I Love the Smell of Coffee in the Morning

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Hanoi, Vietnam

November 10, 2006

Shannon: After so many months threading our way through crazy traffic situations, it shouldn’t surprise us that getting across a street in Hanoi takes careful deliberation not to lose life or limb. So why are we even mentioning it? I suppose because, even by Asian standards (heck, even by Middle-Eastern standards), the traffic here is insane. Residents even seem to take deliberate pleasure in mentioning it - they wear it as a badge of honor.

Sean: The traffic comes at you from all sides and the never ceasing parade of scooters maneuver all around you as you whisper a little “Buddha will provide” every time you attempt a street crossing. Not altogether different from every other Asian nation, but definitely a bit more intense.

We arrived in Hanoi a couple of days ago and so far are pleasantly surprised. We feel like the place is a pretty good value…not cheap like Cambodia, but for $20 at a hotel, you get a lot of amenities (wireless internet, a decent breakfast, A/C, cable T.V, hot water, etc.). So other than the freaking crazy drivers, we’ve got nothing to complain about.


November 11, 2006 (Happy Veteran’s Day, Remembrance Day, and Armistice Day)

Sean: The winner gets to write the history books. True in every country, today’s example comes from the people of Hanoi and the infamous prison that housed a few great Americans during the height of our quixotic and ignominious struggle to defeat Ho Chi Minh’s forces; attempting to keep South Vietnam from falling.

The “Hanoi Hilton” was originally built by the French in the late 1800’s to house the “patriots and revolutionaries” that resisted the “demoralizing” colonial rule of that European power. Much of the museum is devoted to this time period; in one room they displayed the guillotine used to behead those “patriots” and as well as numerous objects of torture. Otherwise common objects were employed in this effort, such as a 55 gallon drum with the caption “French secret service agents either plunged the prisoner into the barrel filled with water or into an empty barrel and continuously knocked on it to enervate the prisoner”.

Now I don’t want to make light of the persecution that more than likely occurred in the prison at the hands of le francais - the people at the top don’t like having their rule questioned, that’s a universal fact. But it’s when we popped into the two rooms devoted to the American pilots held here during the Vietnam War (or the American War, depending on your point of view) that caused a few chuckles to emanate from my cracked lips.

Now maybe I’ve been brainwashed by American pop culture and by watching the documentary Return With Honor but the museum’s account of the treatment of our downed flyers and interviews with the actual prisoners as related in the documentary - starring such luminaries as Senator John McCain and Admiral Jim Stockdale - are in conflict…to put it mildly. The captioned pictures on the wall give the appearance of a fun romp at a summer camp. Between the smiling faces and volleyball games, you’d be pressed to think that the American P.O.W’s whined excessively and have unjustly maligned their former prison guards. Some of the gems that adorn the walls include:

There’s plenty of fruits in this tropical land, it is as if one is being in California, somewhere on the West Coast.

- This picture showing a couple of prisoners giving each other some fruit (and smiling).

The meal over, and the dishes washed, a little while with a guitar, singing a song of one’s hometown would be good.

- In this one, the American pilots can hardly contain their glee while one of them, sitting on a bunk with crossed legs like he’s around a campfire, plays the guitar.

And the final quote from the faux yearbook style spread adorning the wall:

Such is the life of captured U.S. pilots in the camps. All of them benefit the same advantage: the lenient and humane policy of the government and people of the D.R.V.N. Yes all of them…

Shannon: I don’t remember the specifics of the torture described in the documentary, but life as described by the former inmates certainly wasn’t anything close to fruit baskets and sing-alongs. After our visit, I found an article on the internet describing a visit John McCain paid to his former place of confinement - his second visit since his release, this time with his son in 2000 - in which he seemed to be trying to hard to remain diplomatic about the displays.

"It's always interesting for me to be back here and show my son the place where I lived for a long time," the Arizona Republican said as he paused next to a faded photograph of himself as a grim-faced, unmistakably defiant inmate. "But I put Vietnam behind me when I left." Yet, as he guided his wife and 13-year-old son through the remnants of the grim jail known as the "Hanoi Hilton," Mr. McCain, long a proponent of better relations with Vietnam, betrayed feelings still raw a quarter of a century later. "I still bear them ill will," he said of the prison guards, "not because of what they did to me, but because of what they did to some of my friends -- including killing some of them." He also offered an acidic commentary on how the Vietnamese portrayed life inside the prison. Alongside the pictures of Mr. McCain and his fellow prisoners, a plaque declared: "Though having committed untold crimes on our people, the American pilots suffered no revenge once they were captured and detained. Instead, they were treated with adequate food, clothing and shelter." Shaking his head, Mr. McCain muttered, "That's entertainment."

November 12, 2006

Sean: The trifecta of failure is complete. When we originally started this extended voyage, we had planned on visiting all three Communist Cults of Personality on display - men of the people who rejected hero worship and are now trussed up like holiday turkeys for all to gawk. Our visa problem with Russia completely negated a pilgrimage to Lenin’s pickled remains. Then in China, we aborted an attempt to stand in awe at Mao’s preserved cadaver because the Disney-rivaled, three-plus hour line shuffling along Tiananmen Square held no allure. Today, again our luck didn’t hold as we arrived at the monolithic final abode of Ho Chi Minh and were turned away by the imposing guards. We had read that for a couple of months every year he’s taken for maintenance to Russia (and really, who’s got more experience doing this, but the guys who brought us the original?) and, lo and behold, reading the guidebook we find out that our time in Hanoi coincides with this brief annual event. At least our luck has been consistent.

Shannon: With the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit approaching in a few days, even the Ho Chi Minh museum was closed for some annual sprucing, so we consoled ourselves with a visit to the modest ‘stilt house’ that was Uncle Ho’s abode between 1958 and 1969, the year of his death. A famously modest man, Ho Chi Minh had the house built on the grounds of the Presidential Palace, right beside a large, scenic pond. To call it ‘minimalist’ would be an understatement - it really is nothing more than two-rooms (one bedroom, one study) raised over an open-air conference room. Our guidebook tells us that he lived there on-and-off, though how much time he actually spent there is debated. Even for a man committed to a simple life, I tend to think that it was more ‘off’ than ‘on’ - there wasn’t even a bathroom or kitchen included. And I doubt very much that after leading his people to independence from the French, Uncle Ho was ever caught conducting his business al fresco.

Aside from visiting the many coffee shops about town (the Vietnamese make a really good cuppa joe), we’ve also amused ourselves by attending a performance of water puppetry. This singularly Vietnamese tradition, where puppeteers stand in waist-deep water hidden behind a screen while manipulating their puppets to dance across the surface of the water, reenacting scenes of folklore and daily life, actually sounds more interesting than it really is. I hate to say it, but it’s true. It’s not a bad way to spend your time - and you certainly don’t have to pay much for the privilege - but I found myself looking at the program constantly to see what the next little montage would be about. A performance only lasts about 60 minutes, so it’s not like you’re giving up a whole evening to see it, but I did think it got a bit repetitive.

Another more popular evening activity - for both locals and tourists alike - are frequenting the bia hoi places set up on small corners about town. Bia hoi is the local beer and is incredibly cheap by any standards - an extremely modest $0.12 will get you a glass. The establishments that serve this frothy brew aren’t exactly your typical bar, though - unless you call molded plastic chairs set up on a sidewalk typical. With a keg set off to the side and crowned with a large chunk of ice, you’re certainly not paying for ambiance. Although, actually, it’s quite a bit of fun to sit on the street corner and watch all manner of scooters, pedestrians, tourists, hawkers and locals striding by a mere foot away. The taste? Pretty much like you would think a 12 cent beer would be, though Sean didn’t mind it too much. But he’s a cheap drunk anyway.

Sean: These places aren’t the pedestrian beer cafes of Eastern Europe that we thoroughly investigated (solely for your information), but sitting on a child sized plastic chair, along side a busy street, and chatting with the interesting people of Hanoi will definitely go down as one of the more memorable drinking establishments of the trip…and all for such a miniscule sum, you just can’t go wrong.

Shannon: Sean and I did make one important decision between hoisting beers: that Vietnam will be the last stop for us on our round-the-world adventure. After well over 14 months of traveling - and only about 5 weeks left to go before our planned return to the United States - we were not sure if we wanted to tackle Vietnam + one other country, or just take our time and see this country at leisure. The judges weighed in, and the ease of staying in one country rather than hustling to get through two won out in the end. Vietnam will be our last big hurrah, the final bookend to a trip that began on the other side of the globe in Guatemala last year. With miles of coastline and sandy beaches, an interesting history tied with our own, and a culture that is relatively easy to travel through, we think it should be a good ending.

Halong Bay,

Vietnam
November 14, 2006

Sean: Now this is beautiful scenery. We’ve been living in the lap of luxury the last few days, taking in the beautiful airs of this amazing seascape. As we motor in our luxury cruiser around the karst mountains that dominate this region, it reminds us of the similar landscape in Yangshuo, China. The only difference here is that the unique rock formations and small mountains jut up from the waters of a tropical sea and not from farmers’ fields.

Shannon: Companies running organized tours to Halong Bay are everywhere in Hanoi - literally every other shop. And there’s quite a range of prices: you can pay as little as $40 or as much as $275 (per person) to do a 3-day, 2-night trip to Vietnam’s largest tourist draw. We shopped around a bit, but to be honest, it’s very hard to know what company to go with. All the boats looked the same (large wooden junks with one or two levels of cabins and some public areas for eating and sunning yourself), and all the operators seemed to be promising identical services. But there’s a big difference between paying $80 or $550 for the two of us. What gives? Well, even reading about the experiences of other travelers online, nothing seemed clear. Some people went with the cheaper companies and had a good experience…and an equal number did not. The food (included in the price) was hit-or-miss; some people said it was good, others complained about being thrown a few pieces of bread and some weak coffee. Sometimes the boats were great; others got stuck in cabins with leaky roofs or claustrophobic bathrooms. Some people loved their companions; other travelers complained about being promised an intimate group of 10 but then suffering as an additional dozen or so ‘day trip’ passengers were added.

In the end, we decided to splurge (we’re almost at the end of the trip, anyway…what are we saving our money for?) We chose one of the higher mid-range companies and ended up paying about $280 for the two of us, meals and activities included, for a 3 day trip. It was still a bargain.

Sean: Halong Bay, a huge forest of stone jutting up out of the water, is obviously a very popular tour for visitors to Vietnam. But amazingly, once out on the water, the other boats disappear amongst the inlets and harbors of the thousands of islands in the bay. Aside from seeing the huge queue of junks at the main dock in Halong City, you only periodically run into the other vacationers whilst sailing along. Sure the other boats are out there, but while you’re under power, the waterways aren’t very crowded.

There were six of us on our boat (an Irish and a French couple rounded out the other passengers) along with our Vietnamese tour guide, Khanh, who was very personable and intensely curious about all of us.

Shannon: Meals were served family-style, and except for the small portions for the first few meals, I thought it was very good. (Sean: The food was pretty tasty, although I felt they wasted too much effort on presentation for the first lunch and dinner - lots of fancy garnishes and even a watermelon carved into a turtle (complete with a tiny carved fish in his mouth) - and not enough on volume…but hey, that’s just me.) Seafood, naturally, was on the menu each meal and there were also plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. My only (small) complaint was that - for what appeared to be a more expensive tour - it seemed a bit cheap to have us pay for drinks like coffee and tea. I understand why they would ask you to pay for alcohol or soft drinks, but surely the profit margin isn’t so thin that a few bags of Lipton Yellow Label would break the bank.

We had opted for a tour that included kayaking on the bay, and though it was very tiring, it turned out to be a really fun activity. And this was one of the ways that I feel like we got a bit more than the ‘cheap’ tours. For one thing, we got really good instruction on how to kayak before we got into the water - Sean and I learned a few things, and we’ve kayaked before. The quality of the equipment was much better than what the other groups we ran into were using - good quality kayaks with splash skirts and rudders, not the molded-plastic floating ‘kayak’ shape you would find on a Blue Light special at Kmart. And most of all, it seemed like our company took a bit of time to find “good” places for you to kayak to, not just dropping you in the water anywhere and letting you paddle around the ship. Our guide first took us to this really neat secluded lagoon - accessible only by threading yourself under a very low opening. Once inside, it opened into this amazingly huge lake completely surrounded on all sides by towering rocks. If we thought that was difficult, which in hindsight was pretty easy, our second major destination later in the afternoon was even more difficult. Accessed only via a long turning-and-twisting route through a completely dark cave (with the added challenge that the tide was receding and working against us), we again found ourselves in another beautiful secluded lagoon. Our guide told us that the route into this particular one is only navigable a few days each month because of the way the tides are in the area.

Sean: Our second trip via the very, very dark and seemingly endless claustrophobia inducing cavern - our mini-maglights were barely able to keep up with the ominous interior - was worth the effort. I gave out a huge sigh of relief when we emerged from the entrance passage back into the bright sunshine of the lagoon. As the steep sided walls stretched far above us, we all paddled around curiously checking out the far corners of this hidden natural phenomenon.

Ducking our heads again and feeling our way along for the too long journey back through the water filled passage, we made it out and continued our tour through the vast bays. Khanh told us that there are 1,969 islands in Halong Bay and only roughly half are named - with the majority holding monikers that evoke their shape. Periodically he would point them out and ask if we could tell what the names of the islands were. A few were obvious (Turtle Island), but the pair that look like two roosters fighting was a long stretch (and these “rooster” islands are on the official Halong Bay tourism symbol).

Shannon: Our trip included one night spent on the boat, and one night in a hotel on the largest island in the bay, Cat Ba Island. When we were looking at tours, I originally thought it would be much nicer to spend both nights on the boat, but in hindsight it was a nice change to sleep on land for the second night. The boat was nice, but after having spent all day yesterday chatting with our fellow passengers, reading my book on deck while we passed through amazing scenery, and then spending all day today kayaking until my arms were tired, I was ready for the change of pace that being on the island afforded.

Sean: We spent the second night of our two night sojourn on the tres touristy Cat Ba Island. The hotel they put us up in was quite nice, but by the time we got back and had dinner we were pretty bushed, only able to power through one glass of bia hoi on the quay before turning in.

Then it was up early this morning for the boat ride back to Halong City. Again, our passage through the stunning landscape was awesome.

Hue, Vietnam

November 18, 2006

Shannon: As we’ve learned so far in Vietnam, there seems to be a pretty well-defined tourist trail between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Every traveler, depending on the length of their trip, seems to hit the same cities in the same order as every other traveler. Not really feeling much like going through the trouble to be different as we near the end of our travels, we’ve found ourselves herded along with the rest as we made our way to the ‘next’ stop on the way south: the city of Hue.

Hue is popular with tourists for two main reasons: it’s an easy gateway to the sights of the old DMZ and as the final resting place for the Nguyen dynasty emperors. Today we decided to tackle the latter and took a city tour to see the ancient Citadel and various royal tombs scattered about the countryside.

Sean: I don’t want to belittle Hue’s contributions to Vietnamese history and architecture, but the ancient tombs and old palaces are so reminiscent of what we spent months visiting in China and Korea that it was difficult to spark a renewed interest. Also, and not to deride the Vietnamese any more, but the previously aforementioned Asian powerhouses have renovated all these sites to a much greater degree. With that said, they were fairly typical tombs. Nice, but I won’t wax poetic describing their virtues.

Shannon: During the tour, we stopped off at a little roadside shack that sold incense. I’d never seen it being made before; for this reason, I thought it was pretty interesting. For a look on how it’s done, pop on over to our video website and see a little video here.


November 19, 2006

Sean: In 1954 after France decided to divest itself from all Indochinese holdings, a cease fire was signed and a political border created between North and South Vietnam - both areas would be administered provisionally until free elections would eventually unite the two halves. By 1956, a stalemate had been reached, though, as no one could agree on a framework and/or leader for a unified country. For the next 8 years, both sides continuously usurped each others’ boundaries and fomented revolution in their own eyes - the capitalists from the south continuously infiltrated the north and the communists (famously along the Ho Chi Minh trail through Laos and Cambodia) “visited” the south.

The dividing line between these two countries (arbitrarily placed along the 17th parallel and mostly utilizing the natural barrier of the Ben Hai River) was then widened to include a Demilitarized Zone (a la Korea) of roughly five kilometers. This is the spot we found ourselves today.

In a united Vietnam the old border is nothing more than a marker along the road and the DMZ is nothing save a few towns surrounded by rice paddies. But with tourists (both local and foreign) yearning to learn more about this tumultuous period, the government is sprucing up the area to meet demand. They’re still working on a museum, but they’ve just completed a large statue on the southern side of the river and soon you’ll be able to walk across the Ben Hai on a reconstructed bridge that evokes a more utilitarian military design.

Our tour guide for this outing was very nice and very informative, yet managed her spiels to be quite apolitical - which is very difficult with such a divisive and recent history. My hat goes off to her. Along the way, we also stopped at the famous forward deployed Khe Sanh military base (just a few miles distant from the old border) where U.S. and South Vietnamese Army units acted as the first line of defense.

At first, only Green Berets were stationed there, but as our involvement escalated (after 1964), so did the troop count. At its height there were 6,000 (or so) soldiers at Khe Sanh with U.S. Marines making up the bulk. It was attacked several times - most famously in 1968 when the North laid siege to the base to divert attention away from the Tet Offensive, which began a week later. The ruse worked: while President Johnson and General Westmoreland were convinced that the base was going to be overrun by the North, the VC actually went on the offensive far to the south, attacking most of the large population centers, including Saigon. In the end, American troops held the base, but lost control of many cities, which had to be wrested again from the VC through bitter fighting.

The verbiage at Khe Sanh’s little museum wasn’t as disinterested as our guide’s, and included lots of captions like one explaining how the smiling village woman was feeding an artillery round into the breach of a howitzer to fire on an American ship or another one that showed a pensive looking U.S. soldier and explained that he was distraught because of the unnecessary loss of so many of his friends (what amazing powers of observation).

But then again, I could go rounds and rounds refuting popular thought and explaining how our policies here, while not altruistic, weren’t as evil and malignant as many believe. But surprisingly the Vietnamese don’t seem to bother too much about what exactly happened and don’t seem to harbor too many grudges. It’s refreshing considering that, as a part of the world that probably has cause to hold anti-American feelings, the Vietnamese don’t seem to; “What is past is past”, Khanh, our aforementioned Halong Bay tour guide, told us.

Shannon: The museum was certainly interesting for one reason: I’m not sure that I’ve ever visited a museum that outright lied in their displays. I’ve been to many that put their own ‘spin’ on a subject, maybe told it from the most advantageous viewpoint, but never boldly, categorically lied like this one did. Walking away from the museum, if you didn’t know the truth, you would believe that during the siege of 1968 the North overran the base and chased the American forces like screaming little girls down the hills to the south. The truth is, we held the base. No other source that I’ve seen evenly remotely claims otherwise. The VC eventually did take possession of it in 1975 - 7 years after we abandoned the site and 2 years after all US military personnel had left the country.

We also visited the famous Vinh Moc tunnels - 2.8 kilometers of underground passageways hollowed out one shovelful at a time. The North created a large base here, and used the tunnels to ferry supplies further south (the tunnels opened directly on to the beach). Our visit to them was cut a bit short - workers were spraying insecticide on the timber walls of the tunnels to control termites, and it only took a few moments of breathing in the chemicals to challenge us to get through the tunnels as fast as possible. Still, we saw enough to convince us that it would have been a very claustrophobic place to live.

Hoi An, Vietnam

November 23, 2006

Sean: The next stop on Vietnam’s heavily trafficked tourist trail is this small town on the central coast. The older portion, full of ancient Chinese, Japanese, and French colonial buildings is a pleasant stop, with little cafes in old wooden buildings available for you to whittle away a few hours, chatting about nothing and everything with your beautiful wife. But what keeps this particular hamlet on the lips of foreigners from around the globe are the too-numerous-to-count, made-to-order garment shops - the town has become one huge Savile Row for the budget minded traveler. You can get anything made, altered or copied here and all the shops have the most current catalogs of styles to prod your imagination if their army of dolled up mannequins hasn’t sparked any interest.

Not only are these places on every corner, but in any given city block, you can actually count the number of non-tailoring establishments on one hand.

Every trip outside the hotel elicits far too many requests for us to “come into my shop” and “just look”. Never wanting to disappoint, we replied in the affirmative to some of these petitions for our business and got sized up for some new duds. There are serious bargains to be had, but like with anything, you get what you pay for, and quality doesn’t come cheap. I got a few dress shirts made and the ones that were 9 dollars are pretty good; not too shabby, but the workmanship and material won’t be mistaken for Italian. The 19 dollar shirts from one of the high end shops is definitely of better fabric and stitching, but then again 19 dollars really ought to get you a decent dress shirt, considering that same price will get you a nice hotel room or a really outstanding dinner for two.

Shannon: We spent $200 during our little clothes shopping spree, but it was amazing how much we received for that amount. We both got measured up for new wool coats - handy for the coming winter but hard to wear for very long during the fittings because of the oppressive heat outside - and I opted for a fitted corduroy jacket as well. Then there were two trips to the cobblers, who churned out new leather shoes for each of us; heels for myself, dress shoes for Sean. And while Sean was fitted for numerous dress shirts, I was obviously thinking more of the comfort of a nice Sunday morning and chose some satin pajamas and a coordinating robe (maybe I’m not ready to rejoin the working world?). All-in-all, it turned out to be a nice pile of booty. And the quality of the workmanship? Overall, pretty good. Sean had 5 dress shirts made in total, ranging from $7 to $19. The $7 shirt turned out to be the biggest hassle, as we needed numerous fittings to get it right. The $19 shirt was perfect at the first fitting. But then, his $9 shirts made from a seamstress in the local market fit every bit as well as the more expensive one. We definitely found that the talent of the seamstress seems to matter more than the ambiance of the shop.

If either one of us were die-hard shoppers, I think Hoi An could be a real bargain, if you shopped carefully. The items that are more expensive at home - wool jackets, men’s suits or women’s evening gowns - can be copied from the latest fashion magazines and cost a fraction of tailor made clothes at home. But while it was an interesting distraction for a few days - our daily schedule seemed to revolve around which shop we were supposed to come back to for a fitting at any point in the day - it’s not my idea of paradise, so I was glad when our orders were all filled and we had no more fittings scheduled.

Sean: I’m still completely unsure how all the shops differentiate themselves and manage to remain in the black in the process considering the ubiquity of their competition. Like everywhere else in Asia, a ‘good idea’ has been copied until there are so many people offering the service and undercutting each other that it doesn’t seem like anybody can be making a profit. But for the consumer it manages to keep the prices low. So after two wool coats, five dress shirts, two pairs of leather dress shoes, and a set of pajamas for Shan, we’ve managed to exit this burg without really doing much damage to the old checkbook - certainly costing far, far less than an equitable trip to the mall for the same, off the rack items back home. A few decent deals were had and now we’ve got some nice stuff to stock our closets.


November 27, 2006

Shannon Aside from splurging on new clothes, we did manage to see one of the area’s more lauded attractions: the remains of the Champa monuments at My Son. Before taking a tour out to the site, we rented a scooter to make the hour drive north to the city of Danang, home of the Museum of Cham Sculpture. There, we ogled the best of the finely honed stonework recovered from many of the Champa sites around the country - some of it very nice indeed. The Champa Empire began around the 2nd century A.D and stretched well into the 15th century - making them contemporaries of the Khmers in Cambodia. Much like the builders of Angkor Wat, the Cham were prolific temple builders, but theirs were much smaller brick towers.

In comparison, even at the height of the empire, My Son was never in the same league as Angkor Wat, which towers above it in scale and magnitude. Unfortunately, the American War nudged My Son even further towards oblivion, as the site was used by the VC as a base and it was subsequently bombed repeatedly. Archaeologists divide what is left into 10 main ‘groups’ but of those, only 2 really have anything left to see. What time had not destroyed, the war did quite a job trying to, much to the consternation of Cham experts. But while I don’t want to condone the destruction of someone else’s ancient history, I did wonder during our visit if the temples had ever been very impressive, judging off what remained. They seemed a bit basic, but perhaps I was just under-whelmed by their small size and relatively plain facades - remember too, that at this point in the trip, it takes quite a bit to impress us. And this is going to sound really culturally insensitive, but it was rather interesting to see just how massive a crater is created when a multi-ton bomb hits the ground. They were probably the most impressive part of the whole site.

As much as you would like to experience each new country with fresh eyes and an open mind, of course it never happens in reality. Each country is - for better or worse - stacked up against the one you just left (or even those that were 4 countries ago) and judged by some ‘standard’ that develops after you’ve journeyed through multiple countries. Unfortunately, that puts My Son near the bottom of the ‘ancient temples’ list, but overall Vietnam is fairing quite well against its neighbors. We’ve met other travelers who didn’t have that many kind words for Vietnam as a whole - they felt constantly badgered by touts, felt the people were only looking at them as a walking wallet and didn’t find much value in the attractions. For us, Vietnam has been quite pleasant. We’re way past needing to see every temple or ancient relic, so the lack of astounding attractions isn’t necessarily a black mark against the country, and at this point we’re hardly fazed by persistent trinket sellers. For us, it’s an easy, comfortable country to travel through. The food is generally good, the hotels are clean and a good value, the scenery is nice and the weather is great - and they serve a great cup of coffee. What more do you need?

Nha Trang, Vietnam

December 1, 2006

Shannon: Having moved a bit further south, to the beachside town of Nha Trang, we’ve set up camp once again in another comfortable hotel and are enjoying all the amenities available in this popular locale - a wide sandy beach, turquoise water, abundant seafood and plenty of chairs to lounge in. With no thoughts of visiting anything evenly remotely cultural, our time here has been spent being proper beach bums. After rousing ourselves from sleep, we mosey to the beach in the late morning; sip drinks while enjoying the gentle breezes beside the beach, then lazily wander back to the hotel late in the afternoon.

Sean: Life here on the central coast has been difficult to be sure. Our daily routine has largely consisted of hanging out at the beach cafes and sipping strong Vietnamese coffee while beginning to organize our future life back home. Between planning for Christmas and just coming to grips with the finalization of 16 months of travel - which was itself the culmination of 2 years of preparation - we’re very excited about returning to the States…and a brand new state it will be as our traveling adventure includes a transcontinental move from Louisiana to Washington; trading New Orleans for Seattle.

But with family and friends sending us pictures of the recent snow storm in the Emerald City, and then comparing that chilly vision with the view from our spacious 8th floor balcony, soaking up the sunny beach view a block away, we question our sanity. It’s from this vantage, as the comfortable trade winds cool off the heat of the day, that we wonder if we could’ve, at the very least, picked a more agreeable season for returning.

From coastal South East Asia to the Pacific Northwest of the United States in one fell swoop will be a difficult pill to swallow. From tropical beaches to the dreary rain of wintertime in Seattle - should we really be subjected to such unpleasantness?

And to reiterate to all of you, even if we’ll share your pain in just a couple of weeks, the weather here really is beautiful.

But the future is just that, the future, so we leave the cares of home for another day as we walk around the town, savoring the cheap calamari and cold beers from the numerous street side restaurants. Every now and again we pop into the gift stores and handicraft shops looking for Christmas gems (in reality though, the biggest winners this holiday season will be your favorite traveling protagonists - we’ve selfishly amassed some really cool stuff).

Dalat, Vietnam

December 3, 2006

Sean: Another lengthy bus trip, this time away from the coast and up into the highlands where we’ve arrived in Dalat. The change in altitude and weather is very noticeable; far from the heat of Nha Trang, we’re actually a bit on the chilly side here. This area has long been a popular enclave of honeymooners and vacationers escaping the heat of the flatlands so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s quite cold here in early December…something we hadn’t planned on and with no cool weather clothes stocking our shoulder carried armoires, we’re probably going to beat a hasty retreat from this burg.

Shannon: Sean and I both had essentially the same thought: why spend our remaining days in a cold location when we’ll undoubtedly be treated to enough of that when we land in Seattle in a few short weeks. We ditched the fleeces, warm gloves and scarves long ago, and rather than break out the new wool coats, it’s easier to just keep moving. We’ll spend a day or so seeing the sights and then beat a hasty retreat back to more civilized climes.


December 4, 2006

Sean: There are a few sights around Dalat worth mentioning and we managed to squeeze them in while tooling around the countryside on our scooter yesterday.

One of the daughters of the second president of Vietnam (succeeding Uncle Ho) studied architecture in the Soviet Union before winding up here in Dalat and has built herself a very unique home, dubbed “Crazy House” in the guide books. The title of the house says it all and it reminds me of Alice’s trip through the looking glass, you’re just waiting for the Cheshire cat to appear (smile first) from a branch of one of the concrete trees. It doubles as a hotel, though the digs looked a bit dodgy and the prices were a bit inflated, so I’m not sure that there’s much value in staying there. But for a meager donation you can meander through the rooms and visit the half-finished portions that they promise will be completed by next year. It’s definitely something completely different…even if it feels like it was solely created as “wacky for wacky’s sake”…But who am I to argue with modern art?

Shannon: Our guidebook describes the Dalat as a ‘Petite Paris’, known for the French villas that were built in earlier times. Though it does have more of a European air than other towns in Vietnam, I certainly wouldn’t cancel your trip to France expecting to find a budget version of the City of Light here. It’s a pleasant town, but not what I would describe as picturesque or even quaint. Still, it’s nice enough for a few days.

With a more temperate than tropical climate, Dalat is known for the abundance of produce and flowers grown around town. We stopped briefly by the Dalat Flower Gardens, but while there were many things still in bloom, you could definitely tell that it was off-season for that attraction. So we hopped back on the scooter and gave ourselves a tour of the countryside. Heading out of town, you are immediately struck by the miles and miles of hillside greenhouses - just about every plot of ground seemed to be taken up. We had been told by a man that we met in Hanoi that a large Dutch flower company - seeking to find favorable growing conditions in Asia - has been successful in recruiting Vietnamese farmers in Dalat to grow roses and other popular flowers for resale to florists in Japan. Judging by the hundreds of acres under cultivation, it must be a huge success. Elsewhere, modest plots of land had been cleared for fruit orchards and vegetable plots, and there were even some coffee plantations thrown in the mix. Leaving town behind, the area gives way to huge pine forests - and we couldn’t help noting the countryside looked a lot more like Spokane, Washington than the dense tropical jungle you normally associate with Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

December 7, 2006

Sean: Today’s jaunt into the jungles of the big city included a trip to, what I like to call, the Anti-American Museum. Well, it’s actually called the War Remnants Museum, but really, my title is more succinct. I can’t complain, because while the museum doesn’t purport to be a factual account of the war, the picture captions don’t lie and the museum largely displays the truth. The moments featured here were not America’s finest hour.

From the Mai Lai Massacre to Agent Orange to enumerating the tonnage of ordinance dropped, all the truly horrific and sad aspects of our involvement in this hemisphere were on display. But if highlighting the darkest moments from the opposing side helps people move past the past, then…what the hell? As I mentioned earlier, even though all this history is fairly recent and the museum has posted the most horrific pictures available, no one here has displayed any hostility or bitterness. Heck, the gifts in the museum’s shop are all listed in dollars - a weird incongruity as you walk out of these halls of carnage and are faced with little green slips of paper proudly showing George Washington being passed to the clerks as legal tender for tacky souvenirs from the “American War”.

Shannon: You could pick nits with the wording on the displays - it really is a one-sided viewpoint. But even though they selectively chose the worst moments - the stuff that no American can be proud of - and completely ignore any atrocities committed by the their side, the fact remains that these moments did happen. They didn’t make this stuff up. As an American, it’s too easy to want to pick at their facts, or bluster about the imbalance of the reporting. But that puts you in the position of defending the indefensible. And you really don’t want to do that.

One part of the legacy of the war that I knew little about were the problems Vietnam still struggles over: the birth defects and health problems of those exposed to the defoliants (Agent Orange, etc.) used during the war, not to mention the lingering health problems of those hit by napalm and other incendiary substances. I had no idea that the dioxins used in the defoliants were so virulent to cause birth defects many years after exposure - some men hadn’t even met their future wives when they were exposed, yet their (sometimes brief) contact with the chemical would show up again at the birth of their children many years later. The faces in the photos are heartbreaking - truly innocent children whose lives are tragically affected by something that didn’t even happen in their lifetime. And the museum didn’t even touch on the massive environmental contamination caused by these products. The fact that they highlight these problems and raise awareness with their displays I felt was really commendable.


December 13, 2006

Sean: We’ve been slowly seeing the busy city of Saigon, ducking into coffee shops when the urge strikes and visiting the local markets seeking that perfect little holiday treasure to bestow on our families and friends. As a dichotomy to Hanoi (the capital), there seems to be much more “money” here in Ho Chi Minh City. High rises, foreign banks, foreign fast food chains (all noticeably absent in the north), and shiny upscale malls punctuate what must be the financial hub of the country.

Shannon: Ho Chi Minh City is congested, noisy and crowded. The sidewalks are taken up by residents selling all manner of goods, forcing you to walk in the street where you fight for space with the thousands of motorcycles, cyclo drivers, cars and fellow pedestrians all wending their way through the busy avenues. At night, the constant bleating of horns from vehicles fighting for the right of way interrupts your sleep. The city is a bit dirty, a bit jarring, but not without merit. Having mentally given up on ‘traveling’, Sean and I have been very content to just sit back, soak up the atmosphere and chill out. Our time has not been spent in cultural pursuits; rather, we’ve been content enough to sit in plastic chairs at a folding table on the sidewalk, sipping our drink of choice and watching the flurry of activity passing by in front of us. Women in conical hats walk with a slow shuffle as they balance heavy baskets of fruit from their shoulders; men hawking sunglasses display their wares on huge sheets of plywood and hit up every western-looking person in sight; cyclo drivers sit casually in the seat of their large passenger ferrying bicycle while vying for the attention of the people walking by. It’s a colorful and fascinating world walking by.

We’ve also enjoyed checking out the festive holiday decorations on display. Though the country is overwhelmingly Buddhist (or Atheist, if you’re a good Communist), it seems that everyone likes a good Christmas display, so along with the other residents and tourists, we’ve stood to gawk at Santa, his elves, and the myriad of other holiday characters set up in front of large department stores and hotels. Complete with flocked windows and fake snow on the ground, it’s an odd juxtaposition considering the 75+ degree weather outside.

Hanoi, Vietnam

December 16, 2006

Shannon: We’re sitting in the lobby of the Hanoi airport right now, tapping out the end of this missive and reflecting on the fact that our time in this country - and for the entire trip - is at it’s end. We’re flying to Bangkok this evening, to spend the remaining two days of our trip there before flying out to Seattle and home for the holidays. A lot of family and friends, emailing us during these past few weeks, have asked us essentially the same question: How does it feel to be coming home? Are we sad that this trip is just about over?

The answer is, maybe surprisingly, no. This trip has been nothing less than amazing - to look back and think about all of the things that we’ve seen, well, I just don’t have words to describe it. And I wouldn’t trade these memories - and all the time Sean and I have had together - for anything. But it’s a bit like having your favorite food everyday - at some point, you’re ready for something different. We both are ready for a new challenge. At some unidentified point in this trip, traveling became commonplace and the magic dimmed just a bit. We’re ready to tackle something else head-on.

Of course, we’re fully prepared to regret saying that at all, once we’ve firmly established ourselves in the daily routine of life back in the United States. But then, there’s something equally as magical about planning the next adventure, of daydreaming about places we’ve never seen but want to experience. I wouldn’t be too surprised to find us dusting off the backpacks in the future and heading out into the horizon again to see more of what’s on offer. The world is a big place, and we’ve only seen a tiny bit of it.

Until then…

---

Photos

The Hanoi Hilton
I'm sure the prisoners never got to view it from this angle, right outside the front gate.

The Original Layout of Hoa Lo Prison - a.k.a. The Hanoi Hilton
Pretty much all that's left is the main gate and the two, 2 storied parallel buildings at the top part of the complex. The rest has been torn down for a very tall apartment tower.

Pho Bo
A beef noodle soup. Having lived in New Orleans for so long (with a surprisingly large Vietnamese community), I've had this dish before...but obviously getting it on the home turf is much tastier.

Ho Chi Minh
Uncle Ho...I hardly knew ye.

The Rustic Abode of Ho Chi Minh
It's really just two rooms on the top floor with a covered meeting room below.

Vietnamese Coffee
Brewed right at your table and scathingly strong.

Water Puppetry
The puppeteers stand in waist deep water manipulating these diminutive figures. It's about as exciting as it looks.

Where's Shanzo?
This is where we got our daily Bia Hoi fix. A great place to sit, chat and watch the crazy Hanoi traffic.

Khanh and Turtle Island
One of the few Halong Bay islands that looks like what it's named after.

The View From Surprise! Cave
One of the more popular stops, as you can tell. Just a big cave with lots of stalactites that you have to squint really hard to imagine the shape they're supposed to resemble.

Life in the Bay
Lots of people live and work in these floating villages.

Lynn and Dave
Our Irish friends paddling away.

Lost Lagoon
That narrow sliver is the only way in or out...and this lagoon was the EASY one to enter.

Cat Ba Island Sunset
Not a bad life, lounging around on our balcony, while we recover from the day's kayaking.

Bia Hoi
At around 12 cents for 16 ounces, this has to be the cheapest beer in the world. Maybe it's not the best quality, but that doesn't really matter now does it - especially after a couple of glasses.

Khai Dinh Tomb
The Emperor Khai Dinh ruled Vietnam from 1916 until 1925 and his tomb is just a little different from the more traditional tombs that litter the Hue area. The interior is completely filled with beautiful mosaics depicting mythical animals and idyllic scenes.

Khai Dinh Tomb Mosaic
One of the dragons that adorn Khai Dinh's tomb.

On the South Side of the Ben Hai River
Right at the river that separated North and South is a new statue meant to represent the families that were torn apart by the placement of the border. The mother and daughter are longingly looking for a glimpse of the husband and father who's fighting for the North.

The New, Old Bridge Crossing the Ben Hai River
This was the official border crossing between the two countries.

Rusting Hulk...
...outside the Museum of Lies

Fitted Shirt
The boxer shorts are the accessory that MAKES the outfit.

Cao Lau
A Hoi An speciality. A very delicious noodle dish with pork, vegetables and little croutons.

White Rose - Another Hoi An Speciality
Little boiled dumplings filled with pork and topped with fried onions.

Not a Bad Vantage from Which to Ponder the Future
This was the view from where we perched ourselves daily to discuss all manner of weighty issues...such as where we were going to have dinner that evening.

Nha Trong View
From our balcony. Incidentally there was a blustery snowstorm in Seattle the same day I took this picture...We're in for a serious shock when we return in a couple of weeks!

Our Last Bus Trip
Shannon caught me in mid snooze. It really was quite chilly in Dalat when we were there. I had to shed all those extra clothes when the bus finally arrived in Saigon.

The Ant Room at Crazy House
One of the hotel rooms available in the strange building. You can't tell from the photo, but the furniture was really poorly made. Too bad they didn't put as much effort into furnishing the place as the imagination it took to build it.

Dalat Countryside
Between the cool weather, mountainous scenery and tall conifers it doesn't feel at all like Vietnam.

Vietnamese Coffee
Frothy. Coffee isn't supposed to have a "head", but it sure is tasty.

Copyright...Schmopyright
Trademark and copyright infringement is like a religion in South East Asia (from music to brand new movies to books to software to clothes, everything is pirated), but this one was my favorite because of the creative spelling.

Goi Cuon
Rice paper rolls stuffed with noodles, vegetables, shrimp and pork...A very cheap snack while roaming the markets looking for Christmas goodies.

Electronics Market - Vietnamese Style
You've got to love the simplicity of just stacking a few shipping containers and watching the merchandise literally fly out the door.

The Crazy Scooter Driver
I just couldn't resist it.

Comments

[Scott]

What a trip!
Great journal guys! I'm glad I could follow along on all of your adventures and hear your opinions on so many of the places I want to go. But I guess all good things must come to an end. It sounds like you are ready to wrap things up and join the real world again - until next time that is. Thanks for sharing!

[Dorota]

Awesome!
Your memories are great,I'm jealous of your experiences;)I enjoyed the polish yournal,because I'm from Poland:)How does jour present life look like? Greetings