ids=”11972,11969,11968,11967,11964,11953,11951,11949,11941,11938,11927,11911,11905,11891,11874″]This was a last day of sight seeing while we are in Vietnam and it was a wonderful day. We left Saigon and traveled south to the Mekong Delta which played such an important role in the war. These drives prove that the Vietnamese live their lives on the sidewalks. Small shops, cafes, repair places, the butcher, baker and candlestick maker all make a living on the sidewalk. The family wash hangs from metal racks and children play beside their mother and father while the family pet is tethered in the door way. This is true of large cities and small villages. After about two hours we stopped for a visit in the largest city in the province. We visited a popular pagoda which serves as a place for the elderly, homeless and poor children to go for a rest or a meal. This pagoda is very active in the community and a testament to the Buddha’s philosophy. A quick stop at a market where ladies shopped for the evening meal and flower and we reached the Mekong known as the Mother of Rivers. We took a boat ride across the river to visit a bee farm, eat some local fruit, listen to some bad music and take a horse cart ride down a country road. Poor horse looked terrible, but so did all of the horses on the path. We then boarded another tiny boat and were paddled down a swift little stream to our restaurant. I promised God I would be good for the rest of my life He would just let us arrive safely. I gave the lady rowing the boat wed wipes, and hand sanitizer as well as a generous tip. Lunch was Elephant ear fish, soup, egg rolls, rice and watermelon. They served the fish whole and perched on a little wooden rack. Delicious. Boarded a larger boat and came back to Saigon. Days outside the city are always a favorite. Interestingly we saw a showroom of Christmas trees on the way back. Though Christians are a minority, there are still pockets of Catholicism throughout the country. The Portuguese introduced Christianity to Vietnam about three hundred years ago, the French really established the Church here. Tomorrow will be a long day. We need to find some way to be entertained until out flight to Japan. Then back to Houston.

Early this morning we threaded our way out of Saigon into the countryside to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. These tunnels were started during the Indochina War when the Vietnamese were trying to earn their independence from the French. This site was a little more sophisticated than the one we saw in the north. There were costumed manniquins and docents to provide some visuals and to indicate how the people lived in these tunnels. Women as well as men were prepared to give their lives first in the war with the French and later with the Americans. There is a shooting range near the site and we thought that there was a series of sound effects to add to the reality of the site Wrong. It was live ammo being fired on a range. Sadly people over the big 70 could not enter the tunnels so we could only poke our heads in. Our guide laughing said those tunnels were made for the Vietnamese not Americans anyway. Troy would not have fit in. The jungle had been destroyed and all of the growth is new. Rubber plantations are part of the economic resources in this area.
Back to the city and another wonderful lunch. Cuttlefish was the first course and the final one was flan. We visited the Post Office, the Presidents Residence, and the War Museum. Interestingly the photos bring back memories of what we were seeing on TV during that war only this museum presents a different point of view. No matter what ones political beliefs are, I have come to admire the courage and ingenuity of the Vietnamese and to recognize how difficult their lives were as the result of living constantly in war from 1939 until the end of the Vietnam War.

We arrived in Saigon about two pm and met our guide who looks like she is about 15. Our hotel is along the river just on the outskirts of the Old French Quarters. Saigon as we know it does not have the history of Hanoi and is more crowded and much larger. Statistically there are 9 million people and 6 million undocumented. We spied Starbucks and McDonalds along the way to the hotel neither of which were in Hanoi. Night is falling and the city is turning on her lights. Although there are more cars and scooters on the streets, the drivers stay in their lanes and the scooters are limited to two passengers. Mai told us that if there are 3 on a scooter the one in the middle had better be ill. Apparently the police enforce this law, but they cannot enforce the no parking on the sidewalk law. Like all of the other cities we visited scooters line the side walk sometimes two deep. Troy and I immediately noticed the difference in Saigon from the other cities we visited. There is graffiti, people are not very welcoming and there is not a gently spirit about it that we noticed in other cities. Still we are looking forward to exploring and going out into the countryside over the next few days. More tomorrow about South Vietnam.

Vu, our guide, wanted an early start this morning so that we could get ahead of the crowd and we were so grateful after we arrived that this UNESCO world heritage site. My Son, pronounced me son, is a series of Hindu temples. They were constructed of brick and we intended to honor the god and goddess of fertility. This particular site was probably chosen because it symbolically represented male and female reproductive organs. We arrived before busses and vans to watch a performance of Indian music and dances they strolled through the different temples. WE could actually go into the altar rooms of some of then and there were flowers and incense burners from the visitors the day before. This site was a hideout for the Viet Cong and many of the temples were destroyed by bombs and hand to hand combat. Some nevertheless survived and are being restored by UNESCO funds and Indian and Vietnamese funds. The German and POlish government are also heavily involved in the project. Women were working in a hut weaving on ancient style looms and recreating old designs for robes and other products. A new performance started and the music wafted among these ruins. We were cautioned to stay on the path because the possibility of live mines is very real in the area. Gorgeous butterflies, birds, flowers and other jungle plants had to fear of the danger, but again we were reminded of the damage war can bring to sacred sites. A bumpy ride brought us back to Hoi An and after lunch we went for a rest. The heat got to me today and I needed some extra rest. We are ready for the sun to go down so that we can again see the lovely lanterns of Hoi An.

The past two days were spent in Hue the last capital of Vietnam before the French colonized the country. The city suffered through the Indochinese war with the French and what is known here as the American war. The Imperial City or the community where the king of Vietnam lived was badly damaged. Much was destroyed by the fighting when the Americans tried to take Hue and a lot was destroyed by termites the damaged seems about 60/40. There as been some restoration with the funds coming from UNESCO, but it is difficult to find workers with the skills to restore such old buildings. The last king was not a good king to the people and very much in the pocket of the French. He abandoned the capital and went to Paris is 1956 leaving Vietnam in the hands of the French. This made the rise of Communism easier for the leaders of North Vietnam to manifest. These cities amaze me. They have modern buildings, pagodas that are centuries old, and cattle still freely wander along the waterways. We also visited the ancient tomb of one of the older kings of Vietnam. When he realized that death of coming, he asked some of his loyal followers to bury him in a secret place and to leave his tomb empty. Many many years when the French came they opened his tomb expecting to find hidden treasure. What they found was nothing, not even some bones. That King got the last laugh. There were many visual treats in Hue. The dragon drums and dance to celebrate the opening of a new dress shop. a boat trip down the Perfume River, snapping pictures of little children and watching their faces as they looked at them on our camera screen, schools children being picked up by parents on scooters, and an older museum guard demanding a high five as entered a museum. We had a wonderful time in HUe and ended it with ice cream covered in toasted coconut and a demitasse of espresso poured over it. Wonderful

Much of today was spent in the car. We left Don Hoi and drove to the DMZ which was a 17 mile zone where no fighting took place during the war. We also had a chance to visit the famous tunnels where the Vietnamese went underground to avoid being bombed by the Americans. Their engineering and ingenuity was amazing. Miles of tunnels facing the sea for fresh air, wells, hospitals, maternity wards and schools all underground to outfox the enemy. The Vietnamese had spent years fighting the French and knew how to conduct a war. The more they were bombed, the more determined to defeat the enemy and they certainly did that. We are now in Hue which was at one time the Imperial City of Vietnam. It is a beautiful city on the Perfume River where the streets of the old quarter are shut down to autos and pedestrians can explore without fear of being smashed by a scooter or car or bicycle loaded with fruit. Prior to that we took our lives in our hands and crossed the street not just once but four times. Each time my life flashed before my eyes. My favorite part of the day was listening to a local band playing small drums and performing dance steps. I love to see local people keep their traditions alive. Tomorrow more of Hue then on to Hoi An.

We are out of the cities and in the countryside. Our destination today was Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and to arrive there when drove parallel the limestone mountain range that separates Vietnam and Laos. Part of the drive was the Ho Chi Minh Trail that was used to move soldiers from the North to the South. This was the first time anyone asked Troy if he had served in Vietnam. fortunately the answer was no. Vu our guide said that recently former GI’s were returning to Vietnam to do volunteer work and that it was a healing process for everyone. The road led us through rice paddies which had been harvested and turned over to the water buffalo to feed. They shared the space with red Brahma and cattle egrets. They water buffalo had their young along side them and small farmers use them like we would a small John Deere tractor. They animals range freely, but he never saw any buffalo on the roads as they are so valuable.

These villages all had small Catholic churches. This area was settled by the Portuguese about three hundred years ago, and like the Spanish in Texas left their faith behind them. All of the churches had the same architecture and looked strangely out of place in these very Asian villages. Children were in school and many of the schools had open air classrooms. They go to class from seven until eleven, break for lunch and come back at one and stay until five. I wish that I would visit a classroom.
Again the villages were full of activity. Scooters transported everything and everybody. Young girls in short skirts and fancy shoes, delivery boys with flowers, pigs going to market. You name it and it is moved by scooter.
We finally arrived at Paradise Cave and climbed I thought to Laos before we ever got to the entrance. We huffed and puffed and got nearly to the top of the mountain and then started down into the cave. I thought we will surely emerge in Laos and We have no passports. Troy and I looked around and we were the only old people there.. Everyone else was under thirty. The formations were awe inspiring and worth the trip. We left drove about 30 minutes for lunch. Pork, fish, shrimp, soup, cabbage, rice beer and bananas. I managed to eat everything with my chopsticks except the beer and bananas. We then traveled down the Son River to another cave which we viewed from the boat. Loved again watching the Vietnamese working and living their lives. We had to leave the boats at one point, walked over some rough ground, reenter the little sampan and finally returned to our driver. This was one of my favorite days, but physically very hard. The rains set in early tis morning and we did this in a slow drizzle all day. Tomorrow more War sites and one to Hue.

Wednesday we said good bye to Hi our driver and today we said good by to Son our guide. Son was very protective of us and always knew when we needed to rest or move on to another activity. Today we spent our time in the Old Quarter looking at the shops the locals would visit. Each street sold one kind of item. Paint, tools, jewelry, cleaning supplies and no one hustled their wares. The merchants sat quietly in front of their shop drinking tea, playing on their cells and generally ignored their prospective customers. No big box stores or chains just mom and pop. We finished our stay with a bowl of pho noodles and boarded a plane for Dong Hoi. This is a small city of about 500,000 and it is a charmer. Each street and intersection is decorated with brightly lit flower signs. The broader streets have fancy pink flashing lights and the bridges change color every 3 minutes. Nothing subtle about the Vietnamese. Mr. Vu our new guide and his enthusiastic driver delivered us to the Ocean Resort and Spa where we are staying. My supper was banana blossom salad and corn coup. Tasty and I managed to each most of the salad with my chop sticks. Tomorrow we are off to explore a cave and a river. I love the way this trip mixes things up.
Continue reading “GOOD BYE HANOI- HELLO DONG HOI”

We returned to Hanoi this afternoon and unfortunately the hotel was overbooked and they had to place us in the penthouse. Outside one bedroom we can see a bridge designed by Eiffel and it is lit by the lights of an enormous modern sky scraper. In the from of a quarters we have a balcony which gives us a glimpse of Old Hanoi that is over 800 years old. The best of all worlds. I scheduled a foot massage in a hotel about 90 seconds away from where we are staying and a young hotel employee escorted me to the spa. He held my hand the entire way sweeping away pedestrians as we moved along. I was greeted by name when we went into the lobby and he continued to hold my hand onto the elevator. At this point, I thought I was on my on, but no he continued to hold on to me until the receptionist met me and then she took me by the hand. I was seated on a pillow on the floor, no small feat and given hot tea and a tiny crunchy something. I have learned not to ask what I am eating. Soon I was taken to a darkened room, and greeted by the therapist. I undressed and was wrapped in warm towels. My feet were soaked in warm water with ginger, lime and lemon grass. She scrubbed my feet with lime and salt only the tequila was missing and then gently scrubbed them with a chamois. She then placed me on a table and put hot towels under my back and neck and over my eyes. The next 60 minutes were devoted to gently rubbing, pressing and twisting my feet and toes. From time to time she sounded a chime and in the background Vietnamese music in a minor key with bird songs intermingling where playing. She wrapped my legs and feet in hot towels and told me it was the relaxing time. I thought I was in paradise. The joy ended or so I thought. I dressed and went to pay my bill. The receptionist said that this was my happy day; I got a 25% discount. I would have paid double the price. Never once was I a customer but an honored guest. What a joy. Troy and a bottle of wine were waiting for me. I love Vietnam.

Our trip through the happy pagoda land ended with an over night and the most sumptuous breakfast ever.  For the French guest there were cheeses, marmalades, crepes, omlettes, crepes and café au lait, for the Japanese, jelly fish salad, fresh vegetables, calamari and squid,  for the locals goat soup again and more veggies and pho noodles.  We tried it all except the jelly fish.  Then on to the cruise.  It has been the most relaxing part of the journey.  A small boat with about twenty passengers.  Delicious meals, tai chi in the morning and for the younger set a trek up on of the cliffs to visit the site where Uncle Ho met with the Soviet leaders.  We watched them from afar.   Last evening ladies rowed along side the ship selling goodies to the passengers.  They had pearls, wine soda and Oreos.  The Vietnamese are very enterprising.  I am impressed with their absolute politeness and their work ethic as well.  This would be a beautiful place to spend a longer time.  Back to Hanoi tonight and then our journey south begins.