Vietnam: October 2006

In the latest issue, the first of a two part feature, our special Vietnamese guest Travel Correspondent, Gran D. Tour, follows Ray and Nikki as they leave Sa Pa and head south, along the coast of the South China Sea. Visiting numerous towns en route, read about Ray and Nikki's adventures as they make their way back to Saigon for their eventual departure from Vietnam.

And don't forget to enter our "T Shirt of the Year" competition, in which you can vote for the personal favourite that you may have seen Ray wearing in many of The Daily Lama photographs this year! We have extended the deadline for entries, which you can read more about at the end of this issue.

The town of Sa Pa, high up in the mountains and close to the Chinese border, is just about as far north in Vietnam as you can get. With about 20 days remaining on their visas, Ray and Nikki decided to make tracks southwards, with a plan to exit the country from Saigon. "Vietnam is a very tall, thin country, and we did some research to identify the places en route we most wanted to visit before we left" said Ray. "First on our itinerary was Halong Bay" he added.

Halong Bay is a body of water, approximately 1,500 square kilometres in area, with a 120 kilometre coastline, in the Gulf of Tonkin, (where the event which triggered the Vietnam War allegedly took place). It is about 170 kilometres east of Hanoi.

Above: Map showing Ray and Nikki's route through Vietnam. The yellow arrows highlight the parts of their journey we have covered in previous Daily Lama issues, whilst the red arrow shows their route from Sa Pa to Halong Bay

Halong Bay means "Bay of the Descending Dragon" in the Vietnamese language. The bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 monolithic limestone islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean, looking like something out of "Jurassic Park". Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves.

"The bay is visually stunning" said Nikki. "Having travelled there by bus, we were tempted to make the short, thirty minute crossing by boat to nearby Cat Ba Island, hoping that we might be able to spend a bit of time on the beach and do some trekking in the National Park there" she added.

Above: Land Ahoy! Nikki surveys some of the amazing rock formations in Halong Bay. If you would like to see a short video clip of Halong Bay, click here: Halong Bay Movie

Below: The 1,969 monolithic limestone islands create an indelible impression for visitors to Halong Bay, and must have been a remarkable discovery for the people who first saw them!

Not everything is straightforward when it comes to travel, and for Ray and Nikki, things at this point did not quite go according to plan. "We asked around for the cheapest boat we could find to Cat Ba Island, and found one that was just about to leave, so we jumped aboard" recalled Nikki. "However, once we set off, we realised that the guy who sold us the ticket had not been entirely honest with us, and that the boat was going to make a full tour of the area" she told me. "What should have been a half hour journey turned into a seven hour trip, with the Captain trying to 'upsell' everything from lunch, to a berth on board for the night!" added a weary Ray. "On reflection, we were quite pleased in the end, as we got to spend a whole day in the bay, mesmerised by the stunning scenery, and were shown a few hidden coves and islands we would otherwise have missed" he told me.

Above: It is not far from Halong Bay on the mainland to Cat Ba Island (see Red arrow) - although the boat crossing produced some unexpected benefits for Ray and Nikki during their seven hour trip!

Eventually reaching Cat Ba Island late evening, our two tired travellers quickly organised some accommodation and awoke the next day to find a good spot on one of the islands three secluded beaches. "We had not spent any time on a beach for a few months, so we were looking forward to a lazy day in the sunshine" said Ray. "The Daily Lama readers may think this sounds a bit strange, as we are full time travellers, but there is always a play off between spending days resting on a beach and using up the limited time we have on our visas, so we have to make quite accurate time/travel calculations to ensure we can do everything we want, before we have to leave the country. If we do spend a day sunbathing, it really has to be worth it, and in this case, it definitely was!" he added happily.

Above: Ray on his way to "Cat Co Beach Number Two", one of the beautiful, unspoilt hideaways on Cat Ba Island

Having spent a day on the beach, a second misfortunate, unplanned event was about to interrupt our two travellers carefully laid plans. "We had met a couple of charming travellers from Slovenia, called Luka and Tina, and decided to go trekking with them in the National Park, until we realised that we had virtually run out of cash" recalled Nikki. "I am normally very good about making sure we always have enough on us" said Ray. "But I dropped the ball on this occasion" he added. "Enquiries about the nearest ATM on the island led us to the inconvenient discovery that there weren't any!" said a frustrated Ray. "So we made an early departure for the nearest mainland town, at Haiphong, as we just about had enough between us for the boat fare" added a relieved Ray.

Above: Ray and Nikki headed for Haiphong, the nearest place where there would be an ATM, hoping they could top up with cash there ....

Below: They just about had enough money to get on the local ferry, which departed from this highly sophisticated terminal building on Cat Ba Island!

Above: The recent growth in visitor numbers to Cat Ba Island has been the catalyst for huge investment in new infrastructure - the ferry terminal now has it's own loo!

Below: The ferry, which takes passengers from Cat Ba Island to Haiphong

Arranging to link up with Luka and Tina downroute, Ray and Nikki made it to Haiphong, loaded up with cash and headed further south. "We missed the trekking opportunity on the island, and the next best place we could find was the Cuc Phuong National Park, near Nimh Binh, so we continued travelling until we got there" Nikki told me.

Above: Nikki makes the most of the very early, three and a half hour bus journey from Haiphong to Nimh Binh, and catches up with her sleep

Ray and Nikki arranged for a guide to take them trekking in the National Park, allowing some time during their two day stop to visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre. The Cuc Phuong National Park is one of Vietnam's most important protected areas and Ho Chi Minh personally dedicated it as the country's first protected region in 1963. The primate rescue centre, inside the park, is run by German biologists and has grown quickly since it started in 1995. "We discovered there are about 85 animals being cared for at the centre, including 14 different species of Gibbon alone" said Nikki. "I had never seen many of the creatures in my life before, and probably never would have unless I had come here" added Ray.

Above: Cuc Phuong National Park is south west of Haiphong (red arrow)

Below: Nikki talks to a member of the team who look after the endangered primate's in Cuc Phuong National Park, while one of the monkeys looks on with interest

Ray and Nikki were given a tour of the primate centre by one of the team that helps to breed the monkeys and ensure their survival. "There are estimated to be only about 20 species of primate remaining in the wild in Vietnam, most of which are threatened by hunters or habitat destruction" explained Nikki. "In China, these animals are illegally sold and fetch anywhere between $200 - $1,000, becoming 'medical ingredients' to treat conditions such as gallstone relief, or as an aphrodisiac - it's absolutely heartbreaking" said a very distressed Nikki.

Above: Ray and Nikki set aside time for trekking inside the Cuc Phuong National Park, including a visit to this 1,000 year old tree

Following their day long trek, there was time to stop on the way back to their guesthouse at one of the many huge 'Pineapple Farms' in the region. "Vietnam is a big exporter of pineapple for tinned products, and our guides knew many of the people working in the state run farms, which meant for a small 'fee', we could get access to them" Ray told me. "Our guide stopped at one point and asked us to get out of the car. He went into one of the fields, picked a ripe pineapple and peeled it before our eyes. We were eating it within five minutes of it being picked - the freshest, sweetest tasting, organic pineapple I have ever eaten" said a mouthwatering Nikki.

Above: Luckily for our two intrepid explorers, their guide had some useful connections inside the state run pineapple farms - here, he peels a ripe one for them to taste

Having tasted the fruit, Ray and Nikki soon learnt more about pineapple farming. "Neither of us realised that it takes about eighteen months for a pineapple to ripen to full maturity, and that one plant only yields one piece of fruit, which explained why so many miles of countryside were literally covered with pineapple plants, as fas as the eye could see" said a knowledgable Ray.

Above: The farms are vast, covering miles and miles of countryside. "I had no idea what pineapple plants looked like" said Ray

Travelling back to their guesthouse in the car with their two guides, Ray and Nikki were able to observe life going on in many of the small towns and villages en route. "Even though we have seen many of these small towns on our travels, we are still gobsmacked by some of the things we see" Nikki told me. "For example, the motorcycle is a way of life and is used to transport goods, livestock and sometimes whole families" she explained. "We saw a lady transporting about 10 birds from the market, on the back of her motorcycle - something you would never see back home" said an amused Nikki.

Above: Could anything look stranger? How about these birds wearing tiny little crash helmets?!

Nimh Binh was the last town that Ray and Nikki planned to visit, in what used to be 'North' Vietnam. On leaving, our intrepid explorers once again returned to their old favourite, the night train, to make the journey south to the small city of Hue. "Getting to Hue meant another night sleeping on a train, which we have really started to enjoy" said Ray. "This time, we were paired in our four berth compartment with a couple of women from Spain, who were great company, although they didn't speak very much English" added Ray.

Above: Ray disembarks from the night train in Hue, completely refreshed after a very comfortable sleep

Below: There is no better way to get an initial impression of a new place, than taking a cyclo ride - it also saves Ray and Nikki the effort of carrying their heavy backpacks!

Although at first glance, Hue looks like quite a modern, upcoming city, most travellers visit the place for two reasons. One is to see the Old Citadel, in the centre of the town and the other is that Hue is a fantastic base to visit the former 'Demilitarised Zone' or 'DMZ' as it is more commonly referred to, which is a few miles north of the city.

Above: Ray and Nikki continued their journey southwards on the way back to Saigon, stopping in Hue, near the area formerly known as the 'Demilitarised Zone'

Below: The city of Hue lies either side of the Perfume River

Hue was the site of the bloodiest battles in the 1968 'Tet Offensive' during the Vietnam War, and was the only city in South Vietnam to be held by the communists for more than a few days.

While the American command was concentrating its energies on relieving the siege at nearby Khe San, Viet Cong (VC) troops skirted the American stronghold and walked right into Hue. When the communists arrived, they hoisted their flag from the Citadel's flag tower, where it flew for the next 25 days. During that brief period, some 3,000 citizens of Hue were killed, including monks, priests and intellectuals. When General Westmoreland ordered US troops to re-capture the city, whole neighbourhoods were levelled by VC and US bombs, until the VC withdrew their forces.

Above: Nikki outside one of the gates that leads into the old Citadel in Hue

The Citadel is on the north side of the Perfume River, and our travelling pair arranged to spend a few hours exlporing it, whilst linking up with their two Slovenian friends, Luka and Tina, whom they had met on Cat Ba Island, and who had now caught up with them. "We were so pleased to see them both again" said Nikki. "We had missed the chance to spend some time with them in Cat Ba, having to leave early to get more cash" she recalled. "They were very understanding, and we really enjoyed their company for the day as we walked around the Citadel together" she told me.

Above: Re-united! Ray and Nikki link up with Tina (centre) and Luka (right) as they explore the old Citadel in Hue. These two charming travellers are both studying Economics at University in Slovenia, and are taking a short break from their studies to visit South East Asia

Construction of the moated Citadel, which has a 10 kilometre perimeter, was begun in 1804 and was originally made of earth, but tens of thousands of workers laboured to cover the ramparts with a layer of bricks two metres thick, thereby protecting the towns citizens from attacks by invaders. "I loved walking around the Citadel" said Nikki. "We were able to see many of the buildings and personal effects that the ruling Mandarin Emperors were using as late as 1945, when the Nguyen dynasty ended" she told me. "And the complex still bears many of the scars of the brief, but violent period during which the communists managed to occupy the city" added Ray.

Above: A-ha! Now we know where BT (or the GPO as it was back then) got the design idea for those red telephone boxes in England - the Emperors palace in the old Citadel!

Above: Luka, pointing at the sky, asks Ray and Tina if they believe Aliens ever visited this place - "Of course not" says Ray...

Below: "Wait a moment" says Ray - "Perhaps I was a bit hasty.." as he spots these "War of the Worlds" style pods!

Above: The scars of war - Nikki takes a close look at this wall inside the old Citadel, with Luka and Tina. It is still covered in the pock marks made in 1968, when the communists managed to occupy the city for 25 days

Below: Just outside the Citadel, Luka takes a look at these captured American tanks, which are still displayed to remind the public of the glorious 'liberation' from the 'Imperialists'

About 50 miles north of Hue is the Ben Hai river, which traverses the northern reaches of Quang Tri Province, marking the 17th Parallel, which was used as the 'demarcation line' between North and South Vietnam in 1954. This hastily agreed border, which remained in force until 1975, was intended as a temporary division to give all parties concerned time to prepare for an election in 1956, with the desired outcome of unifying the country under an elected government. Sadly, these elections never took place and inveitably, war followed.

There was an area five kilometres wide, either side of the 17th Parallel, which became known as the 'Demilitarised Zone' (DMZ). "It seems a bit ironic that after its inception, the DMZ became one of the most militarised zones in the world, with around seven tons of bombs dropped, per person, during the war" Ray told me.

Above: From Hue, there are some excellent tours that travellers can take to the DMZ

"We are not big fans of organised tours" said Nikki. "But on this occasion, we decided to go with a small group and a local guide, hoping to learn some lessons from the past at the battlefields there" she explained. "Our guide, who looked like Cliff Richard, had been a young boy during the war and had many first hand experiences to share with us, which really enhanced our visit" added Ray.

Above: The Hien Luong bridge crosses the Ben Hai river, which was the dividing line between the two halves of Vietnam for over 20 years...

Below: ... the bridge seen from a distance

Below: Nikki chats with Quita St. John, a lovely fellow traveller (on the tour) from Seattle USA, about the monument on the other side of the river, dedicated as a tribute to all of the families that were split apart when the artificial separation was created

For many visitors to the DMZ, going there is like making a poignant pilgrimage. "This region was really the epicentre of the Vietnam War, and saw some of the heaviest fighting in the whole of the country" explained Ray. "Strategic hills and valleys, like Khe San and Hamburger Hill, have since been made famous by Hollywood, and we were very fortunate and pleased to see and experience these places for real" added Ray. "By the end of the war, the entire province had been more or less flattened and most of the population had been evacuated" explained Ray. "Not a building was left standing in Dong Ha and Quang Tri town, and of the 3,000 or so villages that once were dotted around, only eleven remained" added a very shocked Ray.

Above: This map, taken from The Washington Post, depicts the area known as the DMZ, and shows the Ben Hai river and the Gulf of Tonkin (right)

After crossing the Ben Hai river, Ray and Nikki were guided to visit the incredible underground labyrinth of tunnels at Vinh Moc. "The tunnels are a monument to the determination of the North Vietnamese people to preserve and triumph - at all costs and despite some incredible sacrifices - in the American War" said Ray.

In 1966, the USA began a massive aerial bombardment of North Vietnam. "Just north of the DMZ, the villagers of Vinh Moc found themselves living in one of the most heavily bombed and shelled strips of land on the planet, and their village was almost entirely destroyed" said Ray. "The 300 or so people who lived there started digging an underground network of tunnels and rooms, by hand, for the 82 families in their community" he explained. "During the next six years, the underground population grew to around 600 people, with seventeen babies being born inside the tunnels during that time" added a well informed Ray.

Above: This map shows the network of tunnels at Vinh Moc - the dark green area to the right of the map is the South China Sea and the green lights show where the 114 tunnels were excavated, entirely by hand

Below: These old photographs capture images of the villagers of Vinh Moc, as they desperately dig deep into the earth to avoid the massive US aerial bombardment and ensure their survival

Above: Many of the huge bomb craters at Vinh Moc, like this one, have been deliberately left unfilled, so that visitors can get a sense of the destructive power of these sorts of weapons

Below: Ray had a good look around the Vinh Moc Museum, and stopped for a closer look at this machine gun, trying to get a sense of what it might have been like to be under constant attack

The Viet Cong (VC) found it useful to have a base at Vinh Moc and encouraged the villagers to stay. After 18 months of work, during which the excavated earth was camouflaged to prevent detection from the air, an enormous VC base was established underground. "There were 114 tunnels, a total length of 41 kilometres, built on three levels ranging from 15 to 26 metres below the ground" Ray told me.

Above: One of the tunnel entrances, which apart from some cosmetic changes, looks pretty much how it did nearly forty years ago

Below: "Light at the end of the tunnel" - most of the exits were located along the palm lined beach of the South China Sea, completely hidden by dense tropical forestation

Above: This photograph does not really give you a sense of how small the tunnels were....

Below: .... until you see Nikki (five feet, one and three quarter inches tall) standing in one of them - "I had to bend down slightly throughout our visit, whereas Nikki was able to stand up normally" said Ray

"Ray and I were staggered by our discovery of this place" said Nikki. "The tunnel network remains essentially as it looked in 1966, although we heard that some of the twelve entrances, of which seven open on to the beach, have been re-timbered and others have become overgrown" she told me.

Our two explorers were fascinated as they learnt more about the amazing history of the place. "The tunnels were repeatedly hit by American bombs, but only the feared 'drilling bomb' posed a real threat" explained Ray. "Only once did such a bomb score a direct hit, but it failed to explode and no-one was injured; the ingenious inhabitants adapted the bomb hole for use as an airshaft!" he told me.

Above and below: What goes in, must come out, as Nikki demonstrates at Vinh Moc

Above: One of the tunnel exits, along the beach of the South China Sea

Below: Nikki chats with Jasper, a fellow traveller from Holland, about life inside the tunnels, as they stand outside waiting for Ray to find his way out!

Our budding Vietnam War historians still had a bit more energy left to visit a couple more sites before returning to Hue. "The next place we were due to see was called 'The Rockpile', a 230 metre high Marine Corps look-out point and base for American long range artillery" recalled Ray. "This site was very important to the Americans, as they needed a relatively 'safe' place to move troops in and out of the area by chopper" he explained. "It reminded me of the mountain in the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" as it had an aura of mystery and secrecy" added Ray. "Although there is nothing left of what was there, you can imagine the scene in your mind, if you stay there for a while" he reflected.

Above: Ray stands and surveys "The Rockpile", which was a very important site for the Americans during the war

Khe San combat base was the last stop on Ray and Nikki's comprehensive visit to the DMZ. It is probably the site of the most famous siege - and one of the most controversial battles - of the American War. It is literally in the middle of nowhere and sits on a barren plateau, surrounded by vegetation covered hills, often obscured by mist and fog. "It is hard to imagine as you stand in this peaceful place, that the bloodiest battle of the war happened here" said Ray.

"About 500 American and 10,000 North Vietnamese soldiers, as well as many uncounted civilians died, amid the din of machine guns and the fiery explosions of 1000kg bombs, white-phosphorous shells, napalm, mortars and artillery of all sorts" he added. "I cannot understand why so much effort was put into defending a place that was of such little value to anyone" said Nikki. "It seems so pointless, but knowing now that the Vietnamese planned the siege to divert the attention of the Americans, and that US troops were under strict orders from Lyndon B. Johnson not to suffer a humiliating defeat at any cost, it starts to make a bit more sense" she added.

Above: There is virtually nothing left of the base at Khe San today. Behind the main site, the outline of the airfield (seen here) remains distinct - to this day, nothing will grow on the runway

Above: A picture of Khe San, taken in 1968 by Earl Clark, Alpha Company 1st Battalion 26th Marines, during the siege. He was standing near the ammo dump and you can see some of the new scars from bomb craters in the background....

Below: ..... and exactly the same spot, photographed recently - it is hard to believe it is the same place, but time heals many things

Below: That's enough touring for today - time for Nikki to get back on the bus and head for Hue

Returning to Hue later that evening, our two weary travellers arranged a meal at the Minh and Coco restaurant, so called because it is a charming local eatery run by two sisters called Minh and Coco, which has become incredibly popular with visitors. "What a great place!" said Ray. "The food is cheap and tasty, there is a great atmosphere and their hospitality was fantastic" he added. "It also gave us an opportunity to get together with our friends, Quita, Luka and Tina, maybe for the last time, as we were leaving the next day for Nha Trang" added Nikki.

Above: From left to right: Tina, Ray (standing), Quita, Minh, husband Dinh, Nikki and Luka had a great evening at Minh and Coco's restaurant in Hue

Below: Ray and Nikki left Hue to head south again, passing through Danang, which gave them a chance to see the damage caused recently by a huge typhoon, and making a brief stop in Hoi An (see red arrow), before arriving in Nha Trang

Although their stop in Hue gave Ray and Nikki the opportunity to understand more about the history of the war, it was their visit to Nha Trang that transformed it from something of interest, to something 'personal'. "Scanes Bentley, one of my friends in England, is half American, and his father, who died a few years ago, had been commander of the US Air Base at Nha Trang" Ray told me. "Scanes had asked me to see if the base still existed, as he has not been to Vietnam, and to take some pictures for him" explained Ray. "So armed with camera's, I began my mission to find the base for Scanes" he added. "It was much more difficult to find than I imagined. I started asking the locals about it but none of them seemed to know - perhaps as most of them were too young to remember 1968" added Ray. "I persevered and eventually found something on the Internet, which helped me to establish where it was" said a triumphant Ray.

Above: Found! Ray discovered that the old US air base at Nha Trang had been used as a civilian airport for many years, until its recent conversion back to a military training base. He was not allowed to take any pictures....

But Ray had a surprise for Scanes up his sleeve. "I knew Scanes would be celebrating his birthday while I was in Nha Trang, so I thought it would be great to make a short movie, telling him the story of how I found the base" he told me. "Nikki helped me film a couple of 'scenes' on the beach, and then I went off alone to try to get inside the base and do some more filming, only to discover that it was strictly off limits to civilians" added Ray.

"Luckily for me, Nikki and I had looked at a room in an eight storey guest house the day before, and I remembered that it was positioned near the perimeter of the airfield" he explained. "So I went back there and asked if I could go up to the roof, which they kindly let me do, and I was able to complete the movie, edit and despatch it to Scanes via the Internet in time for his big day" said Ray.

Above: Super spy! Although he was not allowed to take any pictures at the base, Ray managed to snatch some images and video footage for his friend Scanes, from the roof of a nearby guesthouse! The ex US air base is now used as a military training centre by the Vietnamese

With their mission accomplished in Nha Trang, Ray and Nikki continued their journey south, heading for the town of Dalat, in the Central Highlands region of the country.

Editors Note: Our thanks to our special guest correspondent, Gran D. Tour, who kindly agreed to contribute this wonderful article. In the second part of Gran's two part feature, online in a few days, she continues her coverage of the final part of Ray and Nikki's two month visit, as they head further south to Dalat and Mui Ne, and out of Vietnam from Saigon.

And don't forget, there is still time to enter our "T Shirt of the Year" competition. All you have to do is look at the shirts Ray is wearing in the six pictures below and choose your favourite. Send us a message telling us which one you have picked, and why in not more than 20 words.

When all of your votes have been received, we will know which shirt is most popular and we will then draw one name from all of those received whose vote matches. The winner will receive a highly desirable, unique mystery prize!  You can send us your message via email or The Daily Lama blog site.

By popular demand, the closing date for entries has been extended to 5th December.

MOZZIE BYTE

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