (Natural???). The karst limestone mountains shoot straight up out of the bay – amazing! We went to one to explore its caves – what can I say! We climbed another mountain to a pagoda – 400 steps to the top. The view from the top was great – I think I’ve seen some of the views in pictures of the place. Ha Long Bay is at the beginning stages of development and as such there are problems to deal with – trash, unscrupulous dealers and guides, inadequate safety precautions; but I’m not sure that when all those requlations are in place, the site will be any more impressive for it.

Dan, our guide spent some time explaining the importance of feng shui to the Vietnamese people. He feels that the people are very superstitious. He said that the three most important duties of a man are to obtain a house, a wife, and a water buffalo.

We took an early morning trip to a lagoon in Ha Long Bay. On the way we fed monkeys – neat. The lagoon had to be approached through a tunnel. When we got into it the walls of the mountain/s rose up all around us. Were we in an ancient crater?
My legs are feeling the effects of the climbing yesterday and the bruising I got in Nha Trang. As I look around from the top deck of our little cruise boat I just can’t get over the spell cast by this place. I wonder how I’ll feel about other cruises on the trip.
Each of our guides has been so different and so interesting:
1. Thi – Saigon
2. Hai – DaLat
3. Phoung – Hue
4. Bao – fishing trip
5. Dan – Hanoi
6. Loi – HaLong cruise
They love to tell us jokes – have an earthy sense of humor. On our way back to Hanoi, Dan tells us about the police corruption. They stop trucks and local buses all the time and drivers are used to bribing them regularly. One truck driver told Dan it costs 3 million dong to drive from Saigon to Hanoi.
We tour “Hanoi Hilton” – very discouraging. Dan said, “I don’t know what to say about this.” I thought that was both honest and eloquent.

Betty wasn’t feeling very well today. We went to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. Lines can be 5 kilometers long, two abreast to enter. It was impressive mostly because of the reaction of the people who come here to pay their respects. The museum was not only a place of honor to Ho but also something of an art gallery and comment on the violence of the 20th century – an impressive monument to a man who obviously dedicated his life to his people. Visited the One Pillar Pagoda, another testament to the devotion of the poeple to living a good life. We toured the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070. It honors Confucius who taught that the highest aim of a man was education. It was the “university” where the promising young men of the outlying communities came to take the examinations to qualify for court service. A man who passed the first level of examinations received the title of “Doctor” and his name was inscribed on a stone tablet (stele) held on the back of a stone turtle – one of the four revered animals. Many of these stele are standing and the names have been recorded from centuries past.
At 6:00 we went to a water puppet show portraying many of the folk stories of the Vietnamese. It was really fun. The musicians were great.

It is humid here beyond belief! My clothes just don’t dry. I finally got out my micro-fiber towel and wrapped things in it to squeeze out all moisture I could, and by morning things could be packed.
Today the morning was free, so I walked to the quilt store and ordered a quilt – $205 including shipping. The store is an outlet for a nonprofit organization that empowers women. Over 200 women work on the quilts. The money pays them a salary and funds scholarships, books for rural schools, medical and dental education in the villages. I also got a bunch of brochures to hand out when I get home. In the afternoon, I went to the fine arts museum. Lots of laquerware. Very dark. War was the subject of the vast majority of the art. Why wouldn’t it be? I think it will be a while before there is a true Vietnamese school of art. Many of the objects could actually be touched! I doubt the country has any money to put into preserving their art which is a shame because some of it will be lost due to the conditions of its display. The silk paintings seemed to be to be suffering the most. I could have spent more time there, but that seems to be the nature of all my travels. The Johnsons and Charlotte spent the afternoon shopping and enjoying a few drinks. I like the flexibility to do as we please.

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