Goodbye and Hello

Tonight I'll be leaving Vietnam for the second time to return home, but on much better terms this time. I'll never view this country with the same eyes again. I was fascinated by the beauty of the countryside and the joyful friendliness of the children. I suppose that is the way kids are everywhere, even in Vietnam. Saigon is a little too active and busy for an old person like me, but it has a certain appeal, with its throbbing activity and commerce.

This trip was a gift from Wini, my wife of nearly 40 years. It was an awesome gift. Sometimes I think she knows me better than I know myself.

See you in Spokane!

Sights of Saigon

Started the day by walking (or rather, dodging motor bikes) to the Saigon River and then back around to the ReUnification Palace. The palace is the former home of the South Vietnamese president and is best known for the image of North Vietnamese tanks knocking down the front gate at the end of the war in 1975. Everything is still in place, including the president's meeting rooms, the radio room and living quarters. It looks like Nguyen Van Thieu just left for vacation and will be back soon.

Against my better judgement, I also visited the War Remnant Museum. If you believe the exhibits, it looks like the Americans lost the war and we were the bad guys. I suspect there is enough blame to go around. It is an effective anti-war presentation.

Ended up at Ben Thanh Market, a large indoor and outdoor market. I got chased by several shoe shine boys who insisted that I desparately needed a shine. I tried to pursuade them that the "scruffy" look was in vogue in America, but they were unconvinced.

It is 92 degrees and muggy. Think I'll go upstairs to my air conditioned room and take a nap. Life is good!

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Dalat is high in the mountains of the Central Highlands and the weather is cool and refreshing. Sometime early last century, the French used it as a spot to get away from the heat of the coast. We stayed at a former French villa two nights in Dalat. The villa had been refurbished but was a little faded and worn.

Left Dalat early yesterday (Friday) on our bikes - downhill for 10 kilometers. We got on the bus at Chicken Village and spent nearly eight hours riding before we got to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Just north of Saigon is a former military base called Bien Hua. I spent about two weeks there in March of 1969 and this is where I picked up my scout dog "Chief" before heading north to Chu Lai. Bien Hua is now a bustling city that melds into Saigon. We didn't arrive in Saigon until after dark (7:00PM).

Saigon is throbbing with energy. Motor bikes own the road and you cross the streets at your own risk - even if you are in a marked crosswalk. I plan to do some walking / sightseeing today (Saturday) and tomorrow before heading back home.

More later.

The People

I never fail to be amazed at how friendly the younger people are in this country. When a teenager recognizes a Westerner (We tend to stand out), they will often walk up to practice their English. I was approached by four young ladies at Nha Trang a couple of days ago and we chatted for some time. Their assignment was to find an English speaking person and practice. I found this activity delightful, especially since a portion of my future may be teaching English in China. Nearly all of the English teachers in Vietnam are Vietnamese and the syntax and quality of their speaking is quite poor.

Probably most of the people here have no memory of the "American War" because of their youth. They are focused on the future, not the past. The older people still remember but it is becoming less-and-less a factor in their lives.

Yesterday, we left Nha Trang on the way to Dalat. We passed by Cahm Rahn Bay, a former U.S. military base and the location of my departure in March, 1970 to return to the "World". We then headed west up the hill to Dalat. Over a 15 kilometer ride, we gained 1400 meters (I think that is about 3,000 feet). Of course, I had to show off and be the first to the top. I beat a 22 year old English girl on our team by about 50 yards. It gave me great satisfaction (!)

We are staying in an old refurbished French villa in Dalat and will be leaving for Saigon tomorrow (Friday).

I am having the time of my life.

The Team

Only two Americans are on the team, me and Zak, who is from Manhattan Beach, CA. Zak just finished medical school and since he was already $180,000 in debt from student loans, he decided to spend an extra $5,000 or so having a blow out in Southeast Asia before his "real" life begins. The oldest team member, Scott, is 39 - from Australia. He brought along a close friend also named Scott. These two Australians have an outrageous and boisterous sense of humor. Sarah and Becky are from England and are twenty-something and recent college grads. They are spending four months traveling around Asia before deciding on a career. Robert and Kathrine are from Lichtenstein and are on their honeymoon. One Canadian girl from Calgary (engineer on vacation) and two Canadian girls from Montreal. That should total 11 members.

I'm doing ok keeping up with these youngsters on the bikes but I don't pretend to try to keep up with them when it comes to night life!

I'm going to miss them when this is over.

Chugging Up the Ho Chi Minh Trail

Never thought I would be here bicycling a portion of the Ho Chi Minh Trail! Supplies (and men) moved down the trail from the North during the war, much of which dumped into Quang Nai Province, where I worked in '69. We peddled southwest from Hoi An through towns with familiar names from the war like Dak To and Pleiku. Got caught in a horrendous afternoon rain storm but no one complained because it cooled us down.

Spent the night on Sunday in a private home in Buon Ma Thuot, an ethnic area in the Central Highlands. The house was elevated on stilts (poles). Every 15 minutes during the night, a gecko in the attic let out a shreak. With the pigs running around in the back yard, I felt like I was back in Carolina (except for the gecko)!

Today (Tuesday) we are in Nha Trang, on the central coast. It truly is a beautiful city and the hotel is the best yet. This is the first time I've had Internet access in two days.

I've enjoyed watching the kids in my group get stronger with each day. Everybody has their Ipods on almost continuously. They are a lot of fun.

Bicycling in Vietnam

Vietnam is a very bicycle friendly country, probably because bikes are a major mode of transportation. Nice wide skirts along the highway with very little debris. We peddled south from Hue this morning toward Da Nang. Met our first hill - 496 meters over 11 kilometers. Two had to get on the bus before reaching the top and one crashed on the downhill (ran over her own water bottle which fell out of the bike rack). Fortunately, she was just ahead of my room mate who just graduated from medical school. "Doc Zak" is now the designated team doctor (!). Injuries were minor, just some scrapes and bruises.

We are now entering the area that I remember from 1969. Some of the scars of war still remain, including a portion of the old American airbase in Da Nang. There is no nostalgia, however, and all of the memories are drowned out by friendly people, beautiful country and kids waving and yelling "hallo" all along the route.At one point, an entire school yard of primary kids was waving! We are a pretty strange looking group with our white skin and large off-road, multigear bicycles and helmets.

Tonight we are in Hoi An, just south of Da Nang. We won't be leaving for the Central Highlands until Saturday.

Train

Tuesday evening we were bussed to the train station in Nam Dinh and boarded the "Reunification Express" to Hue, an overnight soft-sleeper with four per compartment. The ride was a little rocky, but, eventually, the swaying just put me to sleep. We arrived in Hue at 8:30 Wednesday morning and went straight to out hotel and breakfast.

We paired off on motorbike taxis and began our tour of Hue. The city of Hue lost 5,000 people during the Tet offensive in February, 1968. Many of the historical buildings still have the scars of that event. Nobody talks about the "American War" but the signs of it still exist. The motorbike taxis are a hoot and adrenalin rush.

I've been in Vietnam a week already and am enjoying myself immensely. It is better than I expected.

Tomorrow (Thursday) we peddle and van ride to Hoi An which is south of Da Nang. I spent some time there in 1969 and most of my time south of Da Nang.

Out of Town

We left Hanoi by bus early Monday morning headed southeast along Hiway 1, the major north-south road in Vietnam. Several kilometers out of town, we hopped on our bicycles and started the ride. We eventually ended up at the town of Ninh Binh after about 80 kilometers. The following morning we entered Cuc Phuong National park on our bikes through the country side. Children are very friendly with frequent "hallo"s and, when on the trail they were hand slapping us. I suspect it was the fact that we had on bike helmets and were quite large by their standards.

The National Park is astoundingly beautiful. We spent about two hours being rowed along a river, through rock caves, through rice paddies and open countryside. The area is very poor and peddlers are in key locations. Bargaining is expected but I found it difficult to be too aggressive.

This is truly an amazing country, without the war part.

Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh

There is some doubt that Elvis is dead and some have spotted him in downtown Memphis and in Las Vegas. There is NO doubt that Ho Chi Minh is dead because I saw his corpse lying in state myself this morning. I especially enjoyed the air conditioned quarters reserved for him since the weather is warm and muggy. I did enjoy the museum which gave a different slant on history, especially the "American War" which they won as I recall. A very satisfying tour.

Spent most of the afternoon bicycling in Hanoi traffic. It is a lot like bungy jumping from a high bridge, or at least how I visualize this sport being. The safest way to ride is to never look back and use your periferal vision as little as possible. I saw a lot of school kids manuvering quite well, so, I figured I could do the same.

I also dropped by to see the "B52 Museum" which is a fragment of a B52 bomber that crashed into a neighborhood during the war. I got a picture.

Tomorrow (Monday) we leave Hanoi and hit the roads in the open country.

Day One of the Tour

The remainder of my bike tour partners showed up today. The 12 members of the party come from the countries of England, Leichstenstein, Australia, Canada and two from the U.S. (me and Zack). Six girls and six boys. Average age about 30 something (if I weren't there the average age would be much lower!)

Tomorrow (Sunday), we get to see the corpse of Ho Chi Minh.

Good Morning, Vietnam!!

I arrived Hanoi late on April 3rd after a two hour layover in Seoul. Got to my hotel about midnight.

Weather is warm, muggy and very much unlike the chill of Spokane. This morning I visited the Cua Lo Prison where John McCain was held prisoner so many years. They still have his picture on the wall. This afternoon I'll be enjoying the water puppet theater at 4PM. It is obligatory in Hanoi, I understand. Traffic is amusing to say the least, with cars out numbered by motorbikes by about 100 to one. Crossing the street is a hazard. The key is to walk at a normal speed (don't run), don't stop, don't make eye contact with the cycle riders (it might confuse them), and, if you can, find a local to run interference. I decided to skip the Military Museum - too much American hardware on display. My room mate is Zack - he just finished medical school - and he is from Southern California. Most of the rest of the crew have strong Australian accents.


More later.