Well, time is wrapping up and it’s hard to believe it has been three months since we all hopped on a plane, most of us strangers, and didn’t have a clue what was going to happen but were filled with anticipation. It’s been a great trip, and this last week has been no exception.
Since we last blogged from Hanoi, we did a few things – a highlight among them was the long awaited lecture by Thao Griffiths of the Vietnam Veterans Assistance Fund. We watched a documentary about the war called “Hearts and Minds.” We had a wonderful time and Mrs. Griffiths was invaluable in her information on the negative effects of the Vietnam War on both American GIs and on the citizens of Vietnam. Thank you Mrs. Griffiths!
The Hanoi Luxury Hotel was so nice to us and we miss it! With it’s awesome manager Tony Huang, great staff and helpful service, we cannot help but hope to make it back soon! On our last day, they allowed several people to stay in their rooms, and provided space for those without rooms to wait in and to store luggage. They went above and beyond by providing a lunch on the last day. Sadly we had to leave after nearly five weeks, and at 11 PM on Monday we headed on a train to the first of many coastal stops: Hue.
Hue greeted us after a twelve hour train ride, most of it asleep, from Hanoi. With only a small time frame to see a town rich in history, we ate lunch (which was served in quite an artistic manner), then set out to see Hue. Led by our knowledgeable guide Ahn, we saw the essential Hue through the Imperial Palace and surrounding citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda and a concluding boat ride back to our hotel at the end of the day.
Touring Hue, we saw reminders that in the 1968 Tet Offensive the Battle of Hue became one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War; but at the same time, as we floated towards our hotel at day’s end, it was hard to imagine that such a serene city experienced such bloodshed.
Built in 1802 to protect the shaky claim of the Nguyen Emperors, the Imperial Palace of Hue is unassuming. Though historically significant today, the once vast Hue Cung Vua is now a fraction of what originally stood strong: a replica of the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Having visited the Forbidden City while we toured Beijing over a month ago, it was hard to envision the Forbidden City standing where we stood. The historical value of the palace deepened when we were faced with perhaps the most striking relics of 1968 we saw in Hue: bullet holes, crumbled buildings, and the simple grave site along the road by the Hue Cung Vua gates. It was not difficult to see why UNESCO had seen its value in 1993 and granted the palace as a World Heritage Site.
Thien Mu Pagoda was across the city, and is so serene that it can be hard to believe that it is in the same vicinity as the Imperial Palace. The pagoda is home to a Buddhist monastery which is active to date. Some chose to glimpse into the Monastery in a rare opportunity, for many Westerners at least, to view the religious culture of Buddhism. Others walked around the Pagoda and absorbed the day’s gorgeous weather, which according to local legend, would be repeated the following day as indicated by the height at which the dragonflies flew before us. Gradually, everyone gathered together for a short time before embarking on to the waters of the Perfume River.
The Pagoda had been built several hundred years before the Cung Vua Imperial Palace, and though one of many Pagodas in town, it is by far the oldest and most famous. The opportunity to take pictures did not escape some people, who posed in front of the pagoda with their roommates, friends or by themselves.
By the time the boat trip arrived, we were all exhausted, but excited to see most of Hue. We had a nice driver who made the ride smooth and enjoyable to the best degree imaginable.
The boat ride was peaceful, and though tired, we were happy to take contemplative moments to internalize the day’s events, take photographs, and sit down after a long day.
We made our way from Hue to Hoi An by bus the following morning. We paused at a site with immense importance in the decades leading to America’s war with Vietnam: the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone or VDMZ. As Dr. Mooney had detailed in his first lecture in History 115 (Vietnam Wars), the VDMZ was a product of the First Indochina War fought in 1946 through the early 1950s by the French (supported heavily with American aid) in their effort to recolnize Vietnam after WWII. Per the Geneva Accords, the VDMZ was to temporarily partition Vietnam into the ‘Communist’ North and the ‘Free’ South, but ultimately it was far more than temporary. To say the least it was an important spot to visit after a course that without the VDMZ would be non-existent.
After we arrived, settled and ate lunch some went on a walking tour of the city with our guide Anh who had come with us to Hoi An. After the tour, many students decided to rent bicycles or walk to the beach. Seemingly appearing out of the mist, the beach was almost as if we were in Santa Barbara. Much of the group chose to watch the sun set at the beach, then headed back to the hotel to freshen up and then go to dinner.
After dinner, everyone chose to do something different, but everyone was in a group of two or more having fun. We went to bed in decent time in the hopes we would have enough energy to climb the “Marble Mountains” that are famous in Hoi An for their beautiful duotone.
The next morning, we awoke early and discovered that our day’s plans had changed because of various factors. Instead of walking through the “Marble Mountains” of Hoi An, we were being taken to the famed China Beach in nearby Da Nang. China Beach (besides being a 1980s TV hit!) was the choice Rest and Relaxation spot for American GIs during the Vietnam War.
Today, China Beach is a tourist hot spot, with resorts being built at rapid fire speed. Nonetheless, it was a great way to start off a day, especially with a sixteen hour train ride facing us all. China Beach was a hit with all of us and we spent nearly two hours relaxing and soaking up the sun. It was easy to see why American forces took their R&R time at China Beach! Of course, we did do some history sightseeing as we passed by the old American airbase at DaNang, still partially in tact, juxtaposed against the gorgeous sands of China Beach.
Our ride to Saigon/HCMC was on at rain that was small and rickety. No blog would be complete without the events of the train ride, which took a total of sixteen hours in all. One train car’s rooms had a plug for computers, cell phones etc. over one of the beds, but for those in the car without plugs, imagination was paramount, and after about hour six, groups had gathered in various rooms to pass time. (A game of Murder in the Dark ala elementary school broke out in one room; others predicted each person’s future through the omnipotent and fail-proof method of “MASH”, and still more played card games.) Sixteen hours on a train, though not recommended frequently, can be fun when you’re around good people, and good fun, and good laughs.
Our last stop was Ho Chi Minh City where this blog is being written from. After a chance to sleep for several hours and a nourishing and delicious lunch at a local restaurant our new guides Khe and “John” took us to the “Reunification Palace” of Saigon, best known to Americans as the location of famous events surrounding the end of the Vietnam War. As if suspended in time, the North Vietnamese have left the building near identical to what they encountered in 1975 when they broke through the gate of the grounds using tanks, which today sit proudly in front of the Palace. The victory of the Northern Communists at breaching the Presidential residence cemented one Vietnam under Communist rule, and thus is now touted as the “Reunification Palace”. The rest of the day was followed by a quick but informative visit to the military museum, and return briefly to our hotels, before a farewell dinner about 40 minutes away from the City center.
- Shannon P.
