Visiting Viet Nam, January-February 1999

Monday, 18 January 1999

30 minutes late leaving Hong Kong. Flight great. A320 Viet Nam Airlines. New aircraft. Ha Noi's "Noi Bai" airport a nightmare tiny hole. New airport under construction nearby. Worked has stopped due to lack of funds. Customs was very fast. He wanted me to fill out another visa application, but I had a copy of the original with the photo and passport page, and he happily took that. I was in. Waited 45 minutes for baggage. Paid $4.00 for minibus to downtown. Dropped off at Stars Hotel, 26 Bat Su street. $20.00/night, incl breakfast. Beautiful room with carved wooden furniture and western bathroom. Did not arrive there until after dark. Walked around old quarter. The streets are alive with people. The horns and bells and NOISE is deafening. Women in conical hats carry baskets hung from bamboo poles across their shoulder. There is food everywhere. People live right out front, right on the street. Production is everywhere. Very few foreigners visible.

Tuesday, 19 January

Roosters in hotel. Took cycle to HCM mausoleum for d10k. Checked bag and walked to corner to join group going in to see HCM. He is dead and rather waxy looking. The guards kept "shhhh'ing the group ahead of me. Got bag back and went to see old Presidential palace, and then the HCM house on stilts. Beautiful landscaping and pools. Visited One Pillar Pagoda, then registered at Cdn Emb, which was right across the street from the mausoleum. How convenient!

Walked to Army Museum. Saw lots of displays on the Dien Bien Phu (DBP) battle of 1954, and the 1975 victory in the south. There are a lot of USAF plane wrecks in the courtyard. The B-52 wreckage in the courtyard was destroyed by the 59th Missile Btn during the first night of the strategic offensive by the USAF. I do not know if this refers to the overall campaign, or to Linebacker II which started in December 1972. Bus loads of ethnic women stare at me and giggle quite a lot. My fly is done up. The MiG-21 in the courtyard has 14 kills by 9 pilots between Nov 1967 and May 1968. Six were made heros of the army. There is a launcher for SAMs from the 77th Heroic Missile Battalion which shot down three B-52 on 21-21/12/72. These would be 56-0622, 55-0050, 55-0061, and 56-0669 (three of these four aircraft)

A cycle driver outside the gate knew the locations of the the B-52 lake. He drove me there are back for d20k. We weaved through narrow streets and finally arrived. I took a picture of the remains of a B-52 which had been shot down in 1972 and crashed in the tiny house-surrounded lake.

The exchange rate seems to be about d13310 to the $1 (US). Walked to train station and checked price and time of trains to Hue. Walked to and through Lenin Park and back top Hoan Kiem Lake in the old quarter. At Lenin Park, the gates were locked, but an old ladt directed me to climb through a hole in the fence. There were lots of people strolling in the park. I do not know how they got inside. Bought ticket to see Water Puppets for d20k, and got a book by Giap on DBP for d40k, and a silver frog for $1, and a pith helmet for d16k. I booked a day trip to Ninh Binh for 21/1.

I forgot to bring the mailing list, so cannot send postcards to most people. Out for dinner. Watched it cooked right there out on the sidewalk. Did not eat the frogs. Negotiated room down to $15.00.

HCM museum closed due to power outage in the bldg.

I learned the meaning of fear: a Xich Lo (cycle) ride. The cyclo has the passenger out in front and the driver behind, and thrusts you out into traffic first. Ha Noi traffic is mad! Everyone is in the intersection all at once. They flow in and out like water. No one stops.

Many children yell hello at me. Some men on the street will touch my arms with a flat hand to indicate how tall they are in comparison.

Wednesday, 20 January

The soup for my breakfast comes from next door. The chap at the counter brings it in for me.

Went to air force museum by moto for $1. The museum is dark and mosquito filled. Almost all the displays are on the defensive war against the USAF attacks against the north from 1964-1973. There is the front end of a MiG-21 to sit in. I had my picture taken in it. There are a couple of hero aircraft in the courtyard. The weather is cruel to them. There is a space capsule inside. It was used by the first Vnese cosmonaut, and was given by the USSR to the museum. It's container sits in the grass outside. Behind the museum is a mini-factory where artisans are making large planter pots with cement.

Tried to go to the air defence museum next door. No luck. I could not even get into the courtyard. The place is huge and has a big sign, and the courtyard displays are all well tended. However, it is a secret museum, and I was not to be allowed inside, or even through the gate to see the stuff in the courtyard. I think the MiG-21 there may have belonged to Colonel Tomb.

Went to train station and bought ticket in air conditioned sleeper on the S1 train for d746k ($60 cash) to Hue (pron: "hWay").

Lunch at Kim Duc. BBQ place. You eat inside, but the food is cooked right out on the sidewalk.

Back to Army museum to take pictures. Hordes of school children. Al yell hello at me. In the tank victory hall, containing a tank which attacked the Presidential palace in Sai Gon, I got about 200 children to wave and yell hello. The teachers were not pleased. In the courtyard I gave out stickers, and nearly caused a riot.

Went to the Temple of Literature to get some peace and quiet. Silly me: there is no such thing in Ha Noi. It is a 1000 year old university. Very wonderful.

Sent Emails and then went to see water puppets. They are fantastic. I spent the entire performance wondering how it was done. The puppets are controlled from beneath the water and behind a screen. The cross over each other, and there are sometime very many out at once. Fantastic. They even had fireworks coming up out of the water. A live orchestra plays during the performances which are traditional VNese stories and myths.

People carry 100s of kg of stuff on bicycles. Women have bread on their heads. Have only seen two preggies, but a lot of Australians, and almost no Yanks. Men usually wear black berets or green pith helmets. Smoking is very cooon, but no women are doing it. There are lots of bongs.

Thursday, 21 January

Off to Vinh Binh day trip, cost $14.00. At Giap Bat railroad station I saw a huge steam locomotive pulling freight. It was probably a 2-6-2, and was light black and covered in soot.

Petrol was d3500/l, and 28.571l cost d100k.

Visited the Hoa Lu temples to the kings. This had been an ancient capital area. Lunch, then off to Tam Coc, or three caves. This is Ha Long Bay on land. The gigantic karst hills rise up out of the rice paddies. Took a small wicker boat pushed by lady to drift through the three caves. It is amazingly beautiful. It was clear as we returned that if she did not get a tip, I was going to have to walk back to shore.

The drive is amazing. It seems that EVERYONE is one the road, and everyone is honking horns.

Bought HCM t-shirt for $2. Went back to plaster frog place for dinner. Steak and fried rice, d23k. Ordered red banner to be made for me, d60k.

Friday, 22 January

Honda Om (honda cuddle) to HCM Museum. Finally open. Great display concepts, and interesting things to see. Superb museum.

Went to Cdn Embassy and asked about air defence museum. They found out that foreigners need special permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but nobody there would answer the telephone. I gave up. Next time I will arrange it in advance.

Walked through Ba Dinh Square past HCM Mausoleum and on to war memorial shrine. Walked around Citadel, and found MoD logistics museum. Very professional small museum, and the junior officer spoke some english. I took his picture beside a truck which was used at DBP in 1953-54.

Walked over the ( Paul Doumier) Long Bien bridge. Amazing that they would constantly rebuild it each time the USAF destroyed it. Saw two trains cross it while I was on it.

Bought black silk panama/robe. Paid hotel bill: $113, inc 5 nights, a tour, tax, and water, plus a $4 charge for taking a travellers cheque. This is the last one I cash.

Walked to 19 December Market, and met couple from day trip. Saw smoked dog for sale. Very expensive at d50k/kg. It was snarling, the skin having tightened in the heat.

We walked to Hoa Lo prison/Maison Central/Hanoi Hilton, and toured inside. The palce was built by the French as the main political prison in the north, and many of the VNese revolutionaries were imprisoned, and often executed there. The head-removal device is still there.

Pastries at drink at Hoan Kiem Lake, then met couple for dinner at plaster frog place at 8 Cha Ca street. Some chap offered him opium and marijuana.

Some vendors actually grab you as you pass. Some follow you quite some distance.

In 1997 the Cdn Govt put signs up all over Ha Noi stating the names of important bldg or places, in VN, eng, and fr, with a small Cdn flag in the corner. How bizarre.

Saturday, 23 January

05:50 got squirts and stomach ache.

So much honking (on the street). The really good drivers do not seem to blow their horns as much: others use it constantly.

I do not want my shoes shined 2800000 times per day. I do not want any more post cards. I want to be left alone. The taste for money has infected these people, and many will do anything to get it from foreigners. It is legal theft. Post card sets selling for d6k in stores are being hawked for up to $3.00. Some foreigners are dumb enough to buy. Many beggars use babies. Small children will have a baby strapped on. Some children simply put out their hand as I pass.

Had breakfast of toast and jam and soup. Packed and cleaned and checked bag for day. Back to embroidery shop. It is not done.

Saw famous Metropol Hotel. No big deal.

Went to Western Canned Goods and Wine Shop. Bought drinks and cashew nuts. 500g of cashews for d40k. The cashews are great. They roast them more, so they are crispier.

Hello is all they say. No real reason, as there is no further conversation. I was sitting in a park when I was suddenly surrounded by male youths. They are watching me write this even though none of them speak or can read english. I left. I gave some cashews to a show shine boy. He demanded more.

I want these people to piss off and leave me alone. I do NOT need my shoes shined. I do NOT need post cards. I do NOT need a moto or cycle.

They seem to operate under the same theory as young men trying to attract women by hooting and whistling, as though this is attractive. I haven't met any Yanks that I can recall.

It smells a lot better here than in Ukraine.

I do NOT like being pawed at constantly.

One of their most annoying habits, when I say "no", is to say "why". I'm not sure it is a real question as they would not likely understand an answer.

Nothing here seems to be named after HCM.

I bought a padlock and bike lock for the duffel bag.

An old lady tried to sell me pastries, and even got a bag out for them.

What this country needs is a good "no means no" campaign. Tale no for the real answer, and leave people alone.

I stopped at the embroidery place at 13:30 and it was not done. It was not even there. It had been sent out to another place for stitching, and would be back by 16:00. I explained about the train today. Maybe he understood. Who knows? I certainly do not.

The juice here is great.

What is it about Tin Tin in this country? It is every where. Perhaps the first tourists in the north were french, and not the Vnese think it is the real attraction. The french were the last on-site foreigners in the north, so even 45 years later there is a clear influence here. However, there is no use of the language, which is long dead and useless in this part of the world. English is everywhere.

All the tourist souvenirs are identical. Maybe in the early days somebody bought one thing, and so the VN ese produced lots of it for ever after, such a wooden buddhas.

I just had one little bugger start to shine my shoes. I said NO; he said WHY. I asked if he would understand the answer and told him to fall into Hoan Kiem Lake.

I could go home now. I suffer from ennui. I hate the children here. I will feel better in Hue: new town, new sights, new annoyances.

Children seem to be in school on Saturdays. Many never seem to be in school, and are out shining shoes and annoying me. I think poverty is involved.

Picked up my embroidery at 15:30. Superb.

My hotel room at the Stars Hotel is 2.5m wide.. Really? The place is 5 stories high and has about 8 or 9 rooms. There are three TV channels in Ha Noi. The train will be noisy, but at least it will not ring and buzz and honk.

What will central and south be like. I hope the train is on time.

No more squirts. Drank lots of juice and water. Saw 3 or 4 preggies total in Ha Noi. Strange.

The billboards mostly decry AIDS and drug use, and a few promote small families and breastfeeding. I do not have AIDS; I do not use drugs; I am an only child; and I love to breastfeed! I fit right in here!

I could have come here with a lot less stuff, and the pack is already minimal. However, the guide book is indispensable.

Now I know where things are made. They are made right out on the streets in Viet Nam. I saw women folding printed cardboard into boxes. I saw dished being wrapped for shipment. Everything gets recycled. All electronics is stripped and rebuilt. I feel much more positive.

The train is not full at all, and there are only two of us in a 4 bed cabin. He is an accountant in the Hue central hospital. The air conditioned cars are sealed, and therefore quieter. The bed is soft enough, and there are sheets and a blanket and pillows.

Sunday, 24 January

Slept okay on train. Awoke in time to see the old partition border at the 17th. Crossed the Ben Hai River, the former border and through the old DMZ and no-mans land. I could see huge B-52 bomb craters in the rice paddies. The perfect paddies are pock-marked with round deep pools. It is very green and very foggy and very wet. People are moving water from paddy to paddy by hand. There are lots of water buffalo. The train seems very fast. It is 688km from Ha Noi to Hue, and we make a few stops, and arrive in 13 hours. Sometime we are going at least 80km/h. This is good because the trains can move at 25km/h on average. This is train S1, though.

On time in Hue.

When I got on the train a few people were making their way through the cars giving out business cards for a hotel in Hue and taking reservations and promising a mini-bus. I finally took a card and gave them one of my business cards in return. At Hue station, a very provincial place of all low-rise bldg and lots of greenery, there was a mini-bus, and a chap holding a white board with the name "Dr. John M." written on it. In VN, the family name is first, so this makes sense to them. Went to Thai Binh hotel on 10/9 Nguyen Tri Phuong, and got room (#308) for $11.00 incl breakfast. My room has a fan, air conditioner, and silk sheets. Heavenly! I had a long soapy, cool/cold shower, and felt terrific.

Settled in and immediately went for walkie. Crossed main bridge north over Perfume River towards Citadel. Passed military museum (closed Sundays). Lots of old US hardware in courtyard, and a SAM.

Arranged for DMZ tour for all of Monday ($16.00)

Went to Citadel/Purple City ($5 or d55k), and paid d55k as it is cheaper. Most of the place is in ruins. It is the old capital following about 1800, and ended at the time of the partition. Boa Dai was the last empower. The destruction had been done by the french in the colonial wars of 1947; and mostly by the USAF and US Marines in the February 1968 fight during the month after the Tet Offensive. The Citadel was held by National Front troops for a month. By the time it was over, there was little left. The VN ese are slowly rebuilding many parts, as this is a world heritage site. You can still see lots of bullet holes all over the place.

Men were fishing in the royal ponds at the gate to the Citadel using rifles. They were shooting the fish, and then a chap would go in and capture the fish and fling it out of the pond. This was very strange, but it seemed to work quite well.

Back to hotel after Citadel. Ate bread and pit on DEET.

Got older gentleman to drive me the 4km west to the Thien Mu pagoda, overlooking the Perfume River on the north side ($1 + d10k rtn). What a wonderful view from this gentle hill. The place is full of children and what seem like Boy Scouts of VN. There are many young monks. It is lunch time and they are communally sitting down for a meal. I saw the Austin four door sedan in which Thich Quang Duc drove to Sai Gon in June 1963. He then burned himself to death on a street corner. The famous photo shows the car in the background. It is now considered a religious relic. Odd.

Walked back over the railroad bridge to station. Sat in post office (Buu Dien) to write post cards. There is a huge picture/mural of the Rocky Mountains on the wall. How bizarre. There are many billboards extolling the virtues of breatfeeding. Don't mind if I do, thank you very much. As if to drive the point home, the central sculpture in the river park is of a huge set of breasts done by P. Dinh Tien in 1998. Strange looking thing!

When you do not answer their incessant HELLO's, they begin to screech at you. Loaded and higher pitched. The word hello needs to be stricken from the VN ese language. It is finally sunny and warm

Went to Dong Ba Market on n. side of Perfume River. A sea of conical hats. This is the real home of these hats, and they are made here by the thousands. They even make them with hidden images, which appear when held to the light. Many were being made in the Dong Ba Market.

I was the only westerner in the market. I was tall today.

Some women were sticking their fingers into the back sides of chickens. I do not know why.

Walked past military museum. Children were playing on the old anti-aircraft guns. I took a few photos. Visit to royal arts museum. Very dull,but a beautiful and serene courtyard. Bought deep fried banana for d1000: It was very bad.

Ate dinner at the place near the citadel at number 6A, which is run by a deaf/mute family. There are three places in the one block, all with the same name, and all claiming to be original. The food was wonderful and I had three dishes for d20k.

People here really paw at me a lot. Really a lot. Many speak some english. All speak lots of VN ese. There are various foreign language institutes here. The people here are incredible rude. The screaming and pawing and hounding and grabbing is really getting on my nerves. Cyclo drivers are actually stalking me. They do not seem to believe in privacy or dignity or being left alone. This seems odd for an asian culture. Foreigners are here to be hounded. You seem to become their property on arrival.

I have sun-burned the back of my neck, and it feels warm.

There are photo processing shops every two blocks. How many photos do these people take? Why all the processing labs?

Saw a few preggers. Many women here smoke, unlike in Ha Noi. Perhaps the preggers smoke, too.

In bed early as up at 05:30 for the DMZ day trip. Bought water to take along.

Monday, 25 January

Wake up call at 05:29. Smash head on bathroom doorway. Silk sheets great except for ruffles all around. Very annoying. Perhaps it is a pleasure and pain concept. Went down to lobby and found the staff sleeping on the floor.

Aside from the constant roosters, it is quiet here. The pick-up is at 06:00.

Petrol is d3350/l, or 60.86l for d203881.

These people seem as organized as squirrels. The bus driver is taking us back and forth across the river to various hotels for pick-ups. There is no plan, and we drive back and forth to various locations, none of which are near eachother. We cross twice, and then buy petrol. Why not buy it before loading customers? We cross again, and pass a hotel again. The driver relies on the horn. Crossed river at 06:36 and finally head out. Driver honks even when there is no one in our way.

Furniture everywhere is the small plastic lawn furniture type. Nothing is ful sized. I had someone offer me a child-sized chair!

When we stopped for breakfast in Dong Ha, I saw a truck loaded with a couple of hundred dogs heading north. At d50k/kg, it is an expensive cargo. They were barking. Breakfast was awful and disorganized.

There are water buffalo in the road. Local busses fly past us.

In 1998 14000 tourists visited the DMZ. Drove west on Highway #9. Saw Rockpile (c.200- 350m high). Saw new National Military Cemetery, one of four in country. It was just completed, and has over 10000 dead from the region.

Drove to Da Krong bridge, built in 1975 with US surplus steel and Cuban engineers. This is the start of Branch #14 of the HCM Trail. We are now on the only part of the HCM Trail to pass through the central part of VN. At this point it is usually in Laos, just a few km to the west. Malaria was a big problem for the troops and couriers on the trail. In 1959-1975, some 20000 fell victim to malaria (mostly women).

Visited a BRU ethnic village just south of the bridge. Called "Jackfruit Village" due to all the jackfruit trees. The people are listless. There are lots of children and few adults. None seem to be in school. Men are probably working on the road crew fixing Hwy #9. It is raining and some of the children are naked. This was the Cham region for hundreds of years, and these people are related to the Cham. It became part of VN in late 1300s. The Bru have no written language. They can be married at 14, and a brother's daughter can marry a sisters' son.

We head west to Khe Sanh. The road in is all dirt, and surrounded by coffee plants. There is nothing left at the old US Marine base, as they blew up everything before leaving. We are about 600m up. There is a small museums with maps and a few artifacts. The monument has a quote from "Schlesinger" Secretary of Defense in 1968. It is unclear what they think this is supposed to actually mean. Nobody could tell me why.

Locals are trying to sell war souvenirs, such as dog tags and bullets. Probably fakes. The price keeps going down, and by the time the minibus is about to leave, dog tags are down to d10k. 2 hours back to Dong Ha. Still raining. It is the rainy season here in the central part of the country: dry season everywhere else.

North from Dong Ha to the Ben Hai River and over the bridge. This is the former boarder under the 1954 (temporary) partition until there were nation-wide elections. The elections never happened in the south as the CIA had figured out that their candidates could not possibly hope to win. The elections were only held in the north.

The bridge used to be painted many colours. In Sai Gon, Ngo Dinh Diem ordered his half painted a different colour than the northern half. Each time this was done, HCM ordered the northern half to be painted to match the southern half. This went through blue, white, yellow, etc. Walked onto bridge from north side.

Drive north to the Vinh Moc underground village. The people here got fed up with the constant US bombing in this free-fire (mass killing) zone, and moved underground. The three levels of tunnels have housing and a meeting room/school, and wells, and a maternity ward. 17 children were born down here. There is a group photo. I met one. The maternity ward is 3 x 1.5 x 1.7m in total. There are no lights, and they hand out torches as you go in. It is small, but slightly bigger than a fighting tunnel.

It is a three hour drive back to Hue in the dark. Arrive at 21:30

Tuesday 26 January

Packed and ready. However, no one seems to know when the trains go. Many deny that there is an S1 train every morning. This is the train I used to get to Hue. Many say "is different", but no one will say why, or why I cannot ride it. Strange. I shall go in person and find out. It is warm and muggy.

At Hue train station everyone says not possible. It is apparently forbidden to take the S1 short distances. How strange. There is a 13:25 train. However, the manager might put me on the S1. I am sitting at his desk waiting to see. If not, I will be able to visit the military museum, which is probably all about the Tet offensive and the battle for the Citadel.

At 08:15, the manager who said "No. Full", sold me a ticket to Da Nang for d58k and told me to wait on the platform. Great. I am in car #31317, coach #1, seat 32, in the center with a table. There is lots of smoking, and I had to get a lady and her baby to move out of my seat. She then sat beside me and fed the baby.

Anything can be accomplished with patience.

The sun is out now. There is lots of rice in progress. We are passing 1950s and 1960s concrete bunkers.

WOW! I'm the only westerner in the coach. The soft seats must be french or russian, and probably survived the wars (both of them).

Heading south on west side of car. I can see the highlands in the distance. Now 700km south of Ha Noi. Passed a giant airstrip covered in cattle. Actually, the cattle were all at the end of the field, possibly waiting for a flight out. It may be Hue airport or it may be a miliary site, Who knows.

The cultivated rice is being transplanted to many rice paddies. Ducks, dikes, dogs, water buffalo and greenery.

VN Railway has its own brand of bottled water. I want to take a photo of the rice planting, but do not want to seem crass and intrusive to the VN ese in the coach. We are running parallel to Hwy #1. Now passing a huge lake to the east. It is REALLY green. What a view. We are higher now. Vast sand and water areas stretch out along the coast.

Lunch is delivered at 10:00. There is a free 7Up for the foreigner due to the outrageous ticket prices we have to pay. Although boiled far too much, the meal is somewhat tasty and filling. There is lots, and it is like a big version of an airline meal. There is lots of rice. There are three boxes of things I do not recognize. I ate lots of it. There was an unrecognizable meat or two, an egg, some spinach (?), and some other neg. Sealed wooden chop sticks and a toothpick accompany. Time to smoke now that the meal is over.

The VN ese take off their shoes when they sit, and pull their feet up on the seats.

What a fantastic view. There are small fishing villages against the sea. We are right over the coast now. I can see waves crashing on ricky shores. Lots of tunnels.

The trip on only about 108km from Hue to Da Nang takes about 2.5 hours: longer by road.

Vo Nguyen Giap's picture is on the front page of a paper: celebrating some event to do with DBP of 20/1/53. The newspaper was also covering Frank Sinatra's FBI file, and the Butler UNSCOM farce.

Viet Nam seems to be a constant battle between the people, and the water and mud. Water and mud are constantly being moved. Mud is dug up for paddies and becomes dikes. The water washes it back in to the paddies. The water is moved, usually manually, from paddy to paddy. The mountains are covered with trees. Waterfalls and water courses rush down the mountains under the tracks to the sea. There are so many beautiful rocky streams surrounded by greenery.

It is 11:40 and I am already in my hotel, the Thuan An at 14 Bach Dang, for $8.00 per night for a double bed and a fan and hot water.

Took a moto from the train station to the hotel for d5k. There was almost a fist-fight, as one chap did not want to let my driver leave with me as a customer. He might have felt that this chap was taking customers out of turn of something. I never found out. There was lots of yelling.

I walked the entire length of central Da Nang going south, mostly along the shore. A curious mix of freighters and containers and small boats and eateries and ferries. Walked to the Cham museum.

The Cham museum is an open-air affair. Everything is inside a building, but the bldg is built to completely open up during the day, and everything is naturally lit. At night big steel shutters enclose the place. This is a good thing as this is the best collection of Cham sculpture in the world. Most has been destroyed or stolen, much of it by the french. All items are mounted on pedestals or against the walls. There are many works of gods like Siva and Uma and Garuda, etc. There are lots of stone lingams (penis), which are all mounted in altars and point straight up. They do not look very realistic. More realistic looking are the equally weird row after row of breasts which adorn many alters and lintels. One piece was round and was encircled by perhaps 40 breasts. The stone was a light black colour. Cham sites are mostly to the south and south-west of Da Nang, within 100km.

This place, Da Nang, is more low key that Ha Noi or Hue, despite having 800000 people. It is not quite as noisy, either.

There is nothing else to do in Da Nang except see the Cham art. I visited a post office. Stamps to Canada and USA from here are d8k. They were d7k from Hue and d8k from Ha Noi. The first post cards sent from Ha Noi arrived in Canada in eight days.

It is hot now and I am very sweaty. I pass a monstrosity which is the fairly new Russian Consulate. Fancy, clean, pool in roof, living quarters, etc. The russians must have thought that Da Nang was as important as did the Yanks 30 years ago.

I will go to China Beach tomorrow.

Went to train station by cycle to buy a ticket to Sai Gon. Got S1 air conditioned soft sleeper for d1 010 000 ($77 cash). This is very expensive by local standards, and real theft. However, I will have a comfortable ride to Sai Gon at 11:40 on 28/1.

At the station I met my driver again. I arranged for him to pick me up in the morning at 08:00 for the drive to Marble Mountain/China Beach and then on to Hoi An.

I walked back to the hotel. Women had chickens and ducks lined up on sidewalk. Their (the birds) legs were tied, so they sat quietly on the pavement and did not wander off.

Three times today I saw a russian-made Kamov naval ship-board helicopter circling the city. This is a naval and naval-air town.

School has just ended, and the streets were flooded with hundreds of teenagers. Hundreds of teenage girls in white uniforms swarmed about and played at kicking the sack into the air. The girls are not as good at this as the boys, but you see more girls trying it than in Canada.

Da Nang seems like it is a place waiting to happen. It is ready, but nothing has yet arrived. With 800000 people, and perfect sea access, and huge airports, it is a perfect shipping and production location.

I can hear kareoke. I watched as two old women in two boats talked to each other and bobbed up and down. Finally, one set off across the harbour. Some small children and old women wore toques. It is at least 26 degrees here. Strange.

The city is awash in US scrap metal. Steel plating from roads and airfields is everywhere. The city is knee deep in old US barbed-wire. I even saw an old lady hauling some on a bicycle.

There was a time not too long ago when the VN ese were not allowed, or at least discouraged, from talking to foreigners. Maybe the government should re-instate this policy. Actually, I have hardly been pestered here at all.

The cafes at the north end of the city are full of young women. They are probably prostitutes, as this is the historic area for that, having been a US military area. The kareoke is loud and awful. This is a truly vile asian habit.

Strange how the Cao Dai religion uses a swastika as one of their symbols.

I wonder what time the loud music stops. I put the mossier netting up as there were 2 mossies in my room. I took my mefloquine this morning as I had forgotten yesterday. Earplugs blot out the music. There is a strange odour to the netting.

When I arrived, the receptionist sprayed perfume in the room.

Wednesday, 27 January

I have lost track of the date, but I am fairly sure today is Wednesday. This bed was the second worst I have ever had the displeasure of sleeping on. It was so hard it hurt my bones.

The VN ese are great nose-pickers. It seems to be one of the national passions. I fit right in here.

Driver here at 07:30. We went to China Beach. He is a safe driver, and almost never uses the horn. We passed the gigantic former US Marine air base on our way south from Da Nang. All the hangars and bldg are still there, and it seems to be used by the Navy now, judging from the uniforms of the guards. There are probably enough hangars here for the entire air force and naval air force.

We passed through the Marble Mountains and past what seem like hundreds of small and large marble shops selling carvings. Large and small statues are being carved right out on the sidewalks. The lion with a paw on a sphere is a standard. All this is being done by hand with chisels and hammers. Each is original, yet each looks like a perfect copy of all the others.

China Beach; actually Non Nouc, is around the corner from all this. My hotel is called, and I am not making this up, the Dong Hung. I paid $10 for #202 and move in. I think there is no one else staying here right now.

Off we go to Hoi An by Honda Om. It is about 20km south, and we are there before 09:00.

What a beautiful town. The center is all low old bldg, many a few hundred years old. The town bans busses, and walking is encouraged. As I sit eating breakfast at the Vinh Hung cafe, I hear that tinny music, as though from an ice cream truck in Canada or London. Here it means "bring out your garbage". Strange. The meal is Pinnipple pancake with chocolate sauce, french bread and strawberry jam, and tea.

I just saw a beggar with no nose. He just had a hole extending up from his mouth and encompassing the area where his nose would have been.

It seems that VN Airlines has supplied cutlery for EVERY tourist spot in the country. The stuff is everywhere. I decide to steal some on the way home, as I have been unable to find a souvenir spoon for mom.

An old lady smiled at me and the bettle nut juice ran down her chin. It had stained her mouth red. She had few teeth, and probably mouth cancer.

Hoi An has a real scam going. You cannot visit any single site, as no one will sell you a ticket for a single place. You are forced, if you want to visit one place, to buy a multi-ticket for d50k or $5.00. I tried very hard to visit just one, and even tried to bribe a chap to get me in, but it was not possible. Many staff made it clear that this was not possible, and they were horrified that I only wanted to visit one place, and to pay for the individual privilege of doing so.

The town is one big tourist attraction now, but it looks great and has wonderful old and new bridges.

The fish market right on the shore is full of strange sea food. There were very very long fish with their mouths out about 1/4 to 1/3 the length of their body past their eyes. There is nothing there but mouth. It should be called "nose fish", or "deep throat fish". Also for sale are shark, ray, crab, shrimp, etc. Big and small. The markets here are cleaner and smell better than those in Russia and Ukraine.

The Boy Scouts in Hoi An have a wine and beer bar and courtyard. The sign even has the scouts symbol. How bizarre.

It is strange, they ask questions like "where you from" and "where you go now", but are not quite capable of understanding the answers. I have taken to responding in ukrainian. That really throws them.

Stopped for lunch. The first place charged more per dish than I was spending on meals in an entire day. I went elsewhere. A set menu of 4 courses was d40k. I had a view of the river and boats. Most VN ese could not afford to eat here.

On a small islet in the silted river a man has a boat upside down on blocks. He has painted it red, and is now painting the eye on the prot side. It is a sea of conical hats. Ice and glass go by on bicycles.

The White Rose food is great. It is a local specialty, and a bit of sea food is wrapped in delicate rice paper and fried. It is tangy and delicious and delicate. Things with tentacles have arrived. It's okay! A woman has arrived across the river in a basket to help with the painting. More ice is going by. Prawns wrapped in banana leaves have arrived. They are huge and cooked with garlic and onions. Their eyes are looking at me. More food arrives. I recognize the rice: nothing else. It is grilled stingray. It is good, but I have eaten far too much. 40000 buys a great deal of food in this country. Dessert arrives and I pick at the edges.

Back to China Beach, and a quick nap. I paid the driver $7.00 for the day. He was great. He will be back in the morning to take me to the train station.

I walked around the corner to go up Marble Mountain. The five mountains are karst limestone with embedded marble. I paid d40k to go up the main one. It was either that or $4, and d40k is cheaper. The lesson is to always pay in Dong.

What a beautiful view of the region from up here. I can see the China Beach and the rice paddies and the Non Nouc village from up here. On a clear day it would probably be possible to see Hoi An to the south. Sounds of hammers and chisels are constant. The pagodas in the mountain are mostly new, the originals having been destroyed by US bombing in the late 1960s and early 1970s. There are many beautiful caves. All contain shrines. One was used by the National Front as a hospital until the US put several bombs through the roof. It now has a most pleasant lighting effect as the sunlight filters in through the greenery and mist. People hound me to buy drinks. I really need some cold water.

The VN ese are terrific artisans. The carving goes on right out on the street: right by the shops. How can they make the work all look identical when it is all done by hand? The only problem is that it is all formula artwork. There is no variation, and there are only a limited number of subjects, such a lions, buddhas, and cham copies. They have no soul. Copies of western art, such as the Venus de Milo, have a distinctly asian facial look. Bizarre. My driver asked when I was getting married. People almost pull me into their marble shops. Why bother: it is all the same.

I stop looking and wander off to the actual beach at China Beach. Wow! How perfect. It is 5km of perfect white sand and waves and sun and views. I walked a few k down the beach. I saw fisherpeople in basket boats. There was only one couple laying on the beach. I had the place pretty much to myself. The red flag was up, so the undertow was dangerous. People are going out in 2m diameter circular woven boats which are sealed with sap or something natural. They are fishing, and they stand up in these small vessels. One man motioned for me to go with him, but I was not keen on drowning today. I want to see the rest, but I could leave now. I have seen the most beautiful and interesting parts.

In the yard next door a man was taking an outdoor shower (pity it was not a woman), while a black cat stretched in the shade and licked itself.

I never want to see my guide book again. It is all I have read for the past two weeks. I am sick of seeing only it.

Listening to the VN ese women and children is like listening to the twittering of birds.

While in the area I saw a few VNAF MiG-21 fly pasts up and down the coast. There are some mossies out now, so I will have to use the netting. Each bed comes with all you need for string the mossie netting up.

It is strange how the VN ese ask "where you go" even when walking past you in the opposite direction.

It is now 19:15 and John Denver is on the radio blasting down the street. He is singing "Country Roads". I am on the second floor of the Dong Hung awaiting dinner. It is fried noodle and beef and 7Up. There are about 10 geckos on the walls of the open-air dining room.

The nightly TV news opened with two stories about water erosion of river and sea shores. I said VN is about the struggle against water and mud: the news confirmed this view.

I am a hit with the local children. They are true "knee-highs". They gather around and tell me their names. I showed them the pictures of mom and Robin. They all shook my hand. Some held on to me. Snot-nosed cuties.

I am naked and cannot shower as I forgot to turn on the water heater. I now have a sore throat and am worried. The radio is now blaring Jingle Bell Rock.

Thursday, 28 January

Very sick at night. Headache, sore throat, upset stomach, sweats at 02:15. Went in search of water, as I have purification tablets and drink mix and sugar. I found a thermos of hot water. It had been boiled. I treated it anyway and made some cherry drink and ate two aspirins. Slept badly on and off. Tried to bring up dinner: no such luck. Had BM at 09:00, and feel much better. Had OJ for breakfast.

I have a new theory as to why the Yanks left VN. They simply could not stand the noise and constant screaming and pawing any longer. The noise and rude poeple and chatter and screaming of "hello" finally got to them.

My driver was early. I gave him $3 for the 30 minute trip to the station. He was great. He had me write a testimonial in his book so that he could show it to other tourists.

We had trouble crossing the bridge into Da Nang, as there was a blockage mid way. An army truck was pulled across both lanes. We snuck around it. The odd thing was that it was pulling a spotless double-barrelled anti-aircraft gun. What is was doing there, or why it should be in such an odd position, no one could say.

This is a great train station. There are two tellies and a huge clock, and a massive fish tank full of local fish. There is lots of seating a security. It is clean. I see two people from Rotterdam whom I met on the DMZ tour. There are tall/long white birds everywhere. They stand in the rice paddies, and are a real symbol of this land.

The trip is tough as the crew is using my compartment as a rest area between shifts. We had little peace. You would think that after gouging foreigners, they would at least have the decency to leave us alone. Each time I took the train my companions were well educated professional VN ese men. They all spoke some or lots of english. They all took off their shoes and put their feet up on the chairs or bunks. I had talks with all of them.

Friday, 29 January

Arrived early in HCM City (Sai Gon) at 05:00.

Walked downtown which was quite a distance, and went to the Cathay Pacific office. I was served immediately. The woman immediately found another seat on the 01/02 flight and changed my ticket. She told me that there would be no charge at all for the change. What great service. I told her so.

Went to War Remnants Museum (War Crimes Museum), but did not have my camera. There are foetuses in jars, US weapons, atrocities, etc. It cost d10k.

I am drinking lots of water.

Visited Mr. Hoang Van Cuong at his home near the Caravelle. He was the UPI photographer which took many famous photos during the war. He runs an antique shop, and upstairs you can look at enlargements of famous photos. He sells small prints for $1.00 each. We talked and I showed him the entry in the new guide book about himself. I bought a print of the famous scene of the tank salute on the grounds of the presidential palace in Sai Gon on the day the war ended. He signed the back. The original description is "Doan tang da vao tran ngap san co truoc dinh doc lap".

They have dollar stores here! Only here, they are d10k stores. I did not go inside.

I am now sitting in the Saigon 2828 ice cream parlour. Ordered Hawaiian Ice Cream Sundae for d25k. What a deal. It came built in half a sliced-open pinnipple. Simon & Garfunkle are on the radio. The ice cream is heavenly. It even came with a little red paper umbrella.

Back to the hotel for a shower. I am really sweating in this heat and humidity. Summer must be awful here.

Went back downtown to the HCM Campaign military museum at the end of Le Duan street. There are only a couple of rooms, and the whole place is only about the final campaign against the city in April 1975. There is a fantastic sand table model of the entire area showing the movements and battle plans. Outside are a couple of thing used in the battle, including one of the tanks which was at the palace that day. Ther certainly seem to be a lot of them!

Walked down Le Duan past old US Embassy building. It is gone! What a disappointment. I had hoped to see the famous roof. All that was left were the concrete planters in the front yard. They became famous in Feb 1968 when the National Front attacked the Embassy and made it right up to the front door. The planters are clearly visible in the photos. A new consulate is being built beside the old building site.

On to the Reunification Palace, the old Presidential Palace. It was finished in about 1966. The place reeks of the 1960s. You can almost taste it. It was $4.00 to get inside. This is the most expensive museum in Viet Nam. There are lots of rooms to visit, and all the furnishings are still in place. A few of the rooms are still used, and the city government rents out the place for large events. The basement has a war room set-up, much like the London Cabinet War Rooms. There are the presidential facilities and communications centres and map rooms. Somebody was shooting a music video on the front grounds. The roof has a helicopter deck, and a helicopter. It was on this spot that the war finally ended in April 1975.

I then went to the revolution museum which was free. This is because it was mostly closed for renovations and restoration.

30 Jan Sat

Paid hotel $20.00 and left. Bad bed, but I had lots of great showers in the glass booth, and used the air conditioner. Moved to Hoang Linh Hotel on Du Tham street in the Pham Ngu Lo area. It is a new family run hotel and is very clean and has new furniture, and I got a room with AC for $10 per nite including breakfast. It is located right next door to a travellers caf?, and I immediately book a trip the next day to the Cu Chi tunnels.

I venture back to the War Remnants Museum to take photos of the gruesome things on display such a bottled foetuses. The gift shop sells cobra wine in bottles. The bottles each have a real cobra in them. This is so bizarre given that the place has a display of humans in bottles! The french left a lot of head-cutting devices in Indochina. After this I walked to the corner where Thich Quang Duc self-immolated in 1963. There is a shrine on the corner.

The VN ese have a really bizarre habit; quite annoying really; of pointing at things you are already looking at. I will be looking at something in a glass case or on a shelf, and a person will literally rush over and point at it. It is extremely rude. The VN ese must think that they are helping you look, instead of just being pests.

Today I bought three oil paintings. I got a large dark still life of food and wine for myself. This is like the one dad had, and I used to look at it always. I also got a small Va Gogh for Mom, and another for Robin. ($60.00 total). I also bought lacquered wooden photo album in black and red with a yellow star for the best of my trip photos. However, I fear that I have been unable to capture Viet Nam on film. I tried, but always suspected that it was somehow escaping me. I am not sure how to photograph this place and the things I see. There was so much to see, yet I could not capture it on film. Sometimes it went by to quickly; other times I did not want to be intrusive. I guess I would not make a good news or celebrity photographer.

I think there is a law in VN which states that loud noise or bad music must blare out at you at all times.

I have a theory about the VN ese economy. The VN ese only make things which can be transported by cycle. Now, this means just about anything. I saw a cycle carrying -a half tonne of rice (10 x 50kg bags); -a woman on top of a pile of bananas; -double mattress; -five living room chairs; -6 television sets; -six or more children; -structural steel beams; -large pressurized gas cylinders; -massive blocks of ice; etc.

Sai Gon still has a flourishing ice trade. Large ice deposits are scattered about, and ice people cut and sell it. Some drive about on cyclos and deliver it. They cut it with hand saws and chisels.

I have not been able to capture on film the terror of the intersection on a cycle. Being out in front adds to the total terror experience. The traffic flows around like water, except that it is water which is made out of steel. This really has to be experienced in 3D, wrap-around, stereo, and in motion.

I have dinner reservations at the Rex Hotel. I cleaned up and dressed up for the first time. Went to the Apocalypse Now bar to get t-shirts. For the first time I was approached by a woman on a moto. There are a lot of hookers in this area, so that may explain it. However, that is certainly a novel way to (literally) pick up business.

I got a cycle from an older man. A younger chap tried to get me into his cycle, but I went with the older chap. As we pulled away he thanked me for choosing him.

As evening falls the streets in the central district are FULL of hundreds and thousands of motos. This is the Saturday and Sunday night cruising for which Sai Gon is famous. Wow, what a sight. The view from the roof top of the Rex is impressive. Trying to cross the street was almost impossible. Riding in it was electrifying.

A big bamboo sign over my table announces a reservation for Dr. C. I started with Sai Gon Special Spring Rolls. They came on tooth picks embedded in a pinnipple and was hollowed and had a candle inside. Wow ($2.30). I had crab soup, Rex fried rice, pork chops in coconut milk, salads, pinnipple for dessert, and 1l of water. With tax it came to $14.85. During the entire meal there was a live orchestra playing traditional instruments and doing VN ese music and dance from all regions of the country. They wore traditional costumes and beautiful Ao Dais. They were fantastic. What a great place, and what wonderful service.

Today I saw a beggar. Well, actually I could not see his face. He was on a small flat cart, and he pushed/pulled himself along using his stumps of hands and feet. He seems to be a leprosy victim. I gave him a few thousand dong and some candy I had in my pocket. He moved his begging bucket with his teeth. Each time I saw him there was never much in it, even by local standards.

Sunday, 31 January

Good bed, and I slept well. However, I was sick and have a cough and hard phlegm. Off to Cu Chi after breakfast. The bus leaves from right next door. This day trip costs $4.00 for the bus and guide and lunch. The Delta hotel is selling a similar tour for $42.00.

Road crews are spreading liquid tar by throwing it from giant ladles which are actually old US army helmets.

On the way out we passed Tan Son Nhat (TSN) airport and a couple of military museums. One was for air defence. I wish I had know before. It is at about 280 Cong Hoa street on the east side (I think). There is a sign which says "no photo" out front. The VN ese did something realy odd at TSN airport: they cut it up and developed vast tracks if it. Much or the land was reclaimed and housing was built up to within a short distance of the runways. Perhaps 50% of the land is now gone, and old airport bldg are now stranded in the midst of housing and commercial buildings. There is no place left to expand the airport. This is truly poor planning, especially since this used to be one of the worlds busiest and biggest airports. Nobody seems to have thought into the near future.

At the Cao Dai temple they list where all visitors are from. One asshole, when asked what country he was from, replied "Quebec". Things must have changed a lot while I was away. When Quebec leaves it sure will be deep in debt. The woman did not understand him and somebody else had to tell her that he was from Canada.

We are now all in the gallery of the great main temple, and services are about to start. Men and women are segregated to either side of the temple. There is an orchestra and choir in the balcony with us.

We had a vegetarian lunch which was not all that tasty. This is because the Cao Dai are vegetarians. The road into and out of Sai Gon is a sea of people. I would be unable to drive it. After the mediocre lunch we set off to the Cu Chi region. On the way we passed Black Lady Mountain. This is a huge 800m+ hill in the middle of the massive open plains. There is nothing else around, and everything is completely flat. On the other side is Cambodia. This was the furthest end of the HCM Trail.

Drove to Ben Suoc and went to the memorial temple dedicated to the fighters of the Cu Chi region. The temple has the names of some 15000 dead NF and PAVN soldiers inscribed.

There are some 3000 war cemeteries for the Viet Minh, the National Front, and the PAVN soldiers. Each bears the words : TO QUOC GHI CONG, or Lest We Forget. There are no cemeteries for the counter-revolutionary soldiers from the south. This is a real sore point with southerners. Given the asian cult of ancestor worship, it is no surprise that Ha Noi has not allowed such cemeteries.

I was the only one to get off the bus at the shooting range. I rented a Kalashnikov AK-47, chinese model, and bought five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. They provided me with ear protection, and I read the poster on firing techniques. I was the only person using the range. Targets were about 100m, and were off tigers and water buffalo. I missed once; hit twice; scored one bulls- eye, and the last shot was reserved for my guide book. I set it up on a small mound of dirt, and the fifth bullet went straight through the centre of the book. It was standing in the grass, and then fell forward (towards me) after the impact.

Drove to Ben Dinh to visit the tunnels, and paid another $4.00 for a ticket. First we were ushered into a room and shown a bad scratchy/noisy film from about 1967 on the tunnels and the brave men and women who fought and lived here. We then saw the model of a tunnel section, and a map of the entire region showing the over 200km of tunnels. Then we all went outside and saw a large display of various traps used to protect the tunnel region from invaders. This means lots of metal and bamboo spikes. These are very nasty things, and range from small hand held size, to full body pit size. There was even one which fell forward when a door was opened.

A small clearing in the woods was the site of an original tunnel entrance. It was so small that only the VN ese and some of the smaller women on the tour could make it inside. It was a trap door, and it was completely hidden from view. The edges are wood, so water does not get in and it is easy to close. One woman got her hips stuck trying to get in. She was pulled out.

The actual entrance for foreign tourists was a set of steps down and a hole which had been enlarged for us big-noses. I was the first tourist in the group. The whole section (150m) had been widened for tourists. However, there was a very narrow part to show what it was really like. I saw bats and hairy spiders. We were on various levels, and went over 100m. I got rather dirty in the tunnels. They did not provide torches, as there were tiny electric lights installed, but it was hard to see anything.

Outside we saw a smokeless kitchen. This was an invention from the time of the DBP campaign in 1954. It is also named after the inventor. The smoke comes out some distance from the fire, and it does not rise. I saw this happen. This is important because the US would call in air strikes or artillery on any smoke seen from the jungle.

We were back at the caf? at 18:31, and I went straight into the shower.

I went out for dinner to the place I ate at two nights ago. I got two different dishes for d17k. I gave $2 as it was wonderful.

I sat on the edge of the street and watched THOUSANDS of motos drive by. It was not just a regular Sunday evening cruising. VN had been doing rather well in the Asian Dunhill football cup, and had just beaten Russia, I think. The crowds were electrified. Cheering and honking and yelling and drumming. Singles and families. I saw a father driving, a baby on his lap, a mother behind, and a child sandwiches in between them. So many people waved or smiled at me. We (foreigners) are still mostly a novelty here, and being part of a real VN ese activity is not common. Tourists are still self-segregated. I was the only foreigner around.

Two young men rode up and handed me a medium sized flag on a pole. The motioned for me to wave it, then they rode off. Many people had flags on the motos, and it was clearly a victory parade to celebrate the football match.

A small boy came up to me and held out his hand expecting me to give him money. I said no. So he thrust his hand closer towards me. I said no again. Now he rubbed his stomach in the international "I'm hungry" sign. I laughed out loud and said no again. He rubbed it again. I said no. He persisted, and I ignored him. Strangely, he never said a word. Why couldn't they all be like that? Now to put this cruelty in perspective, I will describe him. He was well drssed, plump, clean and carrying a medium/small flag on a stick in the post-game celebrations. No starvation here!

I sat on the curb and waved my flag back and forth. This certainly attracted the attention of lots of people. Many smiled and called out in a friendly manner. The multitudes were driving be. The waving and smiling was on the increase. So was the traffic. There is hardly a car in sight.

I finally gave the flag to a family on a moto. They were already smiling at me as they approached at a distance, so I got up and intercepted them and handed them the flag. I then walked home and packed. I pre-paid the bill: $20.00.

Monday, 01 February

Awake early, and lay in bed for another hour. Up, wash, dress, and down to breakfast. A small child and small pillow-like dog sat in the chairs opposite me. They belong to the hotel family. Breakfast was a good mix of bread and bananas and tea. I took a quick walk to the corner to see the hobby store I had noticed the day before. It was all radio control stuff.

A minivan was outside, and I took it to TSN airport for $5.00. That is expensive, however, the driver paid the d5k toll at the airport gate. It is an interesting ride as the Monday morning traffic is thick, and there seem to be a lot of cars. Motos go faster than trucks and cars.

At TSN airport people who are not travelling are kept outside. This is good as half the city seemed to be milling about outside the terminal. They did not check to see if I had a ticket, as foreigners are usually exempted from such inspections. It was not immediately clear where to check in, and somebody then sent me to the wrong place. When I found the correct desk, I was told that my flight was seriously delayed, and that they would put me on an earlier flight which was leaving quite soon. I am glad that I arrived early. There was hardly any waiting at all. The staff of VN Airlines is fast and efficient and polite, and they all speak english. I paid the $10 international departure tax and passed through the initial document inspection; then I passed my bags through an x-ray machine; then I passed through the departure tax inspection and they took my receipt; then I passed through passport control; then I passed through a body scanner and the bags through another x-ray machine. No problems anywhere, and everything was fast.

We are all stuffed into a bus and driven out to the VN Airlines A320. I had row 10, seats D, E, and F: the emergency row, all to myself. VN 762, HCMC-HK, A320, s/n S7-ASD. 8300m, 850km/h. Arr 13:00. 24 degrees in HK. We had a "follow me" car lead us to the runway. This seemed strange as we were the only plane out on the tarmac, and the pilot must have been familiar with the place. We passed an old AN-2 biplane. Some men were sitting in the shade of the tail. It looked ready to go for the day.

As we rotate I could see an anti-aircraft gun emplacement area with about 6 or 7 AA guns in small revetments right in the midst of TSN airfield. We headed east after take-off, and moved into the Me Kong delta region. I could see the vast flooded plains and the spider web of rivers which are all the Me Kong moving down to the South China Sea. It is am amazing view. They can get a solid three rice harvests per year here, and in some places even four. I steal a VN Airlines spoon for Mom's collection. VN Airlines is really very good and professional.