Last stop in Vietnam...Ha Tien.

Obsevation:
           There are very defined groups of western travellers in south east Asia.The 'gappers', 18--25,

Happy Hotel, Ha Tien.....

either in, or just out of university, the honeymooners and the older retired couples--mostly with more assets and staying in better quality hotels--- doing all the high-end day trips. Personally, not sure into which of the categories I fall!
           There is also another small group that I find interesting--I call them the flotsam* and jetsam** crowd. Almost entirely male, older than middle aged, always single, or with a young Asian girl on their arm and frequently sitting in a bar or restaurant on the street. They are openly friendly and I have come into contact with several. The tend to be loudly spoken, from the UK, US or Australian and in addition to extensive local knowledge seem to hold, and be ready to broadcast, political opinions of a rather extreme ilk. I have probed several of them in order to try and obtain a picture of their life stories, but it always seems to become confused and I have a sense that there is substantial fabrication as they are attempt to make sense of rather chaotic histories...failed businesses, divorces etc. Does

Sunday lunch BBQ lady....

seem as though the narrow streets & bars of this part of the world act as a magnet to men wanting to forget the past, probably due to the low living costs and a population that does not discriminate against them.
       * Flotsam, that which is thrown overboard to make a ship lighter   ** Jetsam, that which floats to the surface after a ship has foundered.

         Vietnamese music. The Vietnamese love their music, frequently played sweetly and liltingly, but quite loudly in the buses and vans in which I travel. As one who most enjoys (always have) the sweet and mellow, I find the popular music of Vietnam to be quite attractive to my ear. It does not generally contain the pounding beat of much of today's western popular with the young crowd. In fact, Western music is not heard too much in this country on the loud speakers that are employed ubiquitously on the streets as a tool to entice traffic into retail

Under the hat.....

locations.

           Ha Tien is literally 'at the end of the road' as far as Vietnam is concerned. The last stop before the Cambodian border which is just 6 kms to the north of the town. Today is Sunday and I executed my pre-noon saunter through almost empty streets. Shops shuttered and the street stalls tied securely down in plastic sheeting. Yes, I did see 3 or 4 young westerners boarding their van, likely heading for Cambodia, but apart from that, I was the only Westerner in town. Not sure if this is usual, given that the weather in these parts is not good just now, but one would have thought that there would have been more travellers as Ha Tien is a major crossing point into Cambodia. As tourist numbers are so low, one is constantly the target for 'chancers' who have virtually anything for sale: cut price (dodgy) bus tickets, marijuana, girls, bike-taxi rides. I have learnt to adopt a very clear, but friendly wave off gesture to these characters and absolutely refuse to enter into any verbal inter-play with them.
            Apparently, and likely correctly, Vietnam has identified tourism as a major leg to support itself and its 95 million population, in a country about the size of the UK and to gain a bite of the

Coffee serving Vietnamese style....

massive visitor numbers that Thailand has been attracting increasingly for the past 30+ years. It is my judgement, on this, the final day of a five week journey through the country, that the nation has a long way to go as far as tourism is concerned. I do not know if major western businesses, hotels, restaurants, transportation etc., etc are limited, as a matter of Vietnamese government policy from opening up here, or if it's the western companies who are holding off until the incoming tourist sector hits 'takeoff' volume. It was only in Nha Trang where I saw a national organised group, the Russians, and even they did not seem to have invested in the infra-structure to support the massive numbers of their citizens arriving in that single city. Outside of the tourist areas of the major cities in Vietnam, virtually no one speaks a word of English, the lingua franca of international tourism. Bottom-line, Vietnam is not yet ready for massive tourist inflows, but I am confident that this will change rapidly in the next 5-10 years, given the work ethic, friendly disposition and discipline of the national population.

             Not knowing where to find dinner tonight in this small town, I looked up "dinner in Ha Tien" on Trip Advisor and came up with the Oasis Bar------thought that it sounded like a back- packer dive-

Wow! That was welcome!

-not my scene!! But as it was only a 5 minute walk from my hotel thought that at least I would look at it. Turns out it is owned by Andy, 62 years of age, from Wolverhampton & his Vietnamese wife. Andy lived in Bradmore and went to Warstones Junior School and the Boys Grammar. Small world. More, his sister lives in Newport, Mon.

Had a very pleasant chat about old places--while I was trapped in his bar/restaurant during a very heavy rainstorm for 1/2 an hour.

I have attached a photo of the meal that I had--especially enjoyed the pot of P&G Tips tea----- "good till the last drop" as they say.

Always impressed on just how small this world is!

My day in Rach Gia.....

           Travel is not just about seeing the Manhattan skyline, the Pyramids or that tower built by some

More rain for the rice paddies....

guy named Gustav Eiffel. It is about passing through and stopping for a day in a place called Rach Gia (pop: 210,000), on the coast line of the Mekong delta. To paraphrase Lonely Planet, 'few tourists linger'. The city has a thriving port due to its location at the mouth of the mighty Mekong and is a high speed ferry location to an island that I can see in the mist from my hotel window, called Phu Quoc. Unless I have specific reason, I generally don't 'do' islands, as it is my experience that they are over priced and over-rated. Anyway: first, the weather update--strong sun, very hot & humid. A definite step up from the miserable rain that has dogged my travels for the past couple of weeks, so no complaints.
             

Phu Quoc island at sunset.....

Rach Gia appears to be a relatively featureless town--- I did not even see a worthwhile statue to Ho Chi Minh. It is constructed on the grid system with wide avenues lined and identical small shops. Most aspects look relatively new and even down the smaller streets there is little evidence of older building, or even traces of French colonial architecture, common in most Vietnamese towns. In Vietnam, one hears frequent reference to post 1975--that is after the 'American War' and the growth of Rach Gia would seem to definitely fall into the post war period. Apparently there was much fighting in the Delta region during the conflict, with the Americans having much trouble chasing the Vietcong around all the natural barriers that this low and waterlogged delta affords, resorting instead to heavy pounding of the local population with B-52s, from 5 miles overhead.

Making a spectacle of himself again.....

                 Noticeable to me today in this 'end of the road' town, was the absence of foreigners (as in western tourists)----I think that I could lay claim today to being perhaps the only foreigner in Rach Gia. Certainly this tall white guy, with camera hanging from the neck, garnered his share of stares and "hello's" from locals, especially young people. Friendly, yet reserved would be how I can best describe them----obviously not used to tourists parading down the streets with cameras intrusively pointed at their everyday lives. In contrast to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Hue etc., where the locals were almost aggressively friendly in the

Guys washing day......

expectation of being able to provide some sort of service. Of course, there well could be Chinese, Thai and other oriental tourists, here but there are rather more difficult to identify.
                   Mosquitoes. I came prepared to battle the pests-- pills and repellent at the ready. Have to report so far in Vietnam & Laos that I have not seen, been aware of or been bitten by the insects. I would have thought that a water logged, hot & humid place like Rach Gia would have been awash in them. Let's hope the absence of them continues as I proceed into Cambodia. 

Full day in Can Tho.......

            Help! I think that my toes are growing webs to cope with all the water. I took heart that it was

Sunset over the Mekong

not actually pouring with rain this morning upon wakening at 8.30 am, from a deep & satisfying sleep (dear readers, decadent I know, but absolutely free from guilt!). From the breakfast table peered out into tepid and fleeting sunshine. Quickly packed my bag and headed out for a stroll along the Mekong River bank. Hailed every 10 metres by hawkers trying to interest me a 2 hour boat trip to the floating market---tourists of any variety seem in short supply here in Can Tho at the moment---exactly the way I prefer it! Probably they knew better than me, that it will be hot, dry & sunny in these parts in another 4-6 weeks.
           

Tasty dinner, but not for me.........

Had an encounter and chance to witness my first professional level drone operation in the river bank park. I was rather alarmed initially that the pilot was operating the expensive drone out over water from a bridge. The control that he exerted over the craft was impressive and he was able to position it almost motionless at various altitudes, from almost water level to 500 ft. plus. The craft was controlled from a tablet interface providing the 'pilot' with an exact camera bird's eye view. A 'toy' to consider for the future?!
                Circled the central area of Can Tho, described in Lonely planet as being 'laid back', enjoying the fact that is considerably less frenetic, less crowded and with air that is more breathable. The main boulevards of Can Tho are wide and the traffic somewhat more orderly than in

Filming us......

in most of the Vietnamese cities, especially, Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) to the north.
                  Prior to  embarking on this trip, I invested in a new pair of sandals, of a style that needed to be both comfortable and cool for all the walking entailed in this type of independent travel. The problem is that I did not envisage was that the sandals would emit a really foul smell when wet---and they have been wet almost continuously for the past two plus weeks. I put them on wet in the morning and they stay that way for the entire day. This can be embarrassing when I am in company, for example, when on a sleeper bus and ones feet are directly under the head of the passenger in front! Would be interesting to hear some of the comments that must have been made about that

Not sure if he was waving to me....

foreigners stinky feet!! Anyway, next time I see a decent shoe shop, I think I know what in the interests of common decency, I must do.
                 Afternoon--semi sunny, but basically dry. Ambled the boulevards and back lanes of Can Tho. Of major appeal was the narrow lane that specializes in machinery, water pumps, tools, spanners and washers and a million other 'guy' things. Not only the machinery, but the mini tool shops and the places one goes to get things fixed. With only a couple of metres frontage, the employees work away on the tiny concrete floor area of their shop. Old pieces of machines are stripped, cleaned, overhauled and reassembled by oily and sweaty mechanics in the full blast of the tropical heat. Great 'slice of life' photo taking opportunities to record the realities of industrial life in a third world environment. 

Wet ride to Can Tho......

                 Rose at 6 for my contracted motor cycle taxi man to take me at 7am the HCMC west

Mekong River. The Heavens open  (for the next 8 hours)

station for my bus ride to Can Tho in the central Mekong River delta area. Said driver was a 'no show; and probably the pouring rain persuaded him to roll-over in bed and decide to forego his $5, 14 km trip to the bus station. No problemo!
              Wrapped up in my plastic honcho & clutching my two bags, soon piled onto the pillion seat of  a replacement bike. Rain just tipping down. Traffic in HCMC crowded and chaotic as ever, especially during morning rush hour. Don't forget, no traffic lights (and if there are, they are just ignored)--no stopping for anyone,

Young mans face---old mans beard.....

or anything. I could hardly see a thing as we hurtled along in pounding rain and flashing lightening. I am not sure what my pilot/driver could see as he was not sporting goggles or visor and nor was I sure what all the other million bike drivers on the street could see, But miraculously--the system works and in less than 30 minutes we were at my suburban bus station. Ten minutes more & the ticket purchase procedure was completed. After having been personally escorted to the correct bus out of 200 at the bus station, I found myself lying flat on my back in soggy clothes in  air-conditioned deep freeze, on a 'sleeper bus'. All told about 2 1/2 shivering hours bus travel time from HCMC to Can Tho, over a series of large modern bridges that span the

Someones dinner tonight!

many branches of the mighty Mekong at  it gets ready to meet the ocean.
                   Put down at the clean modern Can Tho bus station and, as is frequently the case, find that it is located 5-8 kms from the central city core. Short of a long, hot hike, one is forced into a taxi. Note that the last 5 taxi kms costs almost as much as the previous 150 km bus ride.
                  After hotel registration is complete, I have short walk to the river and admire its swollen proportions---a little higher and residents I could be bailing water from the hotel  lobby---we are only fifty metres or so back from the river bank. Yes, you guessed it...once again, and for the rest of the day, the heavens opened. Luckily there are several restaurants along the street and I downed a spaghetti bolognaise and a quick stroll through street market before beating a retreat  to the hotel for the rest of the day. Thank goodness for Youtube--- book reading in my rather dark & dingy, but clean hotel room ($17US/night) is an eye strain.





  

Last day on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City....

              Learned my lesson from Mother Nature after my first couple of days in Ho Chi Minh City

Boring TV program?

and that is to turn out of hotel and hit the streets early---invariably it seems that torrential down-pours commence at 3pm and last for 2-3 hours. Last night it was still raining hard at 8pm when I sallied forth to find some dinner. The mornings are definitely the best time to see the city and the skies darken hourly after mid-day.
             Yesterday being Sunday, there was noticeably more family action and it was pleasant sauntering around the central Cathedral area crowded with locals and tourists alike. This quarter is an up-market area where many key government buildings are located and is dotted with prestige eateries like Starbucks and Haagen Dazs ice cream shops. Yes, even  McDonalds has a comfortable &

He needs a dishwasher!

dressed up unit on the square. Interesting to note how, in emerging markets, that everyday North American brand names are repositioned to be quite prestigious viz: a dressed hamburger and coffee might cost half days pay for an average worker in Vietnam. In the adjoining streets are both new & used book shops to browse.
            On the subject of books, I have noticed that in the Vietnamese small hotels that I inhabit, they do not seem to offer a book exchange in their reception area which is the custom in many other places. Over the years I have benefited many times from these exchanges and been able to obtain great reads. Take one (book), leave one, works very well for the traveller who frequently has hours to kill in bus stations etc. I am guessing that in the new capitalistic spirit of this communist country, the discarded/lost/abandoned books of tourists are "hoovered" up by the hotel room cleaning staff and resold into the used book trade. In Vietnamese retail used book stores, decent items mostly end up being sold at very high prices for very shop worn material. Tomorrow

Even has an Uncle Ho look-alike beard.....

I leave HCMC for the area known as the 'delta' where the Mekong river breaks in several large tributaries and empties into the ocean. I have to take a local bus for the 60kms travel distance to Can Tho, city of 1.4 million, at the centre of the region and from where I will investigate other river towns worth visiting. The HCMC West bus station for destinations in the delta is 14 kms from my central city location. I have made arrangements for a motor-cycle taxi driver to meet me outside my hotel at 7.00am
           

HCMC day #2.....

                   The tourists guideline for visiting HCMC in late October has to be ---leave your hotel

I think this was a pre-wedding photo session....

room early and expect a very heavy rainfall for at least a couple of hours between 3 & 6pm. I am getting into the rhythm now and the locals tell me that a dryer period should be taking in another couple of weeks. Dryer, apparently does not equate to cooler--one Vietnamese wag joked to me that that there are only two seasons in the south, hot and hotter!
                  Before I go any further, my apologies to Ho Chi Minh City. I blogged yesterday that there

Three lovely ladies being blessed by Uncle Ho.....

was no subway system ---soon that will be an untrue statement! Apparently it is currently under construction as a joint aid project with the Japanese, the tunnels being excavated at a considerable depth so as not to be an inconvenience to the frenetic traffic & densely populated city. Illustrations on the hoardings at the construction sites indicate that underground shopping plazas above the railway lines are being included as part of the project......listen up Toronto city fathers---maybe we should apply for foreign aid assistance from Japan to improve/extend our 50 year old, two line network!!
              My walking plan today was to amble the side streets across the city in a generally easterly direction, with first port of call being the impressive Peoples' Hall, a beautiful structure in traditional French/Asian colonial finished in that sand coloured finish that was the distinctive hall-mark of the French colonial period. The Hall fronts onto a large rectangular plaza and is dominated with a large statue to a benevolent Uncle Ho looking

Mr. Dung, my photographer friend....

forward down on his comrades. The location was well attended by tourists and with young Vietnamese couples anxious to record their new relationship for the family albums. The street photographers gods smiled and I crossed paths with a delightful group of four young ladies dressed in traditional outfits, who were kind enough to permit me to click away on my trusty Nikon. Striking to me is the fact that this plaza is a shrine in the city for the Communist struggle and that it is lined with high-end 'famous names' boutiques and luxurious five star hotels. Times are a changing! My other interest at this very location was to recall that during the very darkest days, during the 1968 Tet offensive, of the "American" war, it was this very same Continental hotel that the western media corps sheltered in on the roof top bar while aiming cameras down at the streets below, where heavy fighting raged. In fact,

I might as well wash my feet in the warm rain....

at least one the hotels boasts of its association to the events with framed pictures of the (enemy) US press corps in residence, posted to the wall at the entrance!!
                  After purchase of packaged sustenance at a small western style convenience, I turned south towards the river--wide, odoriferous and dirty, located a bench under the trees and ready to relax the tired legs and consume three bottles of assorted liquids. In the extreme heat and humidity one is wet through and can fatigue more rapidly than one might tend to on a chilly day in Toronto! I was approached by a very friendly young Vietnamese street photographer, Mr. Le Hoang Dung aka: Tumi Le who requested a shot of this senior western back-packing tourist about to enjoy his sandwich. Who am I to refuse such a request when I have approached many kind people for similar consideration during my month in Vietnam? Mr. Dung, a systems engineer who speaks beautiful English and I, chatted for fully a couple of hours comparing our philosophies on life and street photography. Most informative and very interesting, Thanks Mr. Dung.

Ho Chi Minh city....

                   7.30am awake at the Ngoc Linh Hotel,  Ho Chi Minh city/Saigon (HCMC)--- rated at 91 on Booking.com, after a tranquil nights sleep. Nice comparison to my hotel last night in Da Lat where outside my hotel, I seemed to be at the epi-centre of manic vehicular horn blowers. Today, my

Abandoned US  equipment displayed at Reunification Palace

complaint to hotel management was being parked up on the fifth floor of a non-elevator building. On check-in last night, I was assured that it would be impossible to relocate me to the 2nd floor even if I did suffer from some knee stiffness. With a commitment to stay at the hotel an extra two days (total four),  I am now relocated to room 103. Small stuff you might say, but enough to annoy, on a long journey. Never cease negotiating for an improvement in life's lot, Confucius say.
                 HCMC positively pulsates with economic energy--- such a contrast to Hanoi, which while the national capital, seems to want principally to project central (communist) political influence

Siesta on my motor cycle....

over the entire country. Back in 1992, someone told me that from the roof top of my Shanghai hotel it was possible to see 50% of the world's rotating construction cranes---I have the feeling that this 50% has now moved to HCMC. Times seem to be rapidly changing here---the shops in HCMC have a much greater range of goods at retail than I have seen anywhere else in Vietnam and judging by the shopping crowds, are being gobbled up. If not the national capital, HCMC  (pop: 7.8 million)  is certainly the capital of touts--almost impossible to proceed more than a few strides on the totally congested streets than to be offered some service--- boom boom massages, marijuana and likely anything else one might require. The metropolis seems to have retained lots of the brashness and perhaps some of the vices it must have had during the chaotic American war years. The streets are choking with the sheer volume of motor cycles and scooter. One shudders to consider the total grid-lock that will prevail when all these motorcyclists follow the natural progression up the ladder to four wheel ownership----but maybe by that time, an underground rail system will have been constructed viz: Singapore, Shanghai etc.
                          Equipped with hotel city map in hand, I ventured out into the increasing mid-morning heat and humidity. Limiting myself to walking mode only, I selected the Reunification

Footing the birdie.....

Palace to visit. This was the palace of the president of the defeated Republic of South Vietnam and hit world front pages a couple of times in 1975 when it was bombed by a northern pilot who had infiltrated the southern air-force and used an American fighter bomber to deliver two direct hits to the property. The second event to capture imaginations that year was the famous photo of the Viet Cong tank smashing its way into the palace grounds, demolishing the ornamental main gate and delivering the ultimate message to the world that the war war was over with the north being the victors. The palace has been rebuilt and the old (damaged) French colonial style building front facade has been replaced with a stylistically rather modern replacement. The entire property is now open (not 11.30am to 1.30pm when Vietnamese museum workers enjoy their rather leisurely lunch break) to all, as a national monument to mark the struggle for reunification.
                    After my 'picnic' on a comfortable park bench and awaiting the 1.30pm opening time, I strolled the few blocks to the War Remnants Museum complete with a collection of US tanks, artillery, jets and helicopters. Inside, very impactfully is illustrated the horror of the 'American' war. Many of the war scenes were ironically supplied by US sources, thus validating the accuracy and creditability of the shocking images. The war, its causes and results seem to resonate very much present in the psyche of the people of Vietnam and as a tourist, one is aware of their desire to get out the story. I have not been conscious of any overt anti-American sentiment, observed or reported to me, while I have been in Vietnam Interestingly today, it seems that once again, China is the bogeyman and the US seen as being sympathetic.                



           

Walking around Da Lat....

            Fortified by my four slices of toast and hot green tea, I made arrangements with Villathol Hotel reception for a change of rooms for my second nights stay--Vietnamese traffic is not quiet and the klaxon is used liberally to assert ones position in the traffic flow, but just not outside my room at

Such fun those selfy sticks & tablets.....

all hours.
         Grey heavy skies foreboding worse to come greeted this day. The clouds in Da Lat hang noticeably lower than in the coastal regions and I had the feeling that if I raised my hand high, it would come down quite wet. The temperature in Da Lat seems to be about 23/24 C and is a temporary relief from the heat that I know is awaiting me again in Ho Chi Minh city tomorrow night.

            Today's plan of action is an extensive circular walk through several neighbourhoods that my hotel map indicates as "must see" sights in Da Lat. As in most of the Vietnamese cities that I have visited,  Da Lat is no exception in that it has a large scenic lake in the central district. A nice touch for the citizens to have somewhere peaceful to promenade in the evenings. Not sure about the water quality of the lake in Da Lat--- it does seem to have an unhealthy brown cast to it. Dined on a hamburger at the Lotteria fast food outlet near the lake--- Good value, but it came with some service efficiency issues. McD. is not yet in Vietnam, or I have not yet

Thought I was Paris by the Seine!!

come across one. With a population over 90 million, a very web cognisant and youthful population beginning to have some spending power, Vietnam might soon be ready for the golden arches. With hamburger nutrition doing its job, I made tracks through to the central market area. Noticed yesterday that my trusty old lightweight walking backpack had sprung a large hole in its base due to friction.  No point risking having my camera descend down said hole! Replacement bag acquired with price negotiation/haggle conducted over the sales lady's i-phone to English speaking daughter.
               Strolling on, taking as many 'people' pictures as I could, succeeded in having a series of warm and humorous conversations with a variety of folks that I encountered. Everyone I met was extremely friendly and did not register any annoyance at having their photo taken.
                 My last point of call was to the now virtually unused railway station, constructed by the French during the colonial era, it is in that typical colonial French /Chinese combination architectural style and colouring that

This load--I tested it, must have been 100 lbs plus!

marks major buildings of that period. Took the requisite pics to mark my visit, including some of a group of Buddhist nuns en visite, who had so much fun posing with each other at the end of their 'selfy sticks'. At this point, the heavens opened to deliver the long threatened down-pour. After 30 minutes waiting for the clouds to clear, I beat a tactical retreat in torrential rain, back to my hotel via taxi.

Nice cool, rainy Da Lat

Promised for 'about' 7.00am, my bus for Da Lat (pop:298,000) finally materialised 'about' 8.00am--

Intensive green house agriculture....

this passenger clearly at the end of a long bus circuit around hotels collecting its fare paying passengers--almost entirely comprised of gap-year western Europeans. From my hour on the street corner waiting, I observed that the Russians in the large hotel opposite my spot, are all the packaged tour crowd---they eat Russian food in Russian restaurants, move together in large groups, shop at Russian convenience stores (I know this because of the large window displays of vodka)! Probably never spoke to a single Vietnamese the whole time they were in the country.
                   Anyway, the driver

Three ladies shopped till they dropped......

made excellent (as in speedy and exciting) progress in an attempt to catch up time for his late departure from Nha Trang over the steep hills and switch backs of the south western highlands. Upon the descent into the high valley region around Da Lat it was possible to appreciate the intense agricultural activity in the region. Apparently the cool mountain air, a nice respite from the lowland heat and humidity, favours the cultivation of strawberries (no rice paddies at these altitudes)--did not see any strawberries in the road side stalls, but maybe it is not the season.
                 Dumped from my bus in the centre of town and just when I needed a motor cycle taxi man to find my hotel for me, I was unable to spot one. Settled for an

Hat style for the fish lady....

official taxi and wonder of wonders, found one with a working meter and for 60 cents, was delivered via a maze of narrow streets, to the door of my guest house. Finding the hotel in a strange city is always, it seems to me, the most difficult task of the day.
                   Contrary to promotional travel literature that describes Da Lat as being "small and cute", it appears anything but---very busy with an aggressive sense of commerce. The number of wedding shops, gift boutiques and wedding photographer studios do seem to support the claim that Da Lat is a favoured Vietnamese honeymoon location. Personally, I think that I would have preferred somewhere with much less hustle, bustle and noise.
                   It is much cooler in Da Lat compared to the coastal plains, I was tempted to wear an undershirt with my short sleeved sports shirt for my mid afternoon walk about. Heavy rain rolled in late afternoon which saw me ducking into restaurant for a chicken & rice dinner (not very appetising).

Buses:
    Prior to embarking on this trip I did quite a lot of internet based research on bus travel in SE Asia, I plotted the locations of bus stations and looked at sample timetables and bus fare tariffs. Out in the 'real' world, what I have discovered is that for a western tourist travelling independently, there exists a

Drives the bus with his feet....

parallel bus system for tourists which is virtually separate from that used very widely by the local people. The streets of both small towns and larger cities, are dotted with travel agencies and hotel reception desks that sell tickets for private buses to all the destinations that would be of interest to non-package tour travellers. It works like this: purchase a ticket at one of these off bus station outlets and a minivan, in some cases a motor cycle taxi, will pick up (no extra charge) at your hotel and deliver you at a pre-arranged time to the "mother bus", Usually these 'mother buses', regular full size vehicles, or sometimes mini vans, tend to be more comfortable than the vehicles used by the local population.
             It is true that the parallel/informal tourist bus system may be somewhat higher priced than chancing ones luck at the local bus station, which might be located obscurely, miles away, on the edge of town. Bus fares in SE Asia are very reasonably priced---a couple of days ago I travelled for 11 hours through south central Vietnam for $10 US.

Arrival in Nha Trang....

             The 11 hour overniter by "sleeper" bus from Hoa An to Nha Trang (530 kms) achieved more

Garishly illuminated 'sleeper' bus berths....

agreeably than I was expecting. Despite being wedged into my short 5ft. 6 " sleeping berth (why did the word coffin come into mind?), I slept solidly for about 5 hours after midnight. I was obviously on a bus of elite sleeper bus veterans, as everyone except for me appeared to be sound asleep after 9.00pm. Just past 11.00pm we halted at a popular roadside restaurant clearly favoured by sleeper bus drivers, just as the most amazing cloud-burst that I think I have been privy to in my young life, exploded overhead. Unbelievable amounts of water pounded on the corrugated tin roof of our eatery, and soon parts of the restaurant floor were awash in water. The locals hardly noticed --the majority of western bus  passengers being aghast at the fury of Mother Nature.

6 am view of Nha Trang beach front....

We rolled into  Nha Trang (pop: 359,000) my destination, at 5.00am (Vietnamese style, a full hour ahead of schedule) and twenty back-packers, myself included, pitched out into the darkness of a strange city. As sure as chickens lay eggs, the motor cycle taxi men materialised assuring one and all that they knew precisely where a named hotel would be. True to form, after a couple of kilometres tooling at high speed through mostly empty streets my pilot admitted that the "Green Peace" hotel was not where he thought it was. No problem, quick conversation with some rough looking street pals of his and we were on away again. The business model for street taxi men seems to be --- just get your target onto the pillion seat and worry about the destination later!
              Unwrapped myself & bags from the pillion seat, paid the pre-agreed fare ($2US) and at 5.15am, with dawn just breaking to light rain, spilled myself into the lobby of the Green Peace Hotel. Clerk stretched out fast asleep behind his counter, was clearly not too pleased to welcome his first

Communist beach decor.....

new check-in of the day. Bluntly told me to come back at 2.00pm!! At this, our intrepid traveller went into his well known "wobbly" mode as the Brits call it. A successful strategy, but one that must be used carefully (do NOT insult Vietnamese mothers)---can be frequently effective. I was informed that my room would be available at a more reasonable 7.30 am.
               Clearly my hotel is not located in one of the best areas of the city---The "Booze Cruise" is next door and customers, with girlfriends, were still sitting out-side at the tables drinking beer at 6.00am! Not to worry, I think they call this local colour and all part of the experience---Hilton packaged tour clients you do not know what you are missing!

            Finally allocated my room after hotel management cleared out a chaotic China bus tour party from the lobby, rested for a couple of hours, before setting off on my walk about the around beach and main shopping streets. Clearly evident is the major difference, the further south in this unified (since 1975) country that one travels. By appearances, it is much more prosperous in the south --- whereas the communist government in the north and Hanoi is omnipresent---- propaganda bill boards the national flag, police etc. The north, the winners in the 1968-1975 civil war seems to be adopting a benign /hands off approach to the south (the losers & supported unsuccessfully by the US). Let the south busy itself getting rich for the benefit of the whole nation, as long it remains non-political and does not challenge the right of the communists to rule. Very much the China formula for enriching the nation.
               I am struck by the very large number of Russian tourists in Nha Trang. Large numbers of shops sport banners and hoardings offering products & services in Cyrillic script.  There is widespread obesity among Russian visitors---clearly an epidemic well beyond W. Europe & North America. Interestingly, the Russians, especially the middle aged crowd, seem delighted to display their rolls of excess skin in skimpy bathing suits, on and off the beach.

Sunny skies are smiling...(again)

Thursday 13th October 2016.

Those of you who have sat in the front of a Blackpool (UK) guest house on the sea front, while it pours with rain and it's impossible to see the beach, even though it is only 50 metres away, will

Ear cleaning lady....

understand the weather today in Hoa An---except in my case, make it the rice paddy---- so hard is it

pouring. Notwithstanding that the rain in these parts is sweet and warm, not the cold penetrating British variety---memories of my England and Wales walk in 2010.

Friday 14th October 2016.

 Not fair---the people of the Vietnam coast were promised another day of heavy rain and stormy weather. The weather forecast man failed to deliver and instead sent a nice calm and sunny day---go figure! Arising this morning in a much better mood, quickly reconstructed my day. Off into the town of Hoa An on my hotel complementary bike, good and

Good enough to eat....

early before the tourist masses arrive. I know that these types don't wake too early and tend to linger over their cornflakes and toast. Having now actually experienced the Vietnam road chaos as a driver, albeit of a humble bike, can now better appreciated the traffic "system", the give and take, the flow that ensures that everyone arrives at their destination as fast as possible having never once stopped for anything or anyone.
            Secured a safe parking spot for hotel bike, applied wheel lock and off I went. My greatest fear was the prospect of being unable to find said bike again later, as all the push bikes in the city are one brand, one colour and come with identical accoutrements such as front pannier.
                My objective today was to spend a couple of hours on serious street photography. My

Restaurant waitress checking for customers..... 

precise target was old and older people---those with beautiful lined faced--some call it faces of experience! Easier said than done to find these folks---the streets being filled with young people and mid career working types. The streets are a hive of activity, with 'events' happening before your camera eye at a dizzying pace. Of one thing a photographer can be sure----miss that shot and 10 seconds later another even better opportunity will present itself.
              The 'old city' of Hoa An is home to many tailor shops, in front of which barkers try their utter-most to engage the tide of passing westerners. Not sure the quality or style would be for me, but as a guy with one carry-on bag for an entire three months on the road, luggage space is at a premium.
            Treated myself to a better (and bigger) than average lunch today, at a lovely restaurant on one of the main streets of the motorized traffic free streets of the 'old quarter'. Really superb, but

All seeing, all knowing....

so regret that my lovely wife is not accompanying me here in Hoi An.
               Rested and fortified from the fine repast, I was ready to tackle the ride back. After 2.30 pm, the already high temperature seems to soar and today was no exception. Achieved my three kilometres  return trip safely, but decided to keep going on along the same main road for a couple more to the beach, past a plethora of hotels, resorts & restaurants.
             The ocean (the South China Sea) was in ferment after yesterday's storm and massive rollers were hitting the protective beach anti-erosion fortifications. Large red "no swimming" advisories prominently displayed.
               Moving on south again tomorrow to Nha Trang. Depressingly there is only one bus a day from Hoi An and it leaves at 5.30 pm with pick-up at my hotel . It is an over-night "sleeper bus" ie: you travel lying on your back with feet in a box---problem is that the box was designed or shorter Asian people, not tall Europeans, We are scheduled to arrive Nha Trang at 6 am. Given my experience so far with Vietnamese bus schedule accuracy, I am guessing actual arrival time will be more likely 3.30 am. Exciting prospect to see Nha Trang up close & personal at such an early hour! But complain NOT, it saves one nights hotel bill!

Hoi An--- an ancient city....

The rain rolled into the Hue region on Vietnam's central coastal strip, so instead of being 98% humidity, it moved up to the big 100%. Locals inform me that this Fall has been very wet, the

Lunch time at the lantern shop...

monsoon period usually abating by the end of September. No complaints from this bus rider, as only a couple of days in the past month of travel have had daytime precipitation. The road and sidewalks in Vietnam tend to be badly formed in areas, with massive puddles forming and many motor cyclists competing to see how big a splash they can make as they plough through the mini-lakes.
              The bus ride down here to Hoi An was a pleasant 3 hours/130kms/ $5US. Picked up at my Hue hotel and deposited in central Hoi An--a 10 minute, $5 streak through the streets on the back of a motor cycle taxi and I located my guest house about 3 kms out on the city outskirts---a little further  from the centre than I usually target--but at least away from the city noise.
                    Hoi An (pop: 126,000) is 15 kms

No caption needed....

south of Da Nang--a very major city with an international airport. The name Da Nang might ring a bell for those who recall the war era '68-'75. It was at Da Nang that the US air-force was based and the scene of very heavy fighting. At least the Vietnamese were left with big jet length runways as a basis to build their own international airport.
                  As I travel south in Vietnam, I observe that it is becoming much more developed & prosperous. Da Nang has construction cranes all over the skyline and the number of resorts under construction, including a massive Sheraton development, numbers in the dozens. Come back in five years and I am sure that I will not recognize the region. I also observe that the heavy hand of the communist party one sees & feels in the north, is much less so south of the old (DMZ) north /south border.
                  A little disappointed with Hoi An. It contains the largest collection of historic buildings and

Grannies counting their takings....

traditional style street network of any Vietnamese city and major efforts are being to preserve and enhance the old edifices. Only problem is, in doing so, the whole project falls into danger of  becoming a 'Disney-like' zone and a target for the less discerning mass tourist market.....viz: the long parades of Chinese group travellers being pedi-cabbed through the streets in long crocodile formations. Always felt that the pedicab in 2016, was a rather humiliating form of transport for both passenger and driver and have sworn personally not to use this mode. The entire 'old quarter' of Hoi An appears to consist of just two types of enterprise--restaurants and gift shops on a multitude of themes. Interestingly, there is a $6 per tourist levy at the entrance to the motorized vehicle restricted old city zone purportedly to help finance redevelopment of the asset.
                Your elderly & humble scribe, breached a new frontier of athletic accomplishment in that he accepted the offer of free bicycle rental from his abode, the Rice Flower guest house, in order to get to the town centre about 3 kms away. Not a mean feat considering that it is 25 years since he last mounted a bike. Great fun, but one that has to be taken seriously, due to the heavy traffic and an almost total lack of road discipline.

Up to the DMZ near Hue...

One can never tell if one will get value from the tourist mini-van trips that one purchases. Often much

Unexploded munitions at Khe Sanh

is promised and somewhat less is delivered. This trip had to be purchased, as the destination, the old North /South Vietnam border zone (AKA the DMZ) would be impossible to get to using independent tourist means, except of course by motor bike, for which this happy warrior is NOT a candidate.
Picked up punctually at 7.00 am, I was blessed with an agreeable bunch of Europeans as fellow travellers. The whole DMZ/border area, Hue included, was massively damaged in the war and its evidence is seen at almost every turn. Cemeteries of thousands seem to be every 10 kms up the famous highway #1 that runs the l

Abandoned US transporter......

ength of Vietnam. Our journey today took us up to the highland fortified US fire base at Khe Sanh, famous amongst those of us of a certain age as the name seemed to feature in the nightly news with hyper frequency during the 1968 -73 period. The Khe Sanh base was operated by the US Marines who had to be rescued by the US Army, who in turn were eventually driven out by the north Vietnamese. The Khe Sanh base is a graveyard of US helicopters and transit planes. Apparently the US were unable to supply the fire-base by road as the Vietnamese controlled all the access routes. The only way to supply the marines was with parachute drops from vulnerable

US Marine fire base & defensive trenches....

lumbering transport planes or by large helicopters. Daytime was too dangerous and night time flights or during frequent fogs was famously inaccurate, so that the Viet Cong was a beneficiary of much of the US supplies.
                       Also included on the excursion itinerary today was a visit to the famous tunnels that the Viet Cong constructed deep underground in order to avoid the massive B52 bombs that apparently had the capability to bury themselves 15 metres in the ground before detonating in a futile US effort to destroy the network of tunnels constructed as part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The Trail, built by the communist army of the north was part of its death struggle with the US backed Republic of Vietnam in the south.
                   Our guide pointed out the bare hillsides across the entire region that bear witness the millions of litres of 'agent orange' that were sprayed in a US effort to defoliate the jungle and expose the routes that the Viet Cong had developed to support its military effort in the south.

Tunnel entrance concealed under bamboo trees.....

Apparently 4th generation children in rural Vietnam are still being born deformed due to grandparent exposure to agent orange more than 50 years ago. We viewed clear evidence of the bomb craters that have altered the landscape contours as a result of saturation bombing in the region.
             Interestingly, I was not able to detect any real hatred towards the USA in any of the commentaries I heard today, or in the exhibit interpretations at the various battle-field museums we toured---just regret for a very sad period during a long history of trying to rid itself of foreign oppressors.  

Day #1 in Hue....

       Very comfortable nights sleep in my memory foamed, double size bed at the Jade Hotel in Hue.

Plates for sale.....

Down-stairs to my full selection breakfast--any two items from each food category. I know that I might sound like an advertising shill for this hotel, but is by far the best one I have stayed in Asia so far and all for $14/night.
             With hotel map and Lonely Planet in my back pack, I strolled forth into the heat and humidity of Hue (pop. 348,000) to locate the 'Citadel', just over the Perfume River, the residential compound of the Vietnamese imperial dynasty being built in the period 1804-33. My tour brochure states that it has 10 kms of walls, up to 2 metres thick with 10

gateways, plus a defensive moat 30m wide and 4m deep with some of the largest gold fish I have ever seen. Much of the inside of the Citadel has been ruined during wars in 1945 and the 'American' war 1966-1973. Of interest, was the extensive collection of war booty consisting of US tanks, artillery pieces, helicopters and fighter jets which are parked inside the Citadel. The US reinforced concrete pill boxes at the major road intersections outside the Citadel remain in evidence.
             In exhausting early afternoon heat, I recrossed the wide Perfume River on an alternative bridge & strolled back to the Jade hotel through a maze of narrow commercial streets--- a marked difference to the slow pace and lethargy of Vientiane and the rather austere climate of seat of government Hanoi. The good people of Hue seem to be hell bent on making business/making money/getting rich. Hue is notably the first large town that was located south of the DMZ, the nominal border between communist North Vietnam and the US backed (southern) Republic of Vietnam.

Looking pretty for me....

Citadels and temples are fine to see and are certainly part of my travel experience, but I must admit my first pleasure is sauntering the leafy side streets and chatting to the locals and endeavouring to turn it into a photographic opportunity. It did earn me an invitation to share a beer with a group of older men---first question---how old am I?? Second question---do I know Vancouver--very well known city for Vietnamese. A pleasant way to spend half an hour and make new friends!
          Plan for tomorrow---a day tour up to the US fortified fire bases at Khe Sanh, and the tunnels of Vinh Moc. Anyone who lived through the 70's will remember the daily TV reports of the war that came from places like Da Nang and Hue. The names are still so very evocative.
               Note on buying a decent cup of coffee in Vietnam. It is an important part of my daily ritual and have to admit that without my daily java fix, life is just not the same. What is served frequently in Vietnam is about one inch of VERY strong coffee in a tiny glass, with a spot of

My beer buddy...

condensed milk added. Almost undrinkable. So difficult to cross the cultural divide & to explain to them that I need them to dilute the coffee with more hot water & add extra condensed milk to lighten the concoction. Mysteriously, a glass of green tea is also served with an order of coffee.