Good Morning, Vietnam!

 

I must say that there was at least a small concern for this retired Hippie to venture into Vietnam. I spent a considerable amount of energy in the 60s to NOT visit Vietnam. We were pleasantly surprised to find such a beautiful country and such a hospitable people. Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), the Mekong Delta and Hanoi carry few physical scars from the war. The Vietnamese were very warm and friendly. The food was a nice change from China. Vietnam, Cuba, North Korea and China are the only remaining Communist countries in the world. Vietnam is considered to be China’s little brother. In our view the big brother could learn some lessons from the little brother. Families appeared happier-- they were certainly larger than the families with the one child policy. The Internet worked on a regular basis and drivers actually appeared to obey the traffic rules.

However, scooters will ride in the road or on the sidewalk or anywhere else they choose. And they will carry large loads of goods and/or people.



There were many churches and temples--Buddhist and Hindu. The atmosphere (air quality as well as personal freedoms) in Vietnam was less oppressive than in China.

The beaches of Da Nang (location of China Beach) and Nha Trang rivaled the Gulf Coast of Florida.  The coastal areas were dotted with fishing villages with blue and red boats.

 

The Vietnamese have historically had more than a few conflicts. It was occupied by the French from the 1850s to 1954. The Americans came for a visit until 1973. There was a row with their neighbors to the north (China) in the 1980s. It seems to be an emerging country under these more peaceful years and we found several places that would be worth a second visit in the future.  It is a tropical area. We experienced 90 °F temperatures every day, in February!

  

Saigon has a definite French influence. Many buildings would be right at home in France. The Hotel de Ville (town hall) is beautiful as is the Saigon Cathedral and the Opera House. The residential buildings are taxed according to width. Consequentially, many are one room wide and reach for the sky.

 

We celebrated the Chinese New Year in Saigon. Imagine every person in Atlanta in the streets at once. The only businesses that were open for three days were hotels and restaurants.  You could not move against the ocean of people in the streets. We made hundreds of new friends, if only for one night. The buildings and streets were decorated to welcome the year of the snake. Many were sad to see the year of the dragon go because the dragon is the most powerful of the Chinese zodiac. We watched the new year fireworks from the roof of our hotel.

To insure a prosperous New Year, many businesses hired dragon dancers, acrobats and musicians to perform outside their business on New Year’s Day.

 

 

To provide the good things to your ancestors who have died, people burn replicas of items of daily life. Among the items burned for the smoke to ascend to their ancestors were cell phones, clothing, dishes, toys, etc. Bundles of 100 dollar bills were a popular item. A feast was also presented for the ancestors complete with a real roasted pig, veggies of every kind, deserts and cans of Coke, the universal beverage. After I’m gone, I hope my kids send me Dr. Pepper.

 

It was sad but interesting to visit the Couchi tunnels outside of Saigon. These are the tunnels the VC (Viet Cong) used to wage guerrilla warfare against South Vietnam and their allies from America. We also observed many of the booby trap techniques used in that war. I was glad to be there as a tourist and not as a soldier. I came away with a greater appreciation for the trials that our American soldiers endured. Of course, a visit to the War Remnants Museum told the story of the American aggressors and the brave Vietnamese communists that liberated the country.

  

Hanoi has a few treats for the war historian. We visited the place where Senator John McCain was shot down over Hanoi. We saw his flight suit on display in the Hanoi Hilton.  He is a true American hero.  Seeing their living conditions reminded me why I’m a scholar and not a soldier.

Due east of Hanoi, on the coast, is Ha Long Bay. It is noted for its limestone formations jutting from the ocean. There are 1000s of islands. Some islands are only 20x20 yards, some are populated, some even have caves.

The village of Hoi An was a bustling trading center for SE Asia as early as the 15^th century. It claims to have been the largest port in the world at that time. Wealthy merchants from Europe and Asia built residences in the style of their native country. You can find architecture from Europe, China, India and Japan. Today it’s just a shadow of its former self, as the river silted up and it’s now inland.  It is a great place to stroll, shop and people watch.  Vietnam's currency is the Dong, 20,000 Dong = $1. As you can see holding two 500,000 Dong bills made me a millionaire.

Some of the lakes there have floating villages.  There is everything you need to make life comfortable in the middle of a lake: stores, churches, homes, satellite TV. I do wonder about the plumbing. Don't drink the water!

 

If you need another dose of Vietnam, view Top Gear’s tour of Vietnam on scooters. (Series 12 episode 8)