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Published: January 17th 2015
A train ride away! HCMC is not that far from Quang Ngai! It was only a 4-hour trip via the local train to DaNang and then an hour's flight to Ho Chi Minh City, better known to some of us as Saigon. Took the train in the middle of the night at 4:20 am, arriving at 8:30 or so and then caught a motorbike ride the 3 or 4 kilometers to the airport -- but luckily in the interim, a local tourguide/motorbike rider named Minh, aka Easy Rider, who is an experienced guide having led several tourists around the city of Danang in his day. Some of those clients have written glowing reports f the time they spent with Minh in his journal. So, I became one of those who decided to spend the next couple of hours seeing something of the city. Minh offered to help me take advantage of the 2+ hours in Danang before the flight to see a pagoda and a temple in the city. He carted me together with luggage and computer strapped to the back of the motorbike. Motorbikes populate the streets of DaNang just like any other city in Vietnam like battalions of armies
Trung-Hung Buu Toa Pagoda
Integrates elements of Christianity.on the streets. They move together in what I'm told are discernible patterns of traffic but traveling by moto or what we used to call a moped in Senegal is not for the faint of heart. It's a harrowing experience as the motorbike passes the vehicle stopped at the red light (if they do stop) in the lane facing oncoming traffic, rev up and take off before the light turns green, turn left in front of everyone coming in the opposite direction, and pass or approach within inches of each other. My heart races just thinking about it. We made it, baggage and all, to the first destination.
Trung-Hung Buu Toa Pagoda, Chua Cao Dai,
Pagods Cao Dai, was the first stop. Cao Dai, as I understand it, is a religion that is an amalgamation of a number of different religions. According to
Lonely Planet, Cao Daism is a fusion of East and West, a syncretic religion born in 20th c Vietnam: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, native vietnamese spiritualism, Christianity and Islam; ‘Cao Dai’ means high tower or palace and is a euphemism for God. It was founded by the mystic Ngo Minh Chieu a civil servant who once
Trung-Hung Buu-Ton Pagoda
Danang Vietnam, Pagoda Cao Dai, Chua Cao Dai. This religion comprises a mixture of different religions, e.g., the eye on the altar (Hinduism), the Chinese character for "general" (Confucianism or Taoism). served as district chief of Phu Quoc Island. He was active in seances and had a revelation which formed the tenets of Cao Dai. Officially founded as a religion in 1926, Cao Dai ran Tay Ninh province as an almost independent federal state so that by 1956 Cao Dai were a serious political force with a 25000 strong army but they refused to support the VC. After reunification all Cao Dai lands were nationalized by the new government and 4 members of the sect were executed in 1979. Only in 1985 when the Cao Dai had been thoroughly pacified were the Holy See and 400 temples returned to their control.
Cao Dai is based on Mahayana Buddhism which is mixed with Taoist and Confucian elements: “Triple Religion” ethics is in part based on buddhist idea of the good person --escape the cycle of reincarnation achieved by refraining from killing, lying, luxurious living, sensualoity and stealing. The main tenets of Cao Dai are the existence of the soul, the use of mediums to communicate with the spiritual world, and the belief in one god – the duality of the Chinese
yin and yang, priestly celibacy, vegetarianism and meditative self-cultivation.
Historically, there have been 3 major periods of divine revelation: 1) god’s truth revealed to humanity through Lao Tse and figures associated with Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism; 2) Human agents of revelation during 2nd period included Buddha (Sakyamuni) Mohammed, Confucuis, Jesus and Moses; and 3) final revelation: product of 3rd alliance between god and man through seances through which the spirits of the dead guide the living.
The Holy See of Cao Dai is in
Tay ninh town capital of tay ninh province headquarters of Cao Daism. Tay Ninh province is bordered by Cambodia on 3 sides. The dominant geographic feature is Nui Ba Den (Black Lady Mountain) while the eastern border is formed by the Saigon River. The Van Co River flows from Cambodia through western part of the province.
The Cao Dai Great Temple, one of the most unusual structures in all of Asia was built between 1933 and 1955. It is a rococo structure combining architectural features of French, church, Chinese pagoda and Hong Kong’s Tiger Balm Gardens. Unfortunately I was not able to visit this site while in HCMC but visited the
War Remnants Museum, HCMC
The American War/The Vietnamese War local pagoda in Da Nang.
In the Trung-Hung Buu Toa Pagoda in Da Nang, there is a huge image of the Third Eye or all-seeing eye at the front altar, an image of Christ on a tableau hanging from the ceiling, and a Chinese character at the back altar, meaning "General" as I was told, Confucianist or Taoist essentially. A quiet space for contemplation and reflection.
The second site in Da Nang was the temple Tinh Hoi Dan Nang, the official Da Nang Buddhist Temple, established and supported by the Provincial Buddhist Committee of Da Nang on Tong Ich Khiem Street, a temple filled with impressive statues of Buddha and Quang Nguyen (Quan Yin) and an elaborately decorated central temple adorned with gilded dragons and a large garden with huge old shade trees. Clearly this temple attracted more tourists with its monumental Buddhas and gilded dragons but both temples were very calming, despite those extreme differences in economic support.
The flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City was short -- about 1.4 hours refreshingly uneventful -- and I sped out the
gates of the Baggage Claim area with my carryon and raced for a taxi -- I was advised to get a coupon for a flat rate of 220 dong for the cab ride to the hotel but somehow I wanted to see for myself -- I wanted to hail a taxi (green or white company cabs w/ meter) myself to see if the warnings to watch the meter and make sure that the drivers don't take you for a ride were warranted. Not to worry it seems. The taxi drivers leaving the airport are registered like at La Guardia -- I was handed a ticket with the taxi driver's number and information so that if I wanted to register a complaint, I could. The driver took me straight to the hotel and sure enough it was considerably cheaper -- 150,000 dong w/ tip to the hotel. One small accomplishment!The Paradise Saigon hotel was my destination, an upper end boutique hotel (I think) that was amazing for me. A huge king-sized bed (really 2 bigger than singles pushed together), a TV with BBC and CNN, a shower with hot water and all the amenities that one expects and hopes for in
a hotel, a bathrobe, and a teapot w/ coffee and tea for use in the room. Ahhhh! Good to be in a comfortable space!
As soon as I had settled in, I decided to walk to the the Thanh Ban Market -- the central open market that I had gone to the last trip -- and on the way I passed the Lavender Hotel where I had stayed the last trip -- just a block from the Paradise Saigon. There at the market, I went shopping -- first of course was the coffee and tea...some of the weasel or civet coffee with the little coffee maker attached and then some tea -- ginger and dragon pearl -- then to get a bag Vietnamese style for carrying the computer and books, a wallet to carry the money a little more conveniently, and then finally some cloth -- I wanted to have a couple of dresses made by a Vietnamese tailor. A lot of bargaining, and not sure how good the results, but I felt just fine about that short shopping spree. On the way home back to the Paradise Saigon, I passed a tailor with a lovely green a-line dress/shift
in the window and voila, had found the tailor to make the dresses that I had just purchased the cloth for. Stopped in, got measured, bargained a little ineffectively, and ordered 3 dresses to be finished and delivered by Wednesday evening.
What else could I take advantage of while in the capital? A full-body and foot massage, of course. I could have taken the massage with jacuzzi and steam/sauna but opted for the cheaper -- thinking I would take advantage of the jacuzzi the next night or so with the complimentary coupon issued by the hotel Alas! I never did. But, the massage was great that first night -- she cracked my back, helped me focus on my feet and released a lot of tension that had built up in my shoulders over the past few months. It was great! And then in my room, I hit the hot shower. I hadn't had hot water for the first 3-4 days and finally got a hot shower the evening before I left Quang Ngai, but here there was ample hot water so I stood under the shower for a good 10 minutes and breathed in the steam and heat...couldn't get
myself out!
The next couple of days were spent in orientation sessions -- an overview of the Fulbright program in Vietnam, a look at life in Vietnam and what we can expect on a personal individual level and in our professional contexts. Suggestions and observations about issues such as personal safety were discussed as well as macro-issues such as the economic, social and political dimensions of this country at the present time - all presentations were incredibly thoughtful and instructive and some even provocative -- we often don't think of ourselves as risk takers or think of the behaviors that may be perfectly normal and acceptable in the US as anything out of the ordinary behavior but I think that sometimes we take for granted the safety/security that we feel on a day-to-day basis at home and fail to remember that other countries may have an entirely different perspective regarding right to privacy -- and we have to be aware of that reality!
The evening of the first night all the Fulbrighters and Nga and Thu Huong, our contact people here, and Michael, a contact from the Embassy in Hanoi went out to a local pub called O'Brien's
selected by Peggy and Bob -- not so far from their neighborhood where they live and work. It was great! We all enjoyed a few drinks together and then headed back to the hotel for some sleep before the next day's presentations. So many perspectives about so many different aspects of life in Vietnam!
That afternoon we finished a little early and headed to the War Remnants Museum on Pasteur Street. I had visited that museum before but it was just as powerful as the first time. The images resonate and recall younger years when the world seemed to be upside down for us as we were bombarded with heart-wrenching photos of mothers, children, young men, and military offenses. The human face of war was an overarching theme throughout the coverage of that period of history -- it's curious how that human perspective can guide one's moral compass in ways that the slick detached media coverage of the Iraq war never even attempted to do.
That evening we went to the Saigon Grill, a fabulous grill restaurant situated at the top of a building with a bird's eye view of Saigon -- the lights, the buildings, the neon
signs, the traffic, the noise the frenetic excitement of the throbbing city pulsates below, the smell of barbeque and charcoal grill whetting appetites and the smell of fish and vegetables on the grill drove us crazy with anticipation. How tasty the shrimp, the beans, and the mushroom all grilled on the open charcoal fire. We could have stayed all evening.
Some drinks outside the hotel and then 8 am the next morning to drive the 100 kilometers to the Mekong Delta! Although most of us had taken one of these day trips before, this one was special... our tour guide's English was quite good and she was well-informed and led us through a short history and a description of the Delta, the events on our trip, and the social, economic, and cultural dimensions of life in the Delta. We jumped on bicycles, cycled to the house of a family living in the Delta, had tea and then jumped in c canoed through small canals to a smaller canal where we had some refreshing fruits! OMG, the jackfruit, the papaya, the dragon's eye fruit, the bananas, the pineapple were all so sweet so ripe so perfect.
Then we went
mudfishing. We had to take off our shoes and jump into a canal, pan out the water so we could get down to deep gray clay and mud, and then start looking for the mud fish that live in the murky margin between the water and the clay...finally with the help of a Vietnamese local, John, who is in Hanoi and is from Kansas, and I located and caught a couple of fish - slimy critters that thrash about in the muddy waters...then we walked down a little further and wound up catching 6 in all -- really John caught 4 and I caught 2 or maybe it was like 3.5 and 2.5? Hard to tell really who caught what but it was fun. They took the fish back to the fisherman's/farmer's house where the family scaled and then grilled the catch. We gathered around for what they said was only an appetizer -- the grilled fish, with lettuce, and rice paper to wrap up dim sum style or in a Vietnamese spring roll that is so popular in Vietnamese restaurants abroad. So good with the vinegary condiments that are ubiquitous!
After that appetizer we headed to the Jiang
(?) family restaurant - a house that has been in that family for hundreds of years -- they have converted it to a temple of sorts and a huge area that can accommodate huge family gatherings we were told. There we were served some of the most delicious food that I have had since coming here. Fresh fish with rice paper and greens to make spring rolls, pickled quail eggs, cold chicken salad Vietnamese style, sauteed green beans, pork, a vegetable and chicken soup with broth out of this world and cold water to drink for a refreshing last meal together that day. It was so fresh, so tasty, the textures so perfect. We all talked about wanting to lose weight.
Then we cycled over the sidewalks and paths of the villages to a boat that took us along the Mekong for a long riverboat ride back to the bus. The water of the Mekong is yellow and reddish color, muddy, and flows throughout the delta area through many tributaries and canals. There are lotus scattered here and there along the way. Houses populate the banks of the river and docks or footpaths of single bamboo trunks provide access
to the river for fishermen or for women who need to get water or wash clothes. Occasionally there are steps carved out into the bank for access to the water. Many of the houses are bare wooden structures -- few amenities -- in contrast to some houses in the villages in the delta that we rode past on our bike trip -- there are some beautiful structures -- concrete foundations and rich heavy wooden doors with large fenced in yards. The river seems to be a working area, a place where people are always working to survive! We felt the wind against our face, the warm sun on our arms, and the calm of the countryside bring us to a moment of peace. What fabulous weather, a fabulous day, and a trip to remember.
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