Next Stop Vietnam!
I have visited Vietnam before and was looking forward to going back. It is an interesting country with a war torn past but the people are friendly and hold little resentment about the past - they are happy they are no longer at war and only want to look to the future.
Talking of war, when I was here in 2010 I only touched on some of the history of the American war and had decided this time I wanted to know a bit more. So, after an exceptionally long drive day to cross the border into Vietnam (we arrived at our hotel at about 10.30 pm!), it was an early start to go out to the DMZ (demilitarized zone - dividing line between North and South Vietnam). Myself and 8 others headed out to learn about the tunnel systems the Viet Cong built to live in and escape American bombs, the horrifying effects of Agent Orange, visit look out points on 17th parallel and also see what was the Khe San American Air Base. It was really interesting, if sometimes very impartial. However, for most of my life anything I've read, heard or seen about the American/Vietnamese was has been from a Western/US perspective so it was good to hear a different side.
Here are some photos.......
Entry to one of the tunnels
Trench
Bomb crater
Bomb casings
Photo of a man carving a tunnel out by hand
Me in the dark tunnel
Beautiful beach where the tunnels led
On our way back up from the tunnels
Me with the guys at the memorial
Bridge which marked the border between north and south Vietnam - border was half way across
The Rockpile - a US observation post and artillery base
American artefacts left at or donated to Khe Sanh.......................................
After a trip to the DMZ area it felt only fitting to end our night in the DMZ bar for dinner and drinks.
Unfortunately for most of the group we only had one day in Hue, which we spent at the DMZ. This meant that they did not have enough time to explore the ancient Citadel, the Perfume River or just the town itself. I had done this previously so was not too upset - it just gives them an excuse to come back!
After leaving the war stuff behind for a bit, it was time for some peace and thankfully our next stop was Hoi An. This is a lovely sleepy little town with nice shops, restaurants and riverside bars. It is a great place to chill and spend a few days. During my time here I mostly just wandered around and shopped - this is a great place and one of my favourite stops on the trip! This is also the place to get clothes and shoes made to order, I got a pair of sandals :-)
Hoi An....
After a lovely few days which everyone enjoyed, we headed off to Jungle Beach with excitement and bulging backpacks. Now, most backpackers/travellers/overlanders (whatever you want to call us) find that a lot of their travels see them in almost constant contact with the ocean. Not us. We have travelled thousands of miles across Europe and since Georgia the only contact with the sea we had was a brief ferry trip across the land locked Caspian Sea. To say that we were excited about some time by the beach was an understatement! We had caught glimpses of the coast on our journeys to Hue and Hoi An but this was our first opportunity to spend any time there. We arrived late at night and after a quick dinner we were down on the beach, with a few jumping in the water. A beach bonfire was also called for....
For the next 2 days we were happy and content to just swim and chill. The water was very clean and lovely and warm. Night swimming was great - the phosphorescence in the water was amazing, it made the water all shimmery like there were millions of stars in it.
Jungle Beach....
After a lovely few days we headed off to our final stop in Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City, previously known as Saigon. This is a crazy, manic city with people and motorcycles everywhere. Some of you may remember that the last time I was there I was hit by a motorbike - I was determined not to have that happen again this time!
After another late start a few of us just headed to the pub next door for dinner. I have to say that the food so far has been pretty excellent, particularly in SE Asia. However there comes a time when you have a craving for some Western food and this was it for me - a lovely dinner or chicken schnitzel, salad and fries hit the spot nicely :-)
The next day I joined a tour to visit the Cu Chi tunnels about 70km from the city. Again, this was another vital tunnel network during the American war. However, these ones were much smaller as they were primarily used for hiding rather than living in. It was an interesting day out and on the way out there we got the chance to stop off at a craft factory where people who suffered disabilities as a result of Agent Orange or landmines worked - the stuff they produced was amazing.
Example of a booby trap entrance
Ouch
Andy loving the tank!
Don't fancy that one either
Or that!
I'm going in!
Narrow and steep...
Me coming out of the tunnel
Made it!
Tapioca - what was eaten by the Viet Cong hiding in the tunnels
Craft factory.....
For the final day in Vietnam, many took the option to the visit the War Museum. I had been there before and had warned them that it would be a difficult few hours. Whilst there is visible bias towards Vietnam, the images on the wall speak volumes and were very upsetting. Many found it difficult, as I had when I had visited before. However, I spent the day wandering about the city, visiting the shops and park in between torrential rain storms. At night Jo and I found a streetside bar to enjoy a 25p beer. The only downside was having to move on if the police came by!
Busy Saigon by night
Enjoying a cheep beer
So my second trip to Vietnam was as enjoyable as my first and I would recommend it as a place to visit for anyone. There is so much to see and do. I did not go to the north of the country this time but Hanoi and Halong Bay are definitely worth a visit too if you are planning a trip.
Onwards to Cambodia next. In the meantime here are another few general pics of Vietnam....
Rice being dried out on the ground after harvest
Market
Simon and Jo with the rice
Overloaded bikes!
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