Our man in Vietnam - 4 - the War

Day starts early as at 7 am we fly out from Da Nang to Hi Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).
It is worthwhile to mention, that Vietnam is an over 3,000 km long strip of land of average width about 100 km. It makes area slightly smaller than Poland and some 40% larger that our Australian State of Victoria. But population - around 90 millions, 15 times larger than in Victoria.
Out hotel day not started yet so we begin from visiting War Remnants Museum - CLICK.

Before entering the Museum our guide thanks us for understanding as Australia was involved in this war, on the other side.
I am also asking my readers for patience and tolerance as my relation is strongly influenced by impressions from the Museum, which has been built and maintained by the current, communist government of Vietnam.

War Remnants Museum, to be precise two wars as first was the French war , years 1945-54.

Year 1945 - Japan capitulated, French Vichy government capitulated too. In this vacuum enters Ho Chi Minh with his idea on independent, communist Vietnam.
At the same time, at the Potsdam Conference, it has been agreed, that the South part of Vietnam will be included into British Southeast Asia Command and Japanese forces in the North will surrender to Chinese, Kuomitang forces under command of Chiang Kai-shek.
Chinese accepted Hi Chi Minh activity. British in the South waited for decision of France. Interesting, that at this time American Office of Strategy Services (Predecessor of CIA) supported Ho Chi Minh claim to South Vietnam.
On 23 September 1945 France declared its rule over South Vietnam and the guerrilla war started.

Year 1949 - China became a communist country under Mao Tse-tung. North Korea was under Soviet administration. Vietnam became a part of communist block.
1953 - USA decided to support France.
Justification: “Now let us assume that we lose Indochina. If Indochina goes, several things happen right away. The Malay Peninsula, that last little bit of land hanging on down there, would be scarcely defensible. The tin and tungsten that we so greatly value from that area would cease coming.”  - president Eisenhower - CLICK.
American support amounted to 400 million dollars.
Year 1954 - communist forces under general Giap defeated the French army. At the peace conference in Geneva France declared full withdrawal from Vietnam.
Full history of the First Indochina War here - CLICK.

American war in Vietnam practically started in 1953, with military support mentioned above. After French withdrawal South Vietnam was ruled by non-communist nationalists under prime minister Ngo Dinh Diem. He was a staunch anti-communist and a fanatical Catholic.
The first gave him full American support, the second resulted in persecution of other religions, mostly Buddhist. It was a cause of numerous protests and culminated in self immolation of a Buddhist monk Thich Quand Duc.
Ngo Dinh Diem treated ruthlessly all political opponents and became a quite unpopular figure. His popularity waned and eventually CIA sent a supportive message to South Vietnamese generals planning a coup d'etat.
Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother were murdered on 2 November 1963.

Organizers of the coup d'etat were invited to American Embassy to celebrate. US president J.F. Kennedy sent a cable to congratulate "a fine job".
Ironically, 20 days later J.F. Kennedy was dead.

After fall of Ngo Dinh Diem political situation in South Vietnam became very unstable. There was a long succession of military governments. As a consequence American troops landed in Vietnam.
Hi Chi Minh warned Americans: "If they want to make war for twenty years then we shall make war for twenty years. If they want to make peace, we shall make peace and invite them to afternoon tea".
Military operations did not bring success as the nature favoured Vietnamese (communist) partisans. So the war against nature started. Spraying forests with chemicals causing defoliation (loss of leaves). One of companies involved in this project was Monsanto, the same which tries now to dominate the world with genetically modified plants.
More radical weapon was Agent Orange - CLICK - which caused grievous health consequences for those who came in contact. Up to 4 million people in Vietnam were affected and 1 million people have illnesses. The chemical has damaged the genes, giving descendants with deformities. American war veterans, who had contact with Agent Orange were awarded compensation.
Vietnamese people will suffer consequences for a long time - read this - CLICK.
Full history of the Vietnam War here - CLICK.

In he first section of this story I mentioned influence of Graham Greene's book - The Quiet American on my choice of Vietnam. Another significant influence was a movie Apocalypse Now based on a book The heart of the darkness by Joseph Conrad. Here is a trailer from the movie - CLICK.
Watching this trailer I have memory of one more writer - John Steinbeck who visited Vietnam as a war correspondent.
"The author was impressed with American war technology, especially the helicopters and the gunship they called “Puff the Magic Dragon,” which could saturate a football field in a few seconds with .50-caliber bullets. It never occurred to him that, in an insurgency, such a wide swath of death in heavily populated areas would not enhance the winning of “hearts and minds.” He asked incredulously: “How could we lose a war against peasant rabble when we had all the modern advantages?”- CLICK.

Here is the effect of modern advantages.

Memories of worldwide protests against the war in Vietnam are well exposed in the Museum.

Above a Russian poster - hands off Vietnam!
There are photos and reports about protests in USA, France,Soviet Union, Hungary.

Close to the exit from the Museum I noticed a book stall...

Second from the left in the bottom row The Quiet American and above, slightly to the right, the French response - The little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Looks a bit sarcastic as next to the Museum, just behind this wall...

there is an old French prison. These bars in the floor this are ceilings of prison cells. Sometimes there were dozens of people packed into each of them.

Graham Greene got it easy. Just in this conflict Britain stayed neutral. And Antoine de Saint-Exupery? He also avoided a trap - did not return from a reconnaissance flight in 1944.

End of the tour. It is good to be again amongst alive.

In Melbourne, reading the tour description I noticed with some sadness a mention, that in Ho Chi Minh City there is an option to watch an AO Show.
AO Show? The obvious translation was Adult Only Show. Of course. Neighbouring Thailand is famous as a sex tourism destination. Vietnam could not avoid some influence. And everything is cheaper here.
So it was a big surprise when our guide led us to stylish building of the Opera House...

... and told us, that here we can but tickets for a ballet performance - details here - CLICK.
I was very glad - our tour organizer (Intrepid) maintained a good standard from the beginning to the end. I was a bit ashamed with my association, and also disappointed a bit. Had I known what it is about I would have extended my stay in Vietnam by one day.

We end the day with a walk in Ho Chi Minh central district. Skyscrapers, elegant hotels and office blocks. Our dinner is in a top class restaurant - Lemon Grass - CLICK.

Still it is good to walk back to the hotel in a typical Vietnamese street.

Vietnam links to all parts - Part1, Part2, Part3, Part4, Part5, Part6.

Our man in Vietnam - 3 - Hoi An

Moving on, this time by bus. It climbs laboriously to the Hai Van Pass.

We came from the right, cloudy North. On the left, down, we could see golden beach and blue sea. So go down, We pass Da Nang, most industrialized city in Vietnam. It looks like in this place building projects are well run with Japanese (or Korean) efficiency.

Our guide winks - mafia - apparently Communist Party found, that dealing with foreign companies is more profitable that local industry.

Soon we are driven along the beach, clean, fine sand. You see that little white dot right from the highest mountain? The Female Buddha - CLICK. 

Vietnamese Copacabana.

Our aim if Hoi An - CLICK - most tourist friendly place in Vietnam. We can see it in the streets - clean, nicely decorated, friendly, relaxed crowd.

There are many old, well preserved buildings still involved in traditional craft. For example silk production.

On the upper floor we can see / buy beautiful silk tablecloth.

Popular are tailors, shoemakers, who can make overnight elegant suits or shoes.

Next day we have leisure time. What could be better than a bike ride?

We travel on flat tracks among rice fields, lakes, canals.

On our way we encounter some alternative transport means

It looks like a buffalo likes its load, it licks its lips. From passenger position it is not so easy. The animal has large chunks of fat on his back and it slides together with the rider with each step of the beasts.

Soon another attraction - basket boats.

Not far from us someone demonstrates sort of dances on the water - CLICK. 

Our trip is smooth, peaceful and dignified. I am rowing the boat and my effort is rewarded with spectacles.

After boat ride we continue on bikes to a very spectacular  Long Tuyen Pagoda.

Back in Hoi An there is not much time to spare as we have a cooking class on the schedule.

It starts with a visit to the market, to see what sort of vegetables we are going to use.

I am not a very diligent student, my attention is distracted by other stands.

- What are these dark lumps, next to jars?

- Blood - answers the chef - we do not waste anything.

Oooops, I hope our menu will be vegetarian.

The class is not difficult. We prepare 4 dishes:
- a mackerel grilled in a banana leaf,
- vegetarian spring rolls,
- green papaya salad with chicken slices,
- rice pancake.
Here I am in action - spring rolls.

Finally we eat what we cooked. Is OK, but I do not feel qualified for Vietnamese cooking.

Vietnam - links to all parts - Part1, Part2, Part3, Part4, Part5, Part6.

Our man in Vietnam - 2 - Hue

The night train brought us to Hue, old, imperial capital of Vietnam - CLICK.

Main attraction is the Citadel - complex of imperial palaces and temples - Forbidden City.
Good opportunity for a group photo.

Our guide - Hoc - introduced us to some basic facts from history of Vietnam. Favorable location - strip of fertile land separated from neighbours by mountains and jungle - enable creation of independent country already 3,000 years B.C. From year 111 B.C., for over 1,000 years Vietnam was dominated by China.

In 1292 Marco Polo visited Vietnam, some 300 years later it was visited by Portuguese missionaries, who introduced Latin alphabet.

The last imperial dynasty - Nguyen - came to power in 1802. In 1858 France attacked Vietnam and in 1887 it became a French colony under a name French Indochina.

Nguyen dynasty kept its imperial position, but they were just French marionettes. Situation changed in 1940 when Vietnam was attacked by Japan. Now the French administration formally  subordinated to Vichy France - CLICK - was a Japanese marionette.

Year 1945 - Japan defeated, Vichy France government falls. Ho Chi Minh arrives in Vietnam. Educated in France and Soviet Union, with good connections in China.

Let's listen to Hoc: In the last year under Japanese occupation 3 million Vietnamese starved to death. Ho Chi Minh declared - in independent Vietnam nobody will die of hunger. He kept his promise.

Ho Chi Minh was born as Nguyes Sinh Cung. Changed his name few times. Chi means will of spirit, Minh means bright, and Ho. Well Ho Chi Minh is a single exception among all Vietnamese names. Normally the last (third) segment of the name is the "first name" by which people are addressed. To address someone by the first segment of the name is a serious indelicacy, with the one exception - Ho, or as Vietnamese use to say - Uncle Ho.

It reminds me old times in Poland, end of 1960-ies. I used to visit a Club of Interational Press to read The New York Herald Tribune, international edition. Specially I liked Art Buchwald's - CLICK - column, always witty and mischievous.
One day he mentioned Uncle Ho. Here is the difference - he wrote - Vietnamese call their leader Uncle with his name as a suffix. Americans call their leaded son with some suffix.

Forbidden City consisted of 148 buildings. After French and American wars only 20 survived. None of them makes impression on me. Vietnamese flag adds some life to Forbidden City.

The next day is exciting, we will be passengers on motorbikes. I have to admit, I had strong reservations about it, which were shared by few people in our group, but eventually Hoc gently persuaded everybody to jump on the seat.

Our drivers have been carefully selected by Intrepid, it is a stable, well paid job, so they care about passengers comfort and safety. From the passenger seat we can appreciate their skills and intelligence and cooperation of all users of the road.

We ride mostly on side roads, among rice fields and small villages. We stop frequently. Sometimes it is just ducks kinder garden.

Parents watch from the other shore.

Building a dyke in a traditional way.

Manufacture of typical Vietnamese hats or incense sticks.

People are friendly, encourage us to try our own hand, usually with a pitiful outcome. Our guide suggests not to crowd around just one seller, spread around, give more people a chance to earn some money.

Important point of our excursion is a visit to a tomb of emperor Tu Duc - CLICK.
Our guide continues a brief lesson of history of Vietnam.

Emperor Tu Duc personally supervised construction of his tomb. The project started when he was still in the prime of his life. Reason was simple, he had no successor. Over 100 wives and concubines and no son.
Construction of the tomb lasted 9 years and caused an uprising of people forced to pay extra taxes and to provide free labour at the tomb.The uprising was suppressed and Tu Duc lived many years in his tomb spending time on poetry and hunting.
And guess what? Tu Duc has not been buried in his tomb. He has been buried in a secret location. All people employed at the burial have been beheaded and the locations stays secret till now.

Hoc mentioned the end of the empire. Ho Chi Minh induced the last emperor to abdicate and offered him some honorary position at the side of the government. The emperor chose to migrate to France.
It brings us to current times, communist government. Hoc does not hide his aversion to communism. An uncle of his mother was executed by communists only because he was a prosperous farmer.
Communist Party? It is mafia. Do you think anybody can join the Party? No way. There are only some 20,000 members. It is an exclusive club only for relatives of the original members.
It is not correct - Wikipedia says, that Communist Party of Vietnam has some 4.4 million members. I suppose Hoc meant those, who really count.
After the tour, at home, I do further research. Interesting, the economic policy of the Party is named Doi Moi - CLICK. What a coincidence - in Polish "doi" means to milk and "moi" means my (plural). So now we know who milks you my good Vietnamese people.
Wikipedia lists Vietnam among countries with the highest corruption in the world.

It is time to corrupt slightly our drivers. For a while we take over the handlebars of the motobikes.

The next visit - Thien Mu Pagoda - CLICK - beautiful complex on the bank of Perfume River.

Hoc - who declared himself as Buddhist - explained the difference between a temple and pagoda. In Buddhism there is no god, so it is not a religion, thus we do not have temples, but pagodas.
Still in many sources I find mentions of Buddhist temples. Interestingly, when I looked at the Internet, I noticed that most people, who ask question about difference between temple and pagoda, are those who visited Vietnam.

One of noticeable exhibits in Thien Mu Pagoda is a car of Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk who self-immolated himself in year 1963 in protest against persecution of Buddhists.
Persecution of religious by the Communist Government?
No, persecution by right-wing government of South Vietnam.

Complicated is the history of this country.

We leave motorbikes and board a boat, which brings us back to Hue.

PS. I would like to acknowledge a following comment:

" I took the photo (from the forbidden city) without the flag, that’s the heritage. There were more than 3,000 victims of a massacre at Hue in 1968 by the VC (Viet-Cong - communists)."

Thank you Peter for bringing a wider perspective to my relation.

Vietnam links to all parts - Part1, Part2, Part3, Part4, Part5, Part6.

Our man in Vietnam - 1

At the beginning there was a book.
Asia, geographically so close, is very alien to me. So when I decided to go on holidays, somewhere not too far from home, I looked at the book shelf for a hint.
Our man in Havana - CLICK? No, too far away.
The Quiet American - CLICK - just right - Vietnam!
- Malaysian Airlines is OK? - asked the travel agent.
I understood her concern - one airplane shot down, one lost. Strange murder at Kuala Lumpur Airport.
- Is OK for me.

So let's go. With God's help.

Several hour later I read on the same screen, that we are only 6,790 km from Mecca - that means we are in Hanoi.

Taxi which drove me from the airport after few minutes left the freeway and entered a maze of narrow and crowded streets. My hotel had a quite impressive frontage and very stylish interior, but it was enough to make few steps left or right and it disappeared in the chaos of lights, wires and decorations on adjacent houses.
My first challenge was a walk to  Hoam Kiem Lake - CLICK.

Footpaths occupied by scooters, motorbikes, trading stalls. There is no choice, but immerse in the thick stream of traffic. Something like this - CLICK.
After one step I got enough, I backed to the footpath hanging to the post as there was no space for both feet. After some time I thought, that I noticed a gap in the stream of motorbikes and stepped down on the road. I was terrified by honks behind my back. There was no way of escape, just cower and move slowly.
And soon I reached crossroads.

Then the next challenge, return to the hotel. All the way I repeated the address : 14 Luong Van Can, 14 Luong Van Can. There were quite decent street signs, but they somehow disappeared in the kaleidoscope of commercial signs. I noticed number 22, so only 4 buildings more to go, but I do not see my hotel. Luckily I recognized a lady in purple gown selling some dumplings. Happy return.
Explanation of mu confusion was simple. Frontages of buildings are very narrow and quite decent entry to my hotel disappeared among colourful buildings around.

After 3 hours spent in Hanoi I am quite pessimistic - it is not for you old man. You will be only a trouble and annoyance to the touring group
And the group is just going to have an inaugural meeting.
Fearless - there are 16 of us - 12 Australians, 2 Canadians,1 Italian and 1 person from USA. Four married couples in early 50-es, one lady with a father of my age and 5 singles much, much younger than me. Our guide is an young Vietnamese - Hoc.

Fearless? Yes. In other words - Intrepid - this is the name of the company organizing our tour - CLICK. I saw them once in action few years ago, at the walk around Mt Blanc and I got impression, that it is the style of tourism suitable for me. Their style means using local resources, public transport, some physical effort.

After short briefing we go to the restaurant for dinner. There is an opportunity to exchange opinion about local traffic:
Horn signal means - I am behind you, bigger and stronger than you and determined. I assume, that you also know what you are doing. Lets continue our actions in peace.
Lack of horn signal means the same.

Our guide informs us, that Hanoi has some 8 million inhabitants and around 3 millions of motorbikes. We are in the Old Quarter (called also French Quarter) where density of population is much greater that in the other suburbs.

Evening, so all those who currently do not drive, are having a meal.

Luckily our restaurant is equipped with tables sized for adults.

Halong Bay.
Next day we travel by bus to Halong Bay. Crowded city streets change into a crowded road. Broken road surface, potholes, around us houses in a very bad shape.

Halong Bay is so well documented on Internet, that I will limit my photos to just one - to convey a misty climate of our voyage.

Halong Bay has been placed on UNESCO Heritage List. Definitely it deserves such an honour, but on the other hand it attracts more crowd on already crowded waters. Below boats around the entrance to the Sung Sot (Amazing) Cave

Following the Intrepid policy I look around for a local business. It comes without a call

Brave women paddle on these boats all day, from one tourist boat to another. Their offer is not impressive: biscuits cigarettes, potato chips, drinks. Good are handed over in a net at the end of a long pole. The customer puts money in the same net.

The night we spent on the boat.

Next day, the kitchen chef in few minutes carves out from a carrot a flower and a net, same as these which decorated our last night dinner.

Coming to the shore I notice advanced building works. In few years time this place will be same as any popular sea resort.

On our way to and from Halong Bay we visit Hong Ngoc Handicraf Centre. Place full of stunning embroidery and other handicraft made by physically handicapped people.

We had also lunch in this place - honey chicken - delicious!

At night we boarded a sleeper train to Hue. Distance over 700 km, 13 hours trip.

On the surface it looks OK, but the coaches are quite old, doors knocking all night, cumbersome toilets. It reminds me sleeper train from Prague to Warsaw in 1994. Just 3 years after  a final fall of communism in Poland. The difference is, that Polish sleeper trains at that time were plagued by robbers while Vietnam has opinion of one of the safest countries.

So communism has some positive features.

Vietnam continued - Part2, Part3, Part4, Part5, Part6.

Keywords

Twice a year I have to visit a medical specialist. Australian healthcare system requires, that a visit to the specialist must be preceded by a referral from a general practitioner - GP.
As my visits are regular and will continue for the rest of my life, I received few years ago an indefinite referral.

Few day ago I received a sms - reminder of coming visit and a request to bring a new referral. I rang the reception.
- I think my current referral is indefinite, could you please check.
The receptionist rustled with some papers, hummed, which probably was an accompaniment to reading, eventually stated:
- I don't know. Anyway, I do not see a word indefinite, so better bring a new referral.

Obtaining a new referral was no trouble. I asked my doctor to write word indefinite in bold, he underscored it for a better effect.
I still hope, that my conversation was with a robot. It it was a live person then I will feel scared.

International Day of Happiness

General Assembly of United Nations acknowledged that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal - CLICK.
Happiness, in my opinion, a very elusive state of mind. It happens, sometimes in most unexpected circumstances. It should be a result of life purposefully lived and sometimes, but not always, it is.

Pursuit of happiness - fundamental human goal?
In my opinion the resolution of United Nations is a next victorious step of commercial globalization.
Simple - happiness sells very well.
Fundamental human goal - it is just asking for selling something, which will bring this goal a bit closer.

Snapshot from Vietnam - on the road

Few days ago I returned from a short visit to Vietnam. The beginnig was not easy. Taxi, which drove me from the airport very quickly left highway and submerged in a maze of narrow and busy streets. Around us was regular street traffic - CLICK.

Pathways occupied by parking motorbikes, booths and stalls offering variety of goods. Strongest impressions made women, who could squat in every imaginable place and in few minutes set up a portable kitchen serving hot meals.

Food was not on my agenda, I intended to reach Hoal Kiem Lake nearby - CLICK.

Footpaths completely blocked. I struggled with traffic around, ducked left or right at the noise of the horn. Nightmare.

After some observation and consultation with other members of my group I formulated a following rule:
Horn signal means - I am behind you, bigger and stronger than you and determined. I assume, that you also know what you are doing. Lets continue our actions in peace.
Lack of horn signal means the same.

Result - there is no road rage.

Sorry, I overdone it. During a taxi ride in Saigon our driver honked at the motorist, who blocked our way.

New order is around the corner.