VN Trip-Day5-Tomb of Tu Duc Emperor

It was incredibly beautiful!
Emperor Tu Duc (1829-1883) was fourth ruler of the Nguyen Dynasty, independent Vietnam last emperor, reigning from 1848 to 1883. Some would perhaps regard him as the emperor who lost Vietnam to French domination. He is regarded as one of the more decadent cruel Vietnamese Emperors. Although he was a dedicated Confucian, his lifestyle was unusual in all areas. At each meal he would have a choice of fifty dishes that were delivered by fifty servants and prepared by fifty chefs! When Tu Duc drank tea, the water was collected as dew from lotus leaves. He also had one of his own brothers put to death after his involvement in a revolt against him. Tu Duc lived longer than the other Nguyen emperors. During his lifetime he had 104 wives and many more concubines, but he fathered no children. He was often ill, and he was likely sterile due to smallpox early in his life.
His tomb was constructed between 1864 and 1867 by over 3000 soldiers and workers, had about 50 buildings, surrounder by 1500m long brick and stone wall. It is regarded by Tu Duc as a modest complex, enough that he included the word khiem (meaning modest) in the name of every building. The emperor used the grounds to hunt game in the woods and recite poetry with concubines on the lakeside. He even constructed Hoa Khiem Temple on the site to use as a palace during his long retreats to the area. In an attempt to foil grave robbers, his body was not even buried in the tomb, and all those who were involved in the burial were beheaded. His body and treasures are at a destination which to this day is unknown. In keeping with Chinese and Vietnamese traditions, there is a Stele House on the Tu Duc Mausoleum site. Within this pavilion, open on all four sides, ther centerpiece is a huge 20-ton stone tablet containing Tu Duc's 4,000-character eulogy. Written in Chinese characters, it is actually an autobiography of the emperor. There are also a number of temples and other buildings within the tomb grounds, along with a nice lake with an island in the centre. Towards the end of his rule, Tu Duc spent a lot of time on this island and generally within his tomb, accompanied by his entourage. The tomb of Tu Duc is about 7 km out of the centre of Hue city.

VN Trip-Day5-A Road Trip to Khai Dinh Tomb

Our boat driver told us that we would have to take the motorbike to our next site - Khai Dinh Tomb. We pulled up to the side of Perfume River, to a hut where a bunch of guys with mopeds hung out. After price negotiation and agreement, we headed out, taking dirt roads and small bridges to get to Khai Dinh.
This was actually my favorite part of the trip, riding on the back of 'xe om', taking the back roads, seeing the kids getting out of school, walking the bike while crossing a rickety bridge.
Finally, we get to Khai Dinh Tomb. It was on a hill. You need to climb 66 steps before entering the tomb area.
In the center, there is an octagonal stele monument.
On each side of the courtyard, two rows of stone statues faced the court center with imposing pillars.
Then you need to go up 3 more levels to get to the altar monument.
Dragons guard the doorway to the tomb before entering a room with ornate decorations including bits of broken glass and porcelain embedded in cement.
Khai Dinh, the next to the last emperor, twelfth king of the Nguyen dynasty, father of King Bao Dai. Bao Dai was the last emperor and he abdicated to Ho Chi Minh's government in 1945. Khai Dinh ruled from 1916 to 1925, and his tomb majestically appears from the side of a mountain covered by forest. By the way, the emperors had their tombs built during their lifetimes and used them as vacation spots. Unfortunately, the tomb lacks the harmonious blending with nature that many of the other tombs and Vietnamese architecture tries to achieve. This is due to the fact that the tomb was built earlier this century during the French colonial occupation and under their influence. The combination of Asian and European architecture and decoration marks the king's special interest in European civilization. The weather-stained and blackened concrete walls make the tomb seem older than it actually is. Inside, every inch of walls are covered with three-dimensional murals made out of colorful bits of broken porcelain pottery. The outer chamber depicts scenes of the seasons.

VN Trip-Day5-Heavenly Lady Pagoda

Our driver drove us to the hotel to drop off our luggage and took us to Perfume River (Song Huong). We arrived by train after 8:00am, we were not able to get a tour guide but got our own boat. We were on our own. It's a good thing we spoke Vietnamese.
I told my brother that Hue people have an unusual accent and it's very hard to understand. I tried to imitate for him but I couldn't. Even my father had trouble understanding them.
A couple took us out to Perfume River on the Dragon Boat. The motor was very noisy. I was thinking how this could cause additional damage to my hearing loss. She asked us if we wanted fish, shrimp or squid. My brother wanted all three. Her husband pulled the boat up to the side of the river and she hopped off (to go to the market). It didn't take long before she came back with our uncooked lunch and fresh fruits.
So we headed up the river. Our first stop was Thien Mu Pagoda, also a monestery. It is right on the edge of the river. In fact, steps lead right from the water up to the pagoda. Built in 1601, the pagoda was built after an old woman appeared on the hill where the pagoda stands today. She told the locals that a lord would come and build a Buddhist pagoda for the country's prosperity. The seven level brick stupa or tower represents Buddha's seven incarnations on earth.
On the way in, we saw a monk using a weedwacker. They also have a beautiful flower garden here. I went in the far back section of the garden and found orchids grafted onto the trees and lots of unusual plants. This area contained living quarters for the monk. It also housed the Austin motorcar that was driven by the pacifist monk, Thich Quang Duc, who lived at this pagoda. He drove this car from Hue to Saigon, where he set himself on fire, in protest of President Ngo Dinh Diem's policies against the practice of Buddhism.
The lady on the boat and I talked about our children. She explained to me that children here go to school from 7:00 to noon. They come home early enough to help their family with their work/business. In Vietnam, most children do not go past the eight grades. The majority of Vietnam lives in rural areas, farming and agriculture is their specialty. Also, schooling must be paid for. It's my understanding that there is no such thing as free public education as there are in America.

VN Trip-Day4-Train trip to Hue

Because there were no seat left on any of the 6 flights (in 2 days period) on Vietnam Airline, we took an overnight trip with the Unification Express Train from Hanoi to Hue. It was to be a 12 hour overnight trip, traveling at 35mph, with many stops. Even though it was air conditioned, blowing mostly humid air, and sheets, blankets and pillows were provided, it's no Orient Express.
The stations is given a predetermined number of tickets to sell, after which the train is "full". This meant that the entire carriages can be both booked out and empty, and others are crammed with people. Never one to leave a niche unexploited, the conductors run a tidy business selling upgrades for 1 1/2 times the published price, splitting the proceeds among themselves.
For the 3 of us, we bought all 4 soft berth tickets. The train was loud but it was one of the best sleep that I had. I shared a room with my brother and dad and my father snored so loud. He could sleep anywhere. When the train was moving, it droned out my father's snoring, which helped me sleep. The train swayed from side to side while it's moving.
My father did not want to take the train because he had heard stories about people getting robbed on the train. Sometimes, rocks were thrown at the window to break it and they would just yank your luggage from your room. One of his friend told him that it was not so bad anymore. I did notice that the window in our room had only one pane left from the two-panes window.
Out of all the research I had done, no one had prepare me for this surprise. My brother came back from the restroom and told me it was a SQUATTER!!!
Well, I don't want to get too personal here. But here is the deal. There is a low window in the restroom with the bottom portion slightly frosted. You don't want to use the restroom while the train is not moving because there are houses right up to the train track or better yet, people waiting to cross the train tracks. But if you want to use while the train is moving, good luck trying to keep your pants and yourself from falling in while the train is swaying when it's moving! There are bars for you to hold onto while you're swaying and squatting. LOL!
Just when you think you've heard it all. Did I mention already that there is ONLY 1 train track connecting Saigon to Hanoi? But what about the two trains heading from opposite directions, you ask. Here is the real kicker. The train without priority has to give way, by pulling off onto a little side track and waits. As each train goes through a station, it picks up a heavy looped cable with a hand-written note attached to it. The note describe the speed and the distance of the oncoming train. The engineers do some quick calculations, check their ratty old photocopied schedules, and decide which track they have time to pull off onto. Radios, anyone?

VN Trip-Day4-Lonely Planet Hanoi Walking Tour

As I roamed through these narrow streets of the Old Quarters, I think of my mother. When she was young, my grandmother would send my mother out on errands and she would roams through these back streets. She is familiar with all these trees-lined streets.
My grandfather (mother-father) was postal worker. He had a post at a rubber plantation once. My mother was born in Kampuchia (now Cambodia). Back then it was part of Indochina. My grandfather was working in Saigon when the Geneva Accord was signed and went into affect. After that, my grandparents was not able to return to Hai Phong of North Vietnam.
The Old Quarters is known for their 36 streets, each named for the merchandise sold on that street. The guild streets were named for their products, service or location.
We started out at Ngoc Son Temple in the northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake. Headed north on Pho Hang Dau, we were soon surrounded by shoe shops selling every shape, size and style. The only thing that kept me from buying all those shoes was that I only had a single backpack to carry everything.
We crossed over to Pho Cau Go (meaning Wooden Bridge) to Pho Hang Be (bamboo rafts), continue north to the 'T' intersection with Pho Hang Bac (silversmiths). Near here are several shops, where artisians carve intricate gravestones by hand, bearing an image of the deceased. A short detour north on Pho Ma (sold sacred joss/votive papers) lead you to the Memorial House at number 87. We toured this Chinese merchant's home, recently restored and opened as a museum.

Returned to Pho Hang Bac (meaning silver) and head west, then right onto Pho Hang Ngang (Transversal Street), right again onto Pho Hang Buom (sails). We stopped at the Bach Ma Temple, with its red funeral palanquin. Legend has it that Ly King used the pagoda to pray for assistance in building the city walls because they persistently collapsed, no matter how many times he rebuilt them. His prayers were finally answered when a white horse appeared out of the temple and guided him to the site where he could safely build his walls. Evidence of his success is still visible at Cua O Quan Chuong, the quarter's Old East Gate at the eastern end of Pho Hang Chieu (mats), near the intersection with Pho Tran Nhat Duat.

We took a cab over to the striking neo-Gothic St. Joseph Cathedral, noteworthy for its square towers, elaborate altar and colourful stained-glass windows. It was built in 1886. The church was re-opened in 1992 when freedom to practice Catholicism was reinstated. We wandered around the back, where there is a school. My father went there when he was a kid. The school no longer belongs to the church. It is now owned by the government.
Later that day, we also went to the First University.

VN Trip-Day3-Ha Long Bay/Hanoi

On Day 3, we enjoyed our morning with a boat ride out to a cave, then a bus took us back to Hà Nội.  We had the rest of today and tomorrow to explore Hà Nội.

In Hà Nội, we stayed at a mini-hotel, convenient to everything.  We were a block from Hoàn Kiếm Lake and just around the corner from the Old Quarters.  For $15 a night, it includes breakfast.  Right around the corner from our hotel is a little hole in the wall place, with stepping stools for chairs, that serves steamed "bắnh cuốn" (a white crepe filled with a little ground meat).  My father said that this is the best way to make bắnh cuốn. It was a little place in the corner. You sat on a plastic step stool. If you were not flexible like all the Vienamese, you might not be able to get back up after sitting so low to the ground. Between the three of us, we each had a heaping plate of this crepe for a total of $1.25. WOW! It was also the best banh coun I have ever had - don't tell my mother I said that.

Then we took a walk through a portion of The Old Quarters.  All the shops were open and everything was so inexpensive.  I wanted to buy everything.  My father reminded me that I was traveling with just a single backpack and I couldn't carry everything.  Of course I can buy me another piece of luggage, but I would have to haul it with me the next few days, so I refrained myself.  Instead we cross the street to Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

A more peaceful and laid back town, Hà Nội still has quiet shaded streets lined with aged French mansions.  Right in the center of the old city is Hoàn Kiếm Lake, with an island and temple.  You have to cross the Bridge of the Rising Sun in order to get to Ngọc Sơn temple.  This evening, the temple has already close.  We walked over to Ba Kiều Temple.  Hanoi Fine Arts University was having a painting exhibition.  I bought a few small oil paintings and some Vietnamese greeting cards.  I figured this was an inexpensive way to frame arts.  Whenever I travel, I always buy a piece of art of the place that I traveled to.  It reminds me of my trip when I look at the art piece.

Then we went to a French Cafe on Hoàn Kiếm Lake to have late dinner and a glass of ice coffee. Mmmmmm!.  My father told us when he was a child he wanted to come to this restaurant on the lake and eat there, but it was too expensive.  He never imagined he would be able to afford to eat there 50 years later. Our US dollars go a long way in Viet Nam.

VN Trip-Day2-Ha Long Bay

In Hanoi, we got up early and had breakfast on the rooftop of our hotel. From the roof, we could see over the city.  A plant close by smell of sweet jasmine, bringing back childhood memories of Tết (Lunar New Year). We ordered the scramble eggs. It came with a huge, crusty baguette and a cup of 'cafe au lait', strong and sweet. Ummm! It was the best coffee ever. Drinking coffee in the US will never be the same again.

Our travel agency had arranged for a van to pick us up in front of our hotel at 8:00am. The van will take us to Ha Long Bay (a 3 1/2 hour drive), located on the east coast of northern Vietnam. Our driver got us there a little earlier by weaving thru pedestrians (some of them walking their cows), trucks and buses.

Outside of Hanoi, we hit two lanes highway. Why two lanes I don't know because traffic traveling in opposite directions were determined to make it 4 lanes. You could pass on the right or left of said vehicle(s) in front and this theory applied to the other lane as well. Passing on the left only had one little hindrance though, bicycles and motorbikes hugging the side of the lane. But hey, a van is big and the bigger the vehicle, the more right of way you have. My pulse rate increased every time the driver try to pass another vehicle.

We passed many cemeteries. Historically, family members were buried in the fields where the family grew crops. Today, bodies are placed in concentrated cemeteries. Bodies are first buried in the ground; after 3 years, the bones are dug up and reburied. These "villages of the dead" are found among rice paddies and fields.

I was also shocked to see restaurant signs indicating their specialty - dog meat! We were in a small group, total of 11, plus crew. Everyone was really nice. It was a good mix with a French couple, British couple, 2 LA Cops, a Japanese lady and us.

Tally Ho!
When the junk started sailing, it was kind of misty. I was worried that my trip was spoiled because it was so foggy. Even though I've seen many pictures of Halong Bay, nothing had prepared me to actually seeing it. It looked like something out of the South Pacific movie. It was so breathtakingly beautiful. Imagine the junk sailing, you are standing on the deck, on the edge overlooking the blue-green water. With the wind blowing in your face, the junk sailed in between massive limestone formations. It took my breath away!

We spent the day exploring limestone caves and stayed over night on the boat. There are over 3000 of these rock / limestone formations (called grottos) in Halong Bay, of course we only saw maybe 5% of that. Legend has it that Ha Long was formed when a dragon flew through the region dragging its tail which carved the earth thus forming the grottos. There are even people who live around these rocks on floating houses and cities built into the walls of the mountains. We even saw a pack of wild dogs on one of the small islands without any other inhabitants.

That night we spent the night in the open sea on the junk. That long twilight on the deck as the islands turned grey and then black, stars overhead, and the quiet lapping of water on the wooden hull made it a night to remember.

Vietnam Trip-Day1-Saigon Drivers

The next day found us distributing the goods that we brought with us to our friend's relatives, though we only have distance relatives left in Vietnam. They always love when we bring US products to Vietnam. This was 6am in the morning and the city is already busy and bustling. The sun comes out at about 5am and sets around 6pm. No daylight savings here.

My first experience with Saigon in daylight found it very energized with more than 1000+ mopeds, motorcycles clogging the streets. I now have come to understand why Asian drivers in the US are soooo horrible. The streets of Saigon seem to have no rules when it comes to driving. ‘cept the red and green lights, but other than that, they seem to drive however they want around here. Really crazy, I can’t even explain the chaos that goes on in the streets when it comes to driving. It takes almost a full day to adjust to the mannerism (or lack there of) that is displayed on the streets. The rules on the streets are: 1)The bigger vehicles have the right of way 2)Turn whenever you want, or you'll be waiting all day long. 3)No need to stop when you're coming out of an alley. 4)The side that has the most traffic gets most of the road. If you're in a taxi, your car is bigger than the mopeds. They will go around you since you have the right of way. In the beginning, you almost cringe and close your eyes when you see the way cars and bikes interact. Bikes (mopeds) out number cars hundreds to one. Just when you thought the moped died out. Nope, I’m sure its alive and well in many 3rd world countries. What’s even more impressive is to see ladies in heels (almost all) maneuvering their way through traffic with very skillful techniques. And through out all of that, I didn’t see a single accident all day nor did I see any road rage or aggression for that matter. Not to say that it doesn’t happen, but you have to have a really, really thick skin to drive around Vietnam. And a horn is very essential, because everyone is always blasting on that thing. I thought the morning was busy and hectic, but as the day progressed, the streets became even busier and even more chaotic.

In downtown Saigon, you see many foreign tourists from France, Australia and Japan. The goods over here are really inexpensive, having been brought in from China where most goods are made. A Northface backpack for $15 when this particular bag probably runs over $100 in the US. The 'dong' (pronounced like don't, but with a 'g') is 15,000 to one US dollar. And the knock offs are even cheaper, and there are a lot of them. Louis Vuitton travel bag is about $40, Channel purses between $5 to $30USD, the list goes on and on. The risk you take when buying knockoffs is that it can be confiscated by US Customs once you re-enter the states.

Everyone has been extremely friendly and they all want to practice their English with you. Most people were very surprised when we spoke their native language. We couldn’t even look like the locals if we wanted to.

Internet cafes and connections are all over here in Vietnam. It will cost you about 1,000 dong for 10 minutes. All the Internet cafes have headsets and videocam, so you can buy calling cards (very cheap, I can’t remember but I think it was about 5usd for 170 minutes) and call home to the US by internet. I spoke to my family. I missed them so much.

As I sat in a park in Saigon today, taking in all with out overload, I just kept thinking about who these people could become with the same opportunity that I’ve been given. I must say that I’m truly blessed. Vietnam is trying to grow and prosper.

That night, we caught a late flight to Hanoi of North Vietnam.

Trip to Vietnam - November 2004

It's been 29 years since I've returned to Viet Nam. I left with my family in 1975 when South Vietnam fell to the Viet Cong. I was 10 years old and have some memories of the evacuation of Sai Gon; taking a helicopter from the rooftop of American Embassy.

I used to dream of visiting Viet Nam. When I think of Viet Nam, I think of the beginning of Tommy Lee Jones' movie "Heaven & Earth". In the beginning of the movie, you see a helicopter landing in a field. I don't know if it's a rice field or tall grass. Because the propellers are spinning, the wind from it caused the tall green grass to sway. In the background you see palm trees against soaring mountains, cloaked by dense, misty forest.

I also think of the trees lined streets in Saigon. I remembered riding on the back of the moped with my dad visiting one of his friend on Duy Tan Street. I also remembered going to a Catholic school - Notre Dame des Mission. I wondered if that school is still there.

On to my trip... after a flight that took almost a whole day with a connecting flight in Seoul, Korea; we finally touched down in Sai Gon Friday evening. Viet Nam is 12 hours ahead of EST. I was excited but extremely jet lagged. I went straight to bed.