Vietnam When we first arrived in Viet Nam, the first thing we noticed was that the roads were substantially better. After the back of pickups in Cambodia, it was nice to be in a mini-bus. Even if the roads were still crooked, at least they were paved. We started in the South in the city
Vietnam
When we first arrived in Viet Nam, the first thing we noticed was that the roads were substantially better. After the back of pickups in Cambodia, it was nice to be in a mini-bus. Even if the roads were still crooked, at least they were paved.
We started in the South in the city of Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon). We got a beautiful hostel for $8 that included a free breakfast and free dinner. Sweet.
All I remember of that first night is sleep. When we woke and were able to explore, we were surprised at Viet Nam. The country is extremely modern, and although there is a Communist Government, it is a free-market economy.
With this in mind we explored and shopped. Some of the bargains we got included 2 glasses of draft beer for $0.30 and a 60 Litre North Face Pack with 2 rain-covers for $21. Here is my personal advice. If anyone is going to Asia, land naked in Saigon, and buy everything you need there (then go to Bangkok, where you can get amazingly cheap airline tickets).
Both Mari and I are interested in the historical side of visiting Viet Nam, so we spent the next day travelling to Cu Chi. War and History buffs will know that this is part of the famous Ho Chi Minh trail (a transport trail used by the Northern Forces during the U.S. involvement). It was in Cu Chi that local farmers took up a fight, and let me say, what we saw was truly frightening. On display were all the various traps used in the war. 1 metre deep pits filled with spikes, landmines of every shape and size, and possibly the goriest thing I have ever seen, a pit with two rollers in it. This pit was set up so that if a soldier stepped in it, the two rollers would "roll" 10 inch spikes all the way up his body, And there would be no way out, except to continue going down.
Part of the display included the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a system of underground tunnels where people would live and fight during the war. The tunnels were expertly camouflaged, and were very tiny. I was the only Western Male who could fit in them. (We have a picture, don’t worry)
The other neat thing about this area is CAO-daism. This Vietnam only religion is practiced in the "temple of the seeing eye", and involves hundreds of people dressed in full costumes of red, white, blue all different facets of the religion. Four times daily, every one comes to the temple to worship. It was beautiful, confusing, and interesting to watch. Look for pictures, and you will be amazed.
As Viet Nam is a long and narrow country, we headed North, soon arriving at the coastal community of Nha Trang. From here we got ourselves on another dive boat, and headed out to the South China Sea. Our first dive was to over 70 feet, and the visibility was really quite poor. It was cold and dark, and we were wondering why we were there, when we spotted the mouth of a cave.
We entered and snaked our way around and up, finally entering shallower water, where the view improved dramatically. The coral was beautiful, we watched a cuttlefish change colours in front of our eyes, and there was no one else around. When we got back to the boat, a lunch of grilled salmon steak awaited us.
We also spent a day on rented bicycles, exploring the rice fields and untouched local areas. Off the beaten track we thought it was great, although it was obvious that many of the locals had never seen westerners nearby. For a bit of a break we stopped for a drink. We stopped in a tiny, tiny place and asked for beer. The waitress said it was 8000 dong (about $0.50). well we thought, why not. Well, for our 8000 dong, we got TWO LITRES of beer. What a bargain.
For a sense of Vietnamese history from before the war, we spent a day visiting the Tombs near Hue, and another visiting the temples of My Son near Hoi An. In Hue, we rented a dragon boat (a large canoe with an inboard diesel engine, which has a large dragon’s head painted on the front) and toured up the Perfume River.
En route we were treated to huge castles resembling places which had been built by rich and powerful men, who were attempting to create a place of habitation for the afterlife. These buildings, which are recommended for U.N. conservation listing, are built of local materials and are massive in size compared to everything else built around. The Tombs usually contain an outer wall, a moat, and inner wall, and a staircase leading to the tomb itself, which is intricately decorated in gold and other colourful materials.
The My Son exhibit, is substantially older, and comparable to the temples from Cambodia. What was obvious at My Son, however, was the amount of damage that had occurred during the war. Several monuments were destroyed, but also the ones that remained were covered in bullet holes.
That night, while discussing the temples over dinner, Mari suggested that I finish and she would just look around. Okay I thought, and 10 minutes later I got up and paid. When I walked around the corner, what I saw made me fall over from laughter.
In the middle of about six Vietnamese ladies, stood Mari. She was easily a foot taller, and was being catered to by all these ladies, trying to make a dress for her. While she stood there, one lady was randomly taking measurements, another was pulling off the shelf every colour of silk that Mari ever glanced at, and another was trying to force her into a dress that was quite obviously too small for her ("Your wife very tall," the ladies kept saying). I was given a chair, and then ignored. Mari laughed and allowed herself to be measured.
The next day, she picked up a dress of pure Vietnamese Silk, that when she put it on fit her like a glove. The long flowing material was beautiful, and the dress itself was probably one of the most glamorous items I had ever seen. She looked absolutely stunning, and this dress was dirt cheap. I could barely believe it was tailor made, except that it fit so well.
Continuously heading North, we made our way via an overnight bus to the capital of Hanoi. From here we applied for our Chinese Visas, and then had some time to kill around the city. Hanoi is a beautiful town and it was easy to spend time exploring. We drank delicious Vietnamese coffee at several lake-side cafes and experienced the splendour of Water Puppets.
In Hanoi, a major theatre is set up specifically for water puppetry, and this amazing spectacle should not be missed. A troupe behind a curtain, operates groups of fish, dragon, canoes, and people puppets – amazingly in a foot of water. All the while, smoke and fireworks are used for effect. While the dialogue is in Vietnamese, it was still amazing (a translation was available in French, English and Chinese ).
From Hanoi, we headed into the Northern Mountainous region just below the border of China. In this area, and the surrounding mountains, Hill-tribes of Hmong and Zoi people have villages easily accessible for adventurous hikers such as Mari and I (note: one day involved a 15 km hike, a crossing of a raging river on a very old bamboo bridge, and a ride through the mist on a Russian motorcycle)
The Hill tribe people are very friendly and very colourfully dressed. Mari and I spent a couple days enjoying the villages, and bargaining for traditional clothing at a local market. We also had an opportunity to experience the very eclectic sounds of traditional singing, at a Hmong concert in the town of Sapa.
It was during one of these concerts when a lady collapsed. Mari and I rushed to help, and found her breathing, and she regained consciousness within a few seconds. I stayed with this lady of 65 who spoke only Dutch, and talked to her through her daughter – in a smattering of broken English. I discovered the elderly lady had a history of stroke and was on blood pressure medicine. It was enough to make one very nervous, but other than being a bit flushed, she seemed okay. After a few moments (and a cool cloth), I helped her outside, where a doctor finally showed up. Briefly, it appeared that she would lose consciousness again, but she didn’t. The doctor, unfortunately, spoke only Vietnamese, and I had the interesting task of explaining to him what had happened, and then explaining to the daughter what was going to happen.
An ambulance was called for, and I assisted the mother into it (actually it was a Russian Issue army jeep). I tried to explain that the doctor was going with her and her daughter, and explained to the daughter that everything was okay, but to stay with her mother. The mother held my hand, and looked into my eyes, but no word was spoken. Afterwards, Mari bought me a beer.
The following day, we crossed a bridge into China.