VIETNAM: (12/05)--#5...Final days in Nam‏

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Hi all,
Well, this is it...the final chapter of my first (and hopefully not last) visit to Vietnam. As it goes now, I am emailing from a Kiosk in Narita, Japan killing time on my eight hour layover. I left Vietnam at around midnight on December 30th and will be arriving in LAX at 7:30 AM on December 30th.

The last two day in Vietnam were, once again, unique and special. On December 28th, Chris and I had huge plans that, due to circumstance, shrunk a bit, but were still stellar. We started the morning with a visit to see the body of Ho Chi Minh...communist leader and one-time president of Vietnam who died in 1969. In Northern Vietnam, Uncle Ho is a national hero, and his face is seen all over the place as well as on all the paper money. The line to see Uncle Ho was long, and the weather was a bit drizzly. Many of the people in the queue were Vietnamese coming to pay their respects. The national guards are in full force around Ho's massive mauseleum; enforcing strict behavioral and dress code guidelines: no laughing, short clothes, loud/disruptive speech, cameras, or hands in the pocket. We saw people removed from the line for violating these standards. Bummer for them, and I imagine kinda scary too.

Once inside, the tempature dropped and Uncle Ho lay in the center of the room in a high glass coffin. He looked as if he was sleeping, except in a slanted bed (for our viewing pleasure.) He was surrounded by somber armed guards. From what I read, Uncle Ho has an annual visit to Madame Tresseou (sp??) where he has a wax makeover. For the most part, he looks like a wax figure...but neat to see nonetheless.

Afterwards, we strolled the presidential grounds and saw his cars, stilt house, guest house, and one-pillar pagoda. I love the dark red woods used to build important stuff...the same used to make good guitars...it makes even the humblest structures appear majestic. I was impressed that Ho's dwelling was very humble, not grandiose as one might expect from a president. I guess this fits the communist ideology, but I wasn't sure if Ho Chi Minh's lifestyle would reflect this ideal.

On a lighter note, Ho Chi Minh is a dead ringer for an Asian Colonol Sanders. Maybe when this whole bird flu thing blows over they can work that into some marketing campaign to bring new life to the Vietnamese chicken industry.

Afterwards, we visited the temple of literature which is one of the oldest structures in Vietnam. It is stunning...exactly what you'd expect in terms of rooftops, pillars, colors, and doorways. It is about 1000 years old and was a confucian school. Can you believe in all that time they only had like 30 graduates. I guess No Child Left Behind hadn't taken off in Vietnam. If I lived in Nam, the temple of literature would be one of my regular haunts for bringing a notebook and writing under a tree.

To wrap up our morning (before lunch...MSG free) we visited a little neighborhood lake where the wreckage of a U.S. B52 bomber has rested since 1972. It wasn't much to see, but still worth viewing...but then I am a U.S. history teacher. What amazed me the most was how nonchalant the world around it was considering a sunken plane was resting in their hood. It was nearly impossible to find, and the neighborhood bustled as normal, with curbside markets and vendors not even batting an eye in the direction of the plane. I guess after 33 years they've gotten enough eyefuls.

Our afternoon intention was to drive motorbikes for about 15 miles and visit monk mummies. In the craziness of Hanoi traffic (multiple Little Saigon population by 200 and multiple the craziness by 1000) Chris and I lost one another. Since her brakes were a little iffy, I feared the worse and headed back to our hotel after driving up and down the place where we separated. Now, my sense of direction is comical at best, and it was difficult to navigate while driving a motorbike on Hell's highway (see above Saigon reference). I spent 3 hours cruising unknown parts of Hanoi...possibly outskirts...I have NO idea, it all looked the same. I know I ended up where pavement was a novelty, as was English. Who knows how I got back home. Chris ended up going to the monk site and it was closed. We exchanged war stories when we regrouped five hours after our separation. Although the plans were a bust, the solitide of the wind and the motorbike, paired with the video game adrenaline of the road driving, made it a fun afternoon.

We spent the evening popping into little shops and restaurants in the higher-end of Hanoi. Some of the places are a sight...little vietnamese tea rooms, and eight-story themed restaurants were some of our favorites.

For the final day in Vietnam, we went on a day trip to the Perfume Pagoda, a shrine in cave about a two hour drive outside of Hanoi. The journey was the best part. When the tour van arrived to our car stop, we boarded a bus and hopped on a paddle canoe. A rower rowed four of us for about an hour to our next stop. The scenery was heaven. Green rock mountains, fields with farmers tilling their crops, occasional pagodas on the hilltops, reeds, lily pads, and signs of country living. The next part of the journey was a 4 kilometer hike up one of the mountains with more of the same scenery as a backdrop.When we arrived at the cave, it was ...well, a cave with candles, statues and incense. Peaceful and cool to the skin (especially after the hike). On the hike down, we stopped at some pagodas we had passed along the way. We returned in time for me to pack, have a bath in the bucket and eat my last Vietnamese supper.

In retrospect, the trip was magical, centering, peaceful, fun, adventurous, and unique. When I download the pics, I will resend the emails and attach related pictures. Hopefully that will enhance the explanations.

Well my time on this computer is running out (as are my yen)...Thank you for sharing my experience...Until next time...Happy New Year,
Love,
Jason

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Photos

One-Pillar Pagoda
Near Ho Chi Minh's place

Resting place
Of Ho Chi Minh

1972 U2 plane
Wreckage in a neighborhood

Temple of Literature
Outer grounds

My last Supper
In Vietnam