Vietnam- a journey- Chasing the tail of the Dragon
Day 1 and 2- Still in Saigon?
My father was a solider in the Vietnam War.
Vietnam day 1 and 2
Many of the locals and businesses call Ho Chi Minh City by its old name Saigon
Landed in Saigon after interesting flights and nearly lost luggage
Walked the streets around the hotel as well as going out to dinner- went through the china town section
Walked around hotel for lunch with mom- noodles for 78,000-
We also found a bar that served a local beer- draft beer industry seems to be big around here
Took walking tour of China town section- district five
Walked to a grand dinner down the street from the hotel-experienced monsoon style rain
Vietnam day 1 and 2
Many of the locals and businesses call Ho Chi Minh City by its old name Saigon
Landed in Saigon after interesting flights and nearly lost luggage
Walked the streets around the hotel as well as going out to dinner- went through the china town section
Walked around hotel for lunch with mom- noodles for 78,000-
We also found a bar that served a local beer- draft beer industry seems to be big around here
Took walking tour of China town section- district five
Walked to a grand dinner down the street from the hotel-experienced monsoon style rain
Day 3- Exploring the War
Vietnam day 3
Cu Chi tunnels
Tour of the city of Ho Chi Minh City
- Reunification Palace
Dinner cruise with rain storm
Drive to the Chu chi tunnels
“killed many Americans” was a common quota heard and read here
Went into the tunnels/ gun park /
Loved the drive- lots of rice fields- with what looked to be grave stone markers in the middle of the fields- these were for ancestor worship- tombs
Saw lots of water buffalo
Learned that some women like to protect their skin from the sun- white pale skin is considered desirable - on mopeds these women would be covered from head to toe and have been nick-named the Ninja Women
We learned that for drivers safety rules seem to be “suggestions”
Stopped by the freedom palace
Stopped by the war remnants museum/ propaganda - one of our travelers was a form Vietnam Viet and I asked him from his point of view what he thought about the museum and its factual account
Our bus and dance party lighting
We enjoyed dinner on a Saigon river cruise- The skyline is impressive and will only grow in the future is my guess
Cu Chi tunnels
Tour of the city of Ho Chi Minh City
- Reunification Palace
Dinner cruise with rain storm
Drive to the Chu chi tunnels
“killed many Americans” was a common quota heard and read here
Went into the tunnels/ gun park /
Loved the drive- lots of rice fields- with what looked to be grave stone markers in the middle of the fields- these were for ancestor worship- tombs
Saw lots of water buffalo
Learned that some women like to protect their skin from the sun- white pale skin is considered desirable - on mopeds these women would be covered from head to toe and have been nick-named the Ninja Women
We learned that for drivers safety rules seem to be “suggestions”
Stopped by the freedom palace
Stopped by the war remnants museum/ propaganda - one of our travelers was a form Vietnam Viet and I asked him from his point of view what he thought about the museum and its factual account
Our bus and dance party lighting
We enjoyed dinner on a Saigon river cruise- The skyline is impressive and will only grow in the future is my guess
Day 4- The Mighty Mekong
Vietnam day 4
Mekong River cruise
Visit - Can This (town)
Bike tour near Rach Tre for home made cakes and tea
Lunch cruise
Cai Be - large floating market
Shopping across the street
Post office stop
Learned that Vietnamese use to use Chinese script and moved to the latinized alphabet now- this officially happened under Ho Chi Minh in 1945
Had breakfast with Bill and Dave- Dave is a Vietnam vet and they shared Stories—- he helped get a friend who died a medal of honor in the 1990s- they are making a film about the story
Bill told a story of stealing copper wire- thought is was espionage but in reality it turned out to be women making necklaces and jewelry - mom told the story about dad and the drive into town for a beer— (need details)
Hammock coffee shops for truck drivers- nap stops
Graves for family members are superstitious in nature- they have to be in the right spot and facing the right direction
Stopped at a shop that had snakes- snakes in liquor bottle — like viagra for Chinese
(joke- deer with no eyes———— no eye deer)
Mekong delta exp--
Cool views
Boat markets
Boat living
Bike ride- uneven streets - difficult riding
Donut snack thingy at peoples house
See back yards
Boat ride dinner— spring rolls and fresh fish
Card shop with more of the snake wine candy making
Mekong River cruise
Visit - Can This (town)
Bike tour near Rach Tre for home made cakes and tea
Lunch cruise
Cai Be - large floating market
Shopping across the street
Post office stop
Learned that Vietnamese use to use Chinese script and moved to the latinized alphabet now- this officially happened under Ho Chi Minh in 1945
Had breakfast with Bill and Dave- Dave is a Vietnam vet and they shared Stories—- he helped get a friend who died a medal of honor in the 1990s- they are making a film about the story
Bill told a story of stealing copper wire- thought is was espionage but in reality it turned out to be women making necklaces and jewelry - mom told the story about dad and the drive into town for a beer— (need details)
Hammock coffee shops for truck drivers- nap stops
Graves for family members are superstitious in nature- they have to be in the right spot and facing the right direction
Stopped at a shop that had snakes- snakes in liquor bottle — like viagra for Chinese
(joke- deer with no eyes———— no eye deer)
Mekong delta exp--
Cool views
Boat markets
Boat living
Bike ride- uneven streets - difficult riding
Donut snack thingy at peoples house
See back yards
Boat ride dinner— spring rolls and fresh fish
Card shop with more of the snake wine candy making
Day 5-
Vietnam day 5
Morning meetings
Airport in Saigon
Head to beach / seaside town of Hoi An
Dinner by the river
Long lines at the airport
Dinner in the place near river of lanterns
Heard the crashing waves of the ocean
Drinks on the beach
La Rue beer
Morning meetings
Airport in Saigon
Head to beach / seaside town of Hoi An
Dinner by the river
Long lines at the airport
Dinner in the place near river of lanterns
Heard the crashing waves of the ocean
Drinks on the beach
La Rue beer
Day 6- Market to Temple- Good evening Vietnam
Vietnam day 6- market to market
Cooking school- making spring rolls
Thu Bon river cruise
Shopping in the market for ingredients to cook- so many sites and sounds-
Saw a shark fin—-
Guided sight seeing of Hoi An
Old town
Temples
200 year old wooden houses
One of my favorite temples (temple to the goddess of the sea)
Sunsets
Taylor shop fittings- wedding dress $800
Silk worms that were alive I held in my hand
Bleach time in the afternoon
Massage
Dinner across the street
Cooking school- making spring rolls
Thu Bon river cruise
Shopping in the market for ingredients to cook- so many sites and sounds-
Saw a shark fin—-
Guided sight seeing of Hoi An
Old town
Temples
200 year old wooden houses
One of my favorite temples (temple to the goddess of the sea)
Sunsets
Taylor shop fittings- wedding dress $800
Silk worms that were alive I held in my hand
Bleach time in the afternoon
Massage
Dinner across the street
Day 7
Vietnam day 7
Transfer to Hue
Before we left I went to the beach to see the sunrise. “Good Morning Vietnam”
Stopped by a marble factory on way out of town- amazing carvings- see pictures
Transfer on the scenic Hai Van- Sea Cloud pass. “The. Cloudy Pass”
Marina road. (Madrian road)
Listened to “outbound” an EF pod cast
Truong Son Mountain range
Stopped at a beautiful bay- drank a Pepsi for dad
Cruise down the Perfume River
Tien Mu Pagoda- vietnam’s tallest religious building- also a monastery
Imperial City- walled fortress much destroyed by the Indo-China wars
Heavy rain showers
Hue Citadel- Imperial City- modeled after the the forbidden City in china
Designated a world heritage site in 1993 the citadel was established by Emperor Gia Long in 1805. He ruled from 1802 -20
The huge fortress comprises three concentric enclosures - the civic, Imperial and forbidden Purple cities.
Designed using the rules of Chinese geomancy and the military principles of French architect Sebastien de Vauban-
Makes for an interest and elegant complex- beautiful palaces and temples surrounded by ramparts , bastions and moats
Their are nine deities cannons- one for each season and element
They were cast by emperor gia long in 1803 as a symbolic protection for his new capital and each of these cannons were made out of bronze. The elements they represent are earth, metal, wood water and fire-
The interior of the complex has the forbidden purple city- no man except the emperor was permitted to set foot in the 2 acre city within a city. Any male who crossed its threshold was condemned to death only the queen nine operate ranks of concubines female seraants and court eunuchs were allowed to enter.
Built between 1803- 1833 the forbidden city once comprised more than 60 buildings and court yards- it was extensively damaged during heavy bombing of the ted offersive in 1968
Nine dynastic urns. Each weigh up to 2.75 tons. Planyed a role in the cult of. Imperial ancestor veneration
Transfer to Hue
Before we left I went to the beach to see the sunrise. “Good Morning Vietnam”
Stopped by a marble factory on way out of town- amazing carvings- see pictures
Transfer on the scenic Hai Van- Sea Cloud pass. “The. Cloudy Pass”
Marina road. (Madrian road)
Listened to “outbound” an EF pod cast
Truong Son Mountain range
Stopped at a beautiful bay- drank a Pepsi for dad
Cruise down the Perfume River
Tien Mu Pagoda- vietnam’s tallest religious building- also a monastery
Imperial City- walled fortress much destroyed by the Indo-China wars
Heavy rain showers
Hue Citadel- Imperial City- modeled after the the forbidden City in china
Designated a world heritage site in 1993 the citadel was established by Emperor Gia Long in 1805. He ruled from 1802 -20
The huge fortress comprises three concentric enclosures - the civic, Imperial and forbidden Purple cities.
Designed using the rules of Chinese geomancy and the military principles of French architect Sebastien de Vauban-
Makes for an interest and elegant complex- beautiful palaces and temples surrounded by ramparts , bastions and moats
Their are nine deities cannons- one for each season and element
They were cast by emperor gia long in 1803 as a symbolic protection for his new capital and each of these cannons were made out of bronze. The elements they represent are earth, metal, wood water and fire-
The interior of the complex has the forbidden purple city- no man except the emperor was permitted to set foot in the 2 acre city within a city. Any male who crossed its threshold was condemned to death only the queen nine operate ranks of concubines female seraants and court eunuchs were allowed to enter.
Built between 1803- 1833 the forbidden city once comprised more than 60 buildings and court yards- it was extensively damaged during heavy bombing of the ted offersive in 1968
Nine dynastic urns. Each weigh up to 2.75 tons. Planyed a role in the cult of. Imperial ancestor veneration
Day 8- Royal Tombs
Vietnam day 8
Visited Tu Duc and Khai Dinh royal Tombs
Tu Duc used his tomb as a summer palace and retreat before he died
Khiem Lu Lake is surrounded by temples (lotus flowers)
Khai Dinh tomb is at the foot of Chau Chu mountain
We saw and smelled the process of incense making
Transfer to Hanoi- no long lines at this airport- bought some cheap junk at this airport
The royal tombs are scattered across the scenic courtside to the south of Hue. These are the tombs of the Nguyen Emperors13 rulers set on the throne between 1802 an 1945 but only 7 were given the honor of their own massoleum or lang
Tu Duc- considered by many to be the most elegant tomb in Vietnam. 1848-1883
Set on a pine forested hill it is flanked by beautiful lotus ponds and romantic frangipani trees
The emperor preferred the quiet comforts of his future tomb to his own palace
It is said that when Tu Duc died he was buried secretly along with a great treasure and that all those involved in his burial were later executed to keep his final resting place sage from desecration
Tomb of Khai Dinh
(1916-25). The penultimate Nguyen emperor was the last to be buried in a royal tomb at Hue. His tomb makes use of concrete combining European and veinamese architectural styles in a unique but not entirely successful fusion
Built on the side of a hill the tomb rises steeply through three levels. In the temple at the summit is a bronze bust of the emperor cast at Marseilles in 1922
Went to the sky bar on the 19th floor of the building down from our hotel- had a drink on the roof- light rain but great view of the city
Visited Tu Duc and Khai Dinh royal Tombs
Tu Duc used his tomb as a summer palace and retreat before he died
Khiem Lu Lake is surrounded by temples (lotus flowers)
Khai Dinh tomb is at the foot of Chau Chu mountain
We saw and smelled the process of incense making
Transfer to Hanoi- no long lines at this airport- bought some cheap junk at this airport
The royal tombs are scattered across the scenic courtside to the south of Hue. These are the tombs of the Nguyen Emperors13 rulers set on the throne between 1802 an 1945 but only 7 were given the honor of their own massoleum or lang
Tu Duc- considered by many to be the most elegant tomb in Vietnam. 1848-1883
Set on a pine forested hill it is flanked by beautiful lotus ponds and romantic frangipani trees
The emperor preferred the quiet comforts of his future tomb to his own palace
It is said that when Tu Duc died he was buried secretly along with a great treasure and that all those involved in his burial were later executed to keep his final resting place sage from desecration
Tomb of Khai Dinh
(1916-25). The penultimate Nguyen emperor was the last to be buried in a royal tomb at Hue. His tomb makes use of concrete combining European and veinamese architectural styles in a unique but not entirely successful fusion
Built on the side of a hill the tomb rises steeply through three levels. In the temple at the summit is a bronze bust of the emperor cast at Marseilles in 1922
Went to the sky bar on the 19th floor of the building down from our hotel- had a drink on the roof- light rain but great view of the city
Day 9- Hanoi
Vietnam day 9
Guided sight seeing
Ho Chi Minhs Mausoleum
An unassuminging man who prided himself on an austere almost ascentic public image and allegedly requested that he be cremated and his ashes scattered in Northern, central and southern vietnam. Symboling the national unity to which he devoted his life- it is said that he also vetoed the construction of a museum of his life at his home village - saying those funds could be better employed in building a school- however after his death in 69 the leading members of the government altered his final testament by deleting his request to be crewated and with the help of soviet specialist the leader was embalmed and uninstalled in the mapsoleum in 75
The building was suppose to look like a lotus flower- noisy and loitering behaveior is forbidden as is inappropriate clothing
Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house
Believing that the presidential palaces was too grand for him ho arranged for a modest wooden structure to be build in a corner of the palaces extension grounds - Uncle Ho’s house or Bad Ho- it was modeled on a ethic minority stilt house
Ho lived here from 1958 t0 1969
One Pillar Pagoda- suppose to look like a lotus- a symbol of purity rising from the sea
According to legend the king who had no son had a dream in which he was visited by Quan Am Goddess of Mercy- She was sitting on a lotus flower and presented him with a baby boy- soon after Ly Thai Tong married a new young queen who bore him a son- to show his gratetude the emperor ordered the construction of a. Single pillar pagoda representing a lotus flower- it represents purity like a lotus blossoming in a muddy pond. It was damaged and reconstructed over the years- however none of the acts of destruction is harder to fathom than its burning by the French in 1954
Hanoi’s old town- hidden Allyways
St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Buzzing with noise and activity the old quarter is the oldest and most lively commercial district in Hanoi- during the 13th century several artisans settled along the red river to cater to the needs of the palace- later the crafts became concentreted in this area with each street specializing in a particular product. Over the years 36 distinct craft guilds came into existence and the area earned its nickname of 36 streets.
Lacquer village- egg shell painting
Lunch - on the street-
Hanoi Hilton tour with mom
Homemade dinner
Ancestor worship in the house
Temple of literature- monsoon rains
The oldest and possibly the finest architectureal complex in Hanoi- Van Mieu or the temple of literature was established in 1070- during the Ly Dynasty founded in the honor of the Chinese phialsopher Confucius. It served as a center for higher learning education future Mandarins for more that seven centuries. The temple is modeled after the orin=ginal temple of Confuciuss in the Chinese city of Qufu. - it consists of five courtyards the first two feature well tended gardens each courtyard is separated by walls and ornamental gateways and a central pathway through the complex divides it into two symmetrical halves- one court yard was for a human Chess board
Temple of Confucius. Inside are statues of the great philosopher and four of his main disciples
Tortoise stele- mounted on giant tortoise pedestals these stone stelae are inscribed with the names and brief personal details of scholars who passed examinations of Van Mieu- only 82 of the original 112 survive
Altar of confuseius- hosts the elaborately decorated altar of confucius- flanked by statues of cranes standing on top of tortoised- the king and his pandering would make offerings and sacrifices here
Guided sight seeing
Ho Chi Minhs Mausoleum
An unassuminging man who prided himself on an austere almost ascentic public image and allegedly requested that he be cremated and his ashes scattered in Northern, central and southern vietnam. Symboling the national unity to which he devoted his life- it is said that he also vetoed the construction of a museum of his life at his home village - saying those funds could be better employed in building a school- however after his death in 69 the leading members of the government altered his final testament by deleting his request to be crewated and with the help of soviet specialist the leader was embalmed and uninstalled in the mapsoleum in 75
The building was suppose to look like a lotus flower- noisy and loitering behaveior is forbidden as is inappropriate clothing
Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house
Believing that the presidential palaces was too grand for him ho arranged for a modest wooden structure to be build in a corner of the palaces extension grounds - Uncle Ho’s house or Bad Ho- it was modeled on a ethic minority stilt house
Ho lived here from 1958 t0 1969
One Pillar Pagoda- suppose to look like a lotus- a symbol of purity rising from the sea
According to legend the king who had no son had a dream in which he was visited by Quan Am Goddess of Mercy- She was sitting on a lotus flower and presented him with a baby boy- soon after Ly Thai Tong married a new young queen who bore him a son- to show his gratetude the emperor ordered the construction of a. Single pillar pagoda representing a lotus flower- it represents purity like a lotus blossoming in a muddy pond. It was damaged and reconstructed over the years- however none of the acts of destruction is harder to fathom than its burning by the French in 1954
Hanoi’s old town- hidden Allyways
St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Buzzing with noise and activity the old quarter is the oldest and most lively commercial district in Hanoi- during the 13th century several artisans settled along the red river to cater to the needs of the palace- later the crafts became concentreted in this area with each street specializing in a particular product. Over the years 36 distinct craft guilds came into existence and the area earned its nickname of 36 streets.
Lacquer village- egg shell painting
Lunch - on the street-
Hanoi Hilton tour with mom
Homemade dinner
Ancestor worship in the house
Temple of literature- monsoon rains
The oldest and possibly the finest architectureal complex in Hanoi- Van Mieu or the temple of literature was established in 1070- during the Ly Dynasty founded in the honor of the Chinese phialsopher Confucius. It served as a center for higher learning education future Mandarins for more that seven centuries. The temple is modeled after the orin=ginal temple of Confuciuss in the Chinese city of Qufu. - it consists of five courtyards the first two feature well tended gardens each courtyard is separated by walls and ornamental gateways and a central pathway through the complex divides it into two symmetrical halves- one court yard was for a human Chess board
Temple of Confucius. Inside are statues of the great philosopher and four of his main disciples
Tortoise stele- mounted on giant tortoise pedestals these stone stelae are inscribed with the names and brief personal details of scholars who passed examinations of Van Mieu- only 82 of the original 112 survive
Altar of confuseius- hosts the elaborately decorated altar of confucius- flanked by statues of cranes standing on top of tortoised- the king and his pandering would make offerings and sacrifices here
Day 10
Vietnam 10
Transfer to Halong bay-
Stopped at an Gem Stars - saw an embroidery textile demonstration - lots of precious stones
Pearl stop
Rice paddies working in the fields
It is a world heritage site- it is spread over 580 square miles with more than 2000 pinnacle shaped limestone and dolomite outcrops According to legend the bay was formed when a gigantic dragon Ha Long meant descending dreagon- plunged in the gulf of Tonkin and created the myriad islets by lashing its tail
Geologist have explained that the karst topography is the product of selective erosion over the millennia- the rebut is a labyrinthine seaspe of bizarrely shaped outcrops, isolate caves and sandy coves
This area was used for the filming of the king kong skull island movie- the ship we were on was designed by an Architect and our cruise director Robert had actually meet Samuel L Jackson during the filming of the king kong movie
Hang Dau Go- cave of marvels
Kayaking off the boat
Awe inspiring cave
Transfer to Halong bay-
Stopped at an Gem Stars - saw an embroidery textile demonstration - lots of precious stones
Pearl stop
Rice paddies working in the fields
It is a world heritage site- it is spread over 580 square miles with more than 2000 pinnacle shaped limestone and dolomite outcrops According to legend the bay was formed when a gigantic dragon Ha Long meant descending dreagon- plunged in the gulf of Tonkin and created the myriad islets by lashing its tail
Geologist have explained that the karst topography is the product of selective erosion over the millennia- the rebut is a labyrinthine seaspe of bizarrely shaped outcrops, isolate caves and sandy coves
This area was used for the filming of the king kong skull island movie- the ship we were on was designed by an Architect and our cruise director Robert had actually meet Samuel L Jackson during the filming of the king kong movie
Hang Dau Go- cave of marvels
Kayaking off the boat
Awe inspiring cave
Day 11- water puppets
Vietnam day 11
More Halong bay-
The bed on the boat was amazing
Sunrise Tia Ci
Walk up the hill to the pagoda on Tuan Chau island- 700 steps
Went out to lunch with mom
Shopping- book shops- a short ride through the jungle”
Traditional Vietnamese water puppet show
Originating in the red river delta and believed to date back almost a thousand years Roi Nuoc or water puppytry is one of the most authentic expressions of Vietnamese culture In times past performances were held in villages using rivers lakes or rice fields- today they are staged in large water filled tanks at theaters- hiddeng behind the stage the puppyteers stand wast deep in water and maneuver their wooden puppets to the music of a traditional orchestra.
Tales are told from the age old perspective of a peasant culture and feature traditional protagonists and villains such as warrior heroes corrupt landlords and cruel rulers
Ty ba is a populat stringed in strident
Rick shaw ride through the alleys
Farwell dinner
So amazing
Day 12- transfer day- Hong Kong Spaghetti house- chicken bacon lasagna
More Halong bay-
The bed on the boat was amazing
Sunrise Tia Ci
Walk up the hill to the pagoda on Tuan Chau island- 700 steps
Went out to lunch with mom
Shopping- book shops- a short ride through the jungle”
Traditional Vietnamese water puppet show
Originating in the red river delta and believed to date back almost a thousand years Roi Nuoc or water puppytry is one of the most authentic expressions of Vietnamese culture In times past performances were held in villages using rivers lakes or rice fields- today they are staged in large water filled tanks at theaters- hiddeng behind the stage the puppyteers stand wast deep in water and maneuver their wooden puppets to the music of a traditional orchestra.
Tales are told from the age old perspective of a peasant culture and feature traditional protagonists and villains such as warrior heroes corrupt landlords and cruel rulers
Ty ba is a populat stringed in strident
Rick shaw ride through the alleys
Farwell dinner
So amazing
Day 12- transfer day- Hong Kong Spaghetti house- chicken bacon lasagna
day 12- reflections
