Thirteen intrepid travellers embarked on a fortnight's trip to the
beautiful and fascinating country of Vietnam during half-term. Vietnam is
a long, narrow country, running nearly 2000km down the eastern seaboard of
the Indochina Peninsula. As little as 32 miles across, it is a mainly
mountainous country, with some of the most spectacular scenery in the
world.
The trip began in the evocatively named Saigon, (since 1976, renamed the
less evocative Ho Chi Minh City). This teeming city is home to nine
million people and about six million scooters. They do not have a highway
code as such and pedestrians are given the terrifying advice that, to
cross the road, you start walking and do not stop under any circumstances.
As cars, scooters and bicycles do the same, the result is a chaotic path
and a cacophony of hoots, bells and squeals! Strangely, it all seems to
work and the traffic keeps moving! We had a thought-provoking visit to the
oddly-named War Remnants Museum, with artifacts and photographs from The
American War.
Leaving the city behind, we visited a village enterprise creating
mouth-watering sweets from coconuts and ginger and a factory making
bricks. The next day found us squeezing into the tunnels of Cu Chi,
wondering at the tenacity of people who not only dug them, but then lived
in the underground world for months on end.
The next destination was Nha Trang, travelling from Saigon by overnight
train on the Reunification Express. A short stay, taking in the local
sights and a day on the beach was followed by a longer visit to Hoi An, a
beautiful and engaging city with so much to see and do. Visits to temples,
pagodas and mountains mixed with visits to see silk being made from the
ever-obliging silk moth grubs and the manufacture of lacquer-work
products. A major highlight was the early morning visit to market, (walking
swiftly past the crate of live, skinned frogs), followed by a cookery
course in which we prepared and then consumed a five dish banquet. An hour
later, the usual four course lunch appeared!
Another train journey took us further north to Hue and the Forbidden City
and its palaces.  The sheer scale and complexity of the accommodation is
astonishing. The second and final night on the train saw us arriving in
the capital city of Ha Noi (known to the world in the concatenated form,
Hanoi) at some unearthly hour just before dawn. After a few hours' sleep,
we set off for the world-famous Ha Long Bay and its egg-shaped islands
rising from the water, with sheer slopes, covered in trees.
Our time in the world heritage bay was spent on-board a private junk,
serving the most amazing sea food. Intrepid souls kayaked a kilometre or
so to an island for some swimming, followed by a return journey to the
junk at sunset. The following morning, we visited an island hollowed out
the sea and accessible by a cave passage in a rowing boat.
The last stage of our visit was in the capital. Hanoi is more relaxed than
HCMC and the French influence more obvious. We completed the obligatory
tour of the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, (sadly, the building was closed for
maintenance, so we could only speculate on the inside, from the outside).
We felt we had been really accepted when we were funnelled away from the
'Foreigners' route and down the one reserved for 'Vietnamese'! We attended
a performance of the water puppet theatre, an historic part of the
culture, which almost defies description and has to be seen to be
believed.
No description of our journey would be complete without mention of our
guide, Mi (her name means 'beautiful eyes' in Vietnamese). Mi's knowledge
of her country was encyclopedic and her honesty about both the virtues and
vices of her people was unexpected. Her lifestyle and work means she lives
in Hanoi, but her nine month-old son, is cared for by her parents and she
only sees her family a few days each month.
One of the more surprising aspects of the trip was the universal, 100% max
strength 3G phone signal! With most of the party hailing from the darkest
parts of Suffolk and Cambridge, where smoke signals are more effective
than phone signals, it was necessary to send texts from the most remote
places. Why? Because we could!
And, lastly, the food! Vietnamese cuisine is unique and almost always
delicious. Seafood was especially good. The meal usually begins with a
soup or spring roll starter, a salad (often with papaya), a fish dish, a
meat dish and a vegetable dish, all served with rice. Dessert seemed to be
deep-fried banana in the south and seasonal fruit in the north.
Tourism already accounts for 50% of the country's GDP, but it is possible
to see behind the commercialism, for now. The next five years are set to
change the country almost beyond recognition. Plan your visit before it is
too late!