Danang, Marble Mountain, Hoi An

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Day 16: Danang - Marble Mountain - Hoi An

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Activities:

We fly to Danang, where we enjoy some sightseeing en route to Hoi An. China Beach, enjoyed as an 'R & R' spot during the Vietnam War, lies against a backdrop of the sensational Marble Mountains. The five peaks, which are actually limestone with marble outcrops, are also seen to epitomise the five elements: fire, water, earth, wood and metal. The history of the mountains is a rich one.They were once used by the Champas for religious purposes, but in more recent times became a haven for the Viet Cong, with their clear view of the Danang air base - at one time the busiest airport in the world. We arrive in Hoi An in the afternoon and settle in for our three-night stay in this historical 'oasis'

***********

We arrived around 9:00 am in Danang in the pouring rain.  We had plans to climb the Marble Mountain on our way to Hoi An.  The group decided that we would put on our rain gear and climb the hundreds of steps up to the look out, cave and Buddhist pagoda.  Then rain freshened the landscape, and it was a beautiful experience even under grey drizzly skies.

Marble Steps Up the Mountain

The cave with giant marble Buddha was quite lovely and serene, quite a contrast to the Batu caves in Kuala Lumpur which seemed chaotic with Hindu and Buddhist symbols every where.  

Inside the cave were several shrines, including a Buddhist Pagoda. Kuala Lumpur, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia combine Hinduism, Anemism, and Buddhism. As Indochina, these countries more of India and less of China.  Viet Nam seems more Chinese and much lees Indian.

When we arrived  in Hoi An the rain had ceased.  It was pleasantly cool.  The days we are here are the first full moon after the lunar new year.  Consequently the town is packed for celebrations at local Pagodas.  The streets are narrow and filled with motor bikes, bicycles, and people.  Brightly colored lanterns, drums, chanting, and and people fill the streets.  It is crazy.  Glad we are not trying to navigate on anything other than our own two feet..

..OH WAIT...tomorrow we are bicycling!  That should be an adventure.

Hoi An is a wonderful old city.  Streets, buildings, and people are picturesque.  There is a special ambiance here.  We love it.  We take a tour of the city and have lunch at the Miss Ly restaurant where we sample the taster menu.  Incredibly delicious meal.  Though there are many restaurants here, we have decided we will come back here tomorrow.

Enjoy the photos and make sure if you come to Viet Nam that this is one of your destinations.  There are many opportunities here to have beautiful, high quality clothing tailored at reasonable prices.  If we were still working, it would be a bargain to buy some suits here.

All is well with the Worrall Travel R's

Good Morning Viet Nam

Saturday, February 23, 2013 - Non- stop day!

Day 15: Cu Chi Tunnels - Ho Chi Minh City

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Activities:

​​Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam and the nation's economic capital. A short city tour takes us to the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and Notre Dame Cathedral, and allows us to admire the many beautiful French colonial buildings such as the main post office and the former Hotel de Ville (city hall). 

The bustling Ben Thanh Market in Cholon (Chinatown) allows us to view the city from another perspective and to see the abundance of fresh local produce that is such an important feature of Vietnamese cuisine. In the afternoon, we head out of town to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. Cu Chi is actually the name of the district which covers an extensive underground network (approximately 200 kilometres) of tunnels dug initially by the Viet Minh and later expanded by the Viet Cong. 

The tunnels contained hospitals, plus accommodation and schools, and were used extensively for refuge and storage and also utilised as a military base for the Viet Cong close to Saigon. The 1968 Tet Offensive was launched from Cu Chi with surprising effect. A section of the tunnels has been widened to allow tourists to get a feel for what the life  1948underground must have been like (please note that this will be hot and sweaty and also a s war crimesbit claustrophobic!).

*********

We just couldn't help ourselves when we awoke this morning in Saigon/HoChi Minh City, and had to say "Good Morning Viet Nam!" even though we didn't quite sound like Robin Williams.  We are here 40 years after the Viet Nam war ended.  The city is bustling with motor bikes, cars, and the unexpected upscale shopping centers of a "market" or capitalist economy rather than that of a communist economy.  Tuk-tuks, rimorks, and bicycle tourist vehicles are absent.  The capitol city is modern and is far more prosperous than Laos and Cambodia.

PROPAGANDA - History rewritten

Ho Chi Minh City is the official name of the city, but many older locals still refer to the city as Saigon.  As those who remember the war and the events that lead up to the war grow older and fade away, the younger generation here will know little of the real war other than the anti-American propaganda which is thematic throughout the city.  

America is portrayed as the heartless aggressor, the South Vietnamese army as the Puppet Military of the Americans who had the "intention of conquering" South Viet Nam for America's Security, and North Viet Nam (communists forces supported by the Chinese and Russians) as the reunification forces.  The Viet Cong (poor agrarian locals) trained and led  by the North Vietnamese Army are referred to as martyrs who fought and died to save their country from America, the aggressor.  America at the worst was a supporter of the democracy side of a civil war against communist ideology.

The Geneva convention signed in in 1948 specifies that which is considered war crimes by an aggressor. Communists labeling the US as an aggressor are then free to claim war crimes of genocide, massacre of civilians, torture, and the like in the "American War" against the people of Viet Nam.  According to our historical guide, when the French pulled out not wanting to fight the communists anymore in 1954,  through United Nations agreement, Viet Nam was divided into two sections at the 17th parallel.  Citizens were given three years to freely decide whether they wanted to move either North to live the communist ideology or South to live if an independent democracy.   Reportedly, About 1,000,000 people moved South and 100,000 people moved North during this free movement period. The Russians and Chinese supported the north, and America supported the South.

Discontent with the division, the communists started to push against the borders into South Viet Nam.  Unbeknownst to Americans at the time, this was just the beginning of the "war" starting with American advisors and police action along the border and escalating to a full scale war.

There is no question that war is hell for all parties, and that atrocities of war occurred on both sides. The propaganda here is over the top for us, but unfortunately the young people believe it to be the facts because it also corresponds with what they are taught in school, and the government does not allow for journalistic contradiction.  Our guide, said that the historical accounts on the Internet are helping to dispel the propaganda.

We visited the War Remnants (not history) Museum, which depicts the war from Ho Chi Minh's perspective.  It was powerfully persuasive in its one-sided depictions of the war with photographs of torture, massacre, protest marches against American involvement "aggression" in  the war, Kent State, use of agent orange (immediate and long term effects).

We also visited the Cu Chi Tunnels (Viet Cong) command post for the Saigon area, about an hour and half drive out of the city.  Many American GI 's lost their lives here fighting an enemy that would pop out of holes connected to 230 km of underground tunnels.  Fighting has been a way of life for the Indochinese for thousands of years.  The people are resourceful and close to the land.  These tunnels were started before and during the war , one bucketful at a time.  There were three different levels of tunnels that included command center, kitchen, dining, sleeping, teaching, and hospital. Tunnels and rooms were small, designed for the small people of the land.  Crawling and crouching even for them was the norm in the tunnels.

Fighting the Viet Cong here was next to impossible.  Outside of the tunnels, the VC set up booby traps for foot soldiers and their tracking dogs.  Escape routes led to the Mekong River where the VC could swim across the river to Cambodia and disappear.  Bombing and chemicals here had limited affect on the VC who lived primarily under ground and would pop out of their holes to shoot at the SVN and American Troops, then disappear again.  One could try out an Ak47 here, but just the sound of the gunfire made me sick and brought tears to my eyes as I could imagine so many young Americans fighting and dying here.

When the American involvement in Viet Nam ceased, the North Vietnamese communists took over the rest of the country.  You may recall the image of the tanks rolling through the gates of the Capital of Saigon.  The propagandists would have the world believe that the North's intentions were solely to reunite the country, and those who resisted were the enemy.  The capitol is now a museum known not as a place of South Viet Nam's resistance to communism, fight for democracy, and ultimate surrender, but of reunification by the benevolent Uncle Ho, Ho Chi Minh.  

In 1975, after the communist take over, the war in Viet Nam continued until 1979.  Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge now being supported by China were attacking Viet Nam from the west.  Russia was supporting Viet Nam in the fight against against the Khmer Rouge.  China and Russia were only buddies while fighting Americans and the South Vietnamese army.  In 1979, the unified Vietnamese army (now a very strong and experienced fight dorce) supported by the Russians defeated the Khmer Rouge on the west and the Chinese who invaded in the north.  Ho Chi Minh is the Vietnamese hero

Uncle Ho's picture is everywhere watching over the people of Viet Nam.

After a full day of depressing war touring and propaganda, we finished the day on an upbeat note, with an excellent cultural and non-political production at the Opera House.  We enjoyed skilled performances of tumblers, singers, dancers, and musicians.  This production is only done on the 15th and 23rd of every month and costs $25.00.  Yippee!  It was the 23rd.  Plan your visit around one of these dates.  It was well worth it.

All is well with the Worrall Travel R's

Killing Fields - Incredibly Sad

We say Farewell to Our Guide and Three of Our Traveling Companions

Today, Friday, February 22, 2013 - Travel Day to Vietnam

After a leisurely morning on our own, we are transferred back to Phnom Hanoi's PochentongInternational Airport, where we say goodbye to our Cambodian tour
leader and fly to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. 

Thursday, February 21, 2013 - Killing Fields

Day 13: Phnom Penh

Meals included: 1 breakfast
Activities:

A full city tour introduces you to the sights of Phnom Penh, a
city that lies near the confluence of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap
Rivers. The private quarters of the Royal Palace are home to King
Sihamoni and are therefore closed to the public; however, we are able
to visit the Silver Pagoda that lies in the palace complex, which is the
most sacred temple in the country and was previously spared from
destruction by the Khmer Rouge. Wat Phnom is the temple, which

gave rise to the foundation of the city in the 15th Century. The bloody
rule of the Khmer Rouge is a painful, but unavoidable, part of
Cambodia's recent history and visits to the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum
and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek tell the story of this tragic legacy.
(Note: These sites are a major part of sightseeing in Phnom Penh;
however, if you do not wish to visit either of them, please inform your
tour leader.) An ideal way to spend your last evening in Cambodia is
to relax in a cafe by the riverfront.
******

Please read the above itinerary.  Words fail me at the horrors committed here in Phnom Penh and to the people at the hand of the Khmer Rouge.  Pot Po the leader rounded up millions of people, all of the middle class, intellectuals, doctors, teachers, merchants, and their families in an effort to create a classless agrarian society.

Most of the Khmer Rouge were young teenagers, ignorant, poor, angry, and brainwashed by their leader to administer the atrocities.  Their horrible legacy is still felt in this poor country.  Capitalism is coming back slowly.  People are very poor, but making their way up.  Corruption is rampant.  Few pay taxes.  There are little government services and public servants to keep an orderly society.

Here are some sobering photos of our learnings today.

Tuol Sleng Prison Museum

Blood Stained Torture Rooms

Containers for Elimination - Make a Mess....lick it up with your tongue.

We meet a survivor...very few.  Khmer Rouge Systematically killed families to prevent revenge killings.

Killing Fields of Choeung Ek

It is estimated that 2-3.3 million people were killed in Cambodia during the reign of the Khmer Rouge.  There were appx. 360 killing sites.  We visited one where 9,000 skulls have been found in mass graves.  A large multi level stupa filled with the bones of the dead to honor their lives.

Mass graves

Baby Killing Tree

Human Remains Are Still Surfacing

Clothing Continues to Surface In Rainy Season

After a very sobering morning, we came back to town from the killing fields which at one time were in open farm land about 16 km from the city .  Nearly half of the starving and tortured people died along the march to the fields.  The Chinese had sold guns to Khmer Rouge, but with no ammunition.  The KR had to buy ammunition.  They did so by trading Cambodia rice to the Chinese leaving no rice for the Cambodian people. Part of the Khmer Rouge killing plan was to weaken the people so they could not resist a wack on the back of the neck into the pit where they may not have died until the pit was covered over with more bodies and dirt.  The Khmer Rouge did not want to waste their bullets.   Simply awful, tragic, and very sad.

After a lunch which barely anyone had the stomach for, we visited the royal palace and had the afternoon free to view the sites and sounds of the city.

Maximum Load of Five on a Bike.

Going to School Costs Money Few Can Afford

Catching some Air on Roof's Ledge

Pedestrians, Bikes, Rimorks, Wagons Share Streets - Sidewalks filled with Vendors

Foreign Correspondence Club

Happy Hour

 Later in the afternoon, Russ and I found a geocache at the National Museum and joined the group for cocktails at the the Foreign Correspondents Club.  We leave tomorrow afternoon for Vietnam.

All is Well With the Worrall Travel R's

Journey to Cambodian Capitol - Phnom Penh

Uh, Aaron, you have something crawling on your back!

Wednesday, February 20, 2012

Day 12: Phnom Penh

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Activities

​Drive through Cambodia's picturesque countryside to reach Phnom Penh. You'll notice a change of pace, as you arrive in Cambodia’s capital. A relaxing drink at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club is a great way to start your evening.

*****

We left Siem Reap at 8:30 a.m. by bus and arrived at 4:30 this afternoon in Phnom Penh.  Our bus driver did a phenomenal job dodging trucks, donkeys, water buffalo, cattle, motor scooters, and pedestrians, and got us all here safely.

Russ is currently reading, They Killed My Father First, and relating to me the atrocities the Khmer Rouge inflicted on the Cambodian People after the fall of Viet Nam in1975.  We will be going to the museum and killing fields tomorrow.  Can't say we are looking forward to our learnings tomorrow, but it is a part of the historical cruelties we as a species inflict on one another.

Today was a leisurely ride through country side observing roadside dwellers going about their daily lives.  I wish I could report how green everything is, but it is the dry season, and much of the land is a faded green.  A fine dust flies through air when disturbed by the donkey carts and motor scooters.  There are no sidewalks and no litter containers, possibly not even a collection service.  The land is strewn with plastics, bottles, bags, tarps, jars.  

It's a mess and with few exceptions there is little evidence of cleanup by residents or the thousands of lean-to and tent vendors. The Cambodians are valiantly struggling to earn a living and make ends meet. Unlike Thailand and Laos where the cost of goods and services is very low, Cambodia seems a bit dearer.  For tourists, it is still lower than what one expects at home, but for the Cambodian families day to day expenses are higher.  The American dollar is the currency of choice.  Food here is about twice as much as we found in Laos.

So today we had a couple of interesting stops.  One was to an old bridge built 800 years ago during the of Angkor and is still standing as a main bridge today.

The second stop was in a town known for its unusual product of fried tarantulas.  Eigjteen year old Daniel was somewhat keen to try one until he saw them, but went ahead with a nibble anyway.  

Buy them live and cook yourself

Stir fried tarantula with spices

Spider Man Daniel Nibbles at Tarantuala

Grasshopper legs don't work like dental floss

A few of our group allowed the de-venomed creatures to crawl on them.  And Jan tried the fried crickets.  Personally, Russ and I were happy to just step back and observe.

All is well with the Worrall Travel R's.