Thursday, Feb 24th, Saigon, last day of Vietnam Tour

Greetings!


Our last day on the Trails of Vietnam Tour took us to another key area of the Mekong Delta today.  We began by driving to visit the temple of a relatively new religion in the country - Cao Dai, a syncretist Vietnamese religious movement with a strongly nationalist political character. Cao Dai draws upon ethical precepts from Confucianism, occult practices from Taoism, theories of karma and rebirth from Buddhism, and a hierarchical organization (including a pope) from Roman Catholicism. Its pantheon of saints includes such diverse figures as the Buddha, Confucius, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Pericles, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo, and Sun Yat-sen.


Plus, it's got great looking churches and a teriffic burial wagon.  


We then got down a close to the Mekong by boarding a boat to be able to visit several major river enterprises on its banks.  Brick-making, cocoanut growing and product distribution, and fishing were all explored.  Lunch was delivered on an island getaway resort which pushed the limits of group transportation, and ended with a walk-in.  


Returning to the hotel, we said goodbye to Duc and Quan after their long and dedicated service to the group.  We will miss them, and we made plans to stay in touch.  The rest of us had some free time, and took the time to make sure all of the arrangements for our homeward flights were in order.  Our work includes another tour (Laos) before we depart for home. 


This evening, we had a very nice dinner in a private room at the Palace Hotel, overlooking the waterfront lights.  We toasted Bec, and thanked her for all of the great work that she and TravelIndochina has accomplished on the tour. 


Tomorrow, as others head off to the airport, we're joining Marlene to take a daytrip by hydrofoil to Vung Tau, a beach resort north east of here.  We're also trying to connect with Billy Thompson, Pat's cousin, who is traveling with his wife on a cruise ship which is coming into the Saigon Port tomorrow at noon.  We hope to have dinner with them tomorrow night.


To see all of the photos taken today, click on: Thursday, Feb24th, Saigon, Last Day Of Vietnam Tour

Wednesday, Feb 23rd, Exploring Cu Chi, and back to Saigon

Greetings!

We drove northwest to the area of the Cu Chi tunnels this morning.  I didn't choose to go down into them.  The tunnels are very narrow.  My growing butt, waistline, and aching back are reason enough to stay out.  Throw in dark, hot, and snakes, ugh.  I told Duc the story of the western perception of butt width  was the metal plate on the back of the seat in the aircraft I used to make sure were maintained in Vietnam said that it was wide enough for "one passenger or two Vietnamese".

On our return, we visited a rubber plantation, before stopping for lunch at a Pho restaurant.  Pho (pronounced "fur") is a favorite soup, and I chose the seafood version on Bec's recommendation.  It was terrific, and helped me bring back my appetite.  Later, we visited the Reunification Museum.  Pat is getting a bit overloaded with the details of Vietnamese propaganda and American trashing/gory details.  I found the particular exhibit, organized by the State of Kentucky and presented to Vietnam, on the 78 photographers and journalists works who had been killed during the American War very touching and worth seeing.  I may try to get her back to see it after the tour ends.  I can understand that it isn't easy to take in.

The afternoon contained some free time.  After a short tour of the downtown with Duc., we chose to spend it having finding an ice cream shop with Alan and Dj.  The chocolate, strawberry, lemon, mango, and coca cola drinks we had were very refreshing.

This evening, we went to a performance of a very popular waterpuppet show.  None of us could figure out how they did it, and probably knowing how would spoil the effect, but to the rhythm of a small band of Vietnamese instruments and vocals - a variety of fish, dragons, birds, and people swam through elegantly-choreographed routines to the delight of a large audience of children and their parents for dirt cheap.   We highly recommend it for any traveler.

To see the photos taken today, click on: Wednesday, Feb23rd, Saigon

Gregory

Tuesday, Feb 22nd, Dalat to Saigon

Greetings!

Today was our longest day in the bus, as we went from the highlands of Dalat to the center of Saigon in the Mekong Delta.  307 kilometers, and the last thirty of it at five miles per hour in very crowded city traffic.  Ten million people live in the greater Saigon area, and everyone of them seemed to be on a motorcycle or driving a big truck at about 3:30pm today.

The trip down from Dalat was memorable for me, not because there was anything familiar which I saw, but because I had been there before.  At least a dozen times, I flew in a helicopter from Bien Hoa near Saigon up to a small base near Dalat to search for an aircraft part needed by an aircraft mechanic somewhere else in Vietnam.  It was cherry duty to have to make that trip,  and I'm sure that I probably could have found it any number of other places.  But it was there, and Dalat was a cool small french colony in the Central Highlands.  And it wasn't being attacked.

At an ethnic village along the way, Duc talked our way into a local one-room school where he took the class over for a round of "Simon says".  It was heart-warming to watch kids who probably haven't seen many from beyond Vietnam gawk at their joy and excitement in being good at the new game.  

Once before, on a long trip, we played a game to guess the exact time the bus arrives at the hotel.  I won it because I guessed the latest time (30 minutes after the last time chosen).  I figured the tour guides were going to be optimistic to keep us from getting to upset with the long bus ride.  That, and the traffic is so dependent on things you can't control.  This time, I thought I had the latest time also, almost an hour after the prediction of our guides.  But Margaret chose two minutes later, and she took the prize.  We haven't found out what our prizes are yet, but it's the thought that counts.  And the principle.  It'll be interesting if everyone fights for the latest time on the next round.

 Tonight, we walked to a restaurant a few blocks away from our hotel, and did rather well at negotiating the evening motorbike mania.  The food was cooked by us on barbecue grills in our table, from a selection that Bec chose.  I was so glad to have my appetite back, and look forward to some healthy digestion.

To see the photos from the drive from Dalat, and of the evening dinner, click on: Tuesday, Feb22nd, Dalat To Saigon  and Tuesday Dinner, Feb22nd, Saigon

Gregory

ps.  I really want to thank the person who commented today on my YouTube video featuring the photos I took in 1969-70 of children in Vietnam.  The person wrote they were a child of a GI in Vietnam who left the country in 1987 for the U.S.  The comments were a welcome reinforcement that I had accomplished something of value for kids like the writer, and had indeed spoken for them.  I'm glad the home address in California was included, and I intend to try to make contact when I return.