Vietnam - 29th May - 16th June
I am not on holiday, I am TRAVELLING!
Above: Me at Hanoi airport, 14 hours into our 19 hour journey from Sapa to Hoi An
Below: Sun going down on China Beach, Hoi An
Due to, lets just say, lack of internet facilities, blog entries for our Vietnam experience may be less visually rich than you have previously enjoyed. Vietnam, however, is not lacking in visual richness. Sights, sounds and smells overload the senses here.Quick review of modern history:
The French colonised Vietnam between mid 1800's - 1954. (Thanks to this, we have been able to enjoy some pretty good baguettes during our visit).
Fuelled by desire for independence, internal conflict built in 1950's, Communist North vs anti-Communist South. This lead to formation of Communist guerrilla group better known as Viet Cong, founded to fight anti-communist Diem regime in the South.
In 1965, the USA committed first combat troops (alongside troops from South Korea, Australia, Thailand and New Zealand) to fight against the northern communists, led by Ho Chi Minh. Peace agreement signed in 1973, after mass destruction and a devastating number of war victims.
The city of Saigon in Southern Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam Army on 30th April 1975, under independence leader Ho Chi Minh. Vietnam's reunification by the communists meant liberation from more than an a century of colonial repression, but is was soon followed by large-scale internal depression.
In a historic shift in 1986, the Communist Party of Vietnam implemented free-market reforms known as Doi Moi (Renovation). Private ownership of farms and companies, deregulation and foreign investment were encouraged. The economy of Vietnam has achieved rapid growth in agricultural and industrial production, construction and housing, exports, and foreign investment. It is now one of the fastest growing economies in the world. GDP = 8.1% in 2006.
Loving the:
Conical hats
Bikes of burden (mopeds and bicycles piled high with everything from sheet glass to pigs)
Noodle soup, spring rolls, mangos and lychees
'Ai dai', traditional Vietnamese silk tunics and trousers, so graceful on the Asian female frame
Water buffalo
Paddy fields
Value for money!!
Not so keen on:
Chaos of Ho Chi Minh city (estimated number of mopeds = 3 million, combined with no traffic management, crossing the road is an interesting experience)
Persistence of street vendors and rip-off merchants
Heat, 40 degrees and 80% humidity does not bode well for my fine locks
Mole hair growing competitions, why else would people have foot long hairs growing out of facial moles
Men with long finger and thumb nails
Coughing-up and spitting - enough to put sensitive souls like moi off of dinner
Rats, particularly the giant one that sprang from beneath a pond bridge towards my trouser leg
Tummy troubles
First stop, Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon)
Above: Scenes for Cu Chi, sight of former Viet Cong (VC) stronghold, where a network of underground tunnels supported the guerrilla tactics of the VC. The tunnel network spanned over 200km, some tunnels leading under the border into Cambodia. There were 3 levels of tunnels and built within the complex there were kitchens, sleeping rooms, arms and food stores etc. After a short crawl underground, the heat and claustrophobia could only lead you to admire the ingenuity, bravery and passion of the VC fighters.
Hanoi, the capital city
Slightly less chaotic than Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi had a certain charm, particularly the Old Quarter, which benefits from the central lake and crumbling French colonial architecture.
Above: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Hoam Kiem Lake, Hanoi. Note to self - SIT UP STRAIGHT!Cat Ba Island, Halong Bay
A very interesting journey, much time of which was spent feeling that we were being abducted, took us out of the chaos to the lovely Sunrise Resort of Cat Ba Island.
Above: .... and relax, chilled out on the beach and hired our own private Junk boat to tour the limestone rock formations and floating markets of Halong Bay.
Sapa Highlands
One of our more epic journeys which included overnight train trip to Sapa. The hill tribes of the highlands work the paddy fields, using water buffalo and man power alone. There are 54 different dialects spoken amongst the various ethnic groups within Vietnam. It seems that 'buy blanket, buy handbag' is commonly used by all 54 hill tribes.
Above: Fantastic day trekking through the paddy fields, stopping at the occasional hill tribe home for a cuppa. We are trying to avoid contact with poultry, live or otherwise, but found ourselves having lunch in a feather-filled menagerie. Doh.
Hoi An
A gorgeous, relaxed town on the tropical river, situated half way down the coast of Vietnam. Treated ourselves to a few nights in the Victoria Resort (thanks Nik, what a recommendation!!).
Above: Gong shop and Japanese covered bridge, Hoi An town, plus views from Victoria Resort.
Hue
Located on the Perfume River, Hue served as the political capital from 1802 to 1945, under the 13 Emperors of the Nguyen dynasty.
Above: Tombs complexes of the Nguyen Dynasty, Tomb of Tu Duc, Tomb of Minh Mang and Tomb of Khai Dihn.
Above: Statues of mandarins stand to give assistance to the Emperor on his journey after death to paradise. The Kings court would consist of several hundred mandarins (intellectual servants of war, literature etc) and concubines. The concubines would be attended to by the eunuchs, and that along with the several hundred offspring the Emperor managed to produce (up to 5 concubines a night visited the Emperor's chamber), the royal city would have been a fairly lively place. Tales of beheaded mandarins and gay emperors (with no offspring but plenty of face powder) made for a very interesting day.
Above: Hue Citadel, or Imperial City, consisted of hundreds of buildings within a walled and moated enclosure. This includes the Forbidden Purple City, reserved for the private life of the Emperor. Sadly, many buildings were destroyed during the Vietnam War but Unesco has plans to reconstruct much of the site.
