A journal of my travels in Vietnam...

Hanoi 21st – 23rd February 2005

Arriving in Hanoi, the most immediate thing that strikes you are the number of motorbikes. Nothing particularly unusual you might think. However, it’s what’s being carried on them that is far more eye catching … how about 3 dead pigs? Or a photocopier? Or a fridge freezer?!!! Next it’s the turn of your sense of smell … aside from the fumes and drains the food aromas are overwhleming. Then the noise! Well we had just arrived in the capital of the world’s 14th most populous city.

A day trip from Hanoi took us to The Perfume Pagoda, a popular pilgrimage for Vietnamese at Tet (Lunar New Year). We joined a group making the pilgrimage and set off for the 60km or so on a minibus … past rice fields, small villages and narrowly avoiding a few head on collisions (rules of the road there are not). Then a 4km sampan ride along the Yen River, and a 2 hour uphill hike up to the main cave and Perfume Pagoda. What an incredible sight … around 75,000 people had made the trip to pray, bring their offerings and wish for good fortune and luck. Everyone had their reason for being there. Some to pray for a son, a sick relative, or even their businesses. A couple who were with us had brought a cooked chicken to be blessed (a local tradition) and kindly shared it with us at lunch time. Bird flu pushed right to the back of my mind!

SaPa 24th – 26th February 2005

Time for a break from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. Taking a sleeper train we arrived “bright and breazy” in Loa Cai, bordering China, from where we took a bus to Sapa. Set in the Fan Si Pan range, Sapa has a definite alpine and remote feel about it. With our guide we set out on a two day and overnight homestay through the valley, visiting villages like Cat Cat, the Black Hmong tribe in Lao Chai, the Tzay tribe in Ta Vanand the Red Zao tribe in Giang Ta Chai. The whole experience was nothing less than unique for us. In the last 10 months nothing has compared. The scenery in particular was stunning… steep terraces and small hamlets cut into the hills and clinging to the mountains. We were joined along the way by locals, particularly children, who continue to wear traditional dress and appear with blue stained hands (from the indigo plant used to die their clothes) and very few teeth (primarily down to the habit of chewing sugar cane)! The animals were pretty friendly too ... especially the pigs (check out the picture of me with one on the photos page)

The villages and tribes have the potential to be completely self sufficient – growing rice; rearing buffalo and pigs; growing vegetables; using bamboo to irrigate the land , build their houses and furniture; growing hemp for clothing. Even though women are persistent with their selling of handicrafts it is good to see that families can be so obviously prosperous without a sale.

Back in Hanoi… 27th February – 1st March 2005

Our second visit to Hanoi and we started to warm to the idea of the motorbikes … just jump on the back of one and you can go anywhere in Hanoi for about 30pence! They even manage to get the two of us on one! And our confidence in crossing the road improved too. It seems the best way is not to look the drivers in the eye, keep a steady and confident pace, keep walking and you’ll make it to the other side unscathed.

No trip to Hanoi could ever be complete without the ritualistic trip to observe the country’s national icon Ho Chi Minh … embalmed, horizontal and contained within his mausoleum. A very serious affair indeed and after a trip to the museum in his honour it was clear to see why this man is held in such high regard.

In contrast to Basil Fawlty’s “don’t mention the war” the Vietnamese are open to discussing its American War although opinion here, obviously, may be a little one-sided. We visited the Hoa Lo Prison (dubbed the Hanoi Hilton by American POW’s) where US soldiers were tortured and incarcerated for 6 years. Vietnamese posters and leaflets insist that prisoners were treated well but fortunately the real truth has been captured on film.

At the northeast corner of Hoan Kiem Lake (famed for it’s 250kg turtle) we treated ourselves to “first class” tickets (costing one pound) to see the Thang Long Water Puppets. We were treated to an hour long beautiful performance where the skill of the 10 or so puppeteers was unbelievable. Stand back Punch and Judy if these guys ever make it to the British seaside!

Of course the real reason for going to the puppet show was to give Jason something else to think about before the big final with Liverpool and Chelsea on Sunday. The ups and downs of the game were measured in beer consumption and a rather large headache the next day. Made all the more worse by the wounds he had to lick at Liverpool’s defeat.

Hoi An 1st – 4th March 2005

A quick flight and bus jounney over the mountains saw us arrive in Hoi An (yes, anagram of Hanoi) about half way down the east coast. There are plenty of sights to see here but the biggest draw is the 140 or so tailors and shoe makers. First night there and 3 hours after stepping over a threshhold we emerged from one shop having made orders for 5 suits, a handbag and pair of shoes (between us)!!! All for around a hundred pounds! Day 2 and following yesterday's success at the tailors the grand total of orders lies around 6 suits, 4 shirts, a handbag and 5 pairs of shoes. This really is girl heaven! Jason seems to be enjoying himself too!

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 4th - 8th March 2005

While Hanoi is the capital, Siagon is the economic centre of the country and the foriegn investment sets the city miles apart from Hanoi. The neon lights and ex-pat theme pubs lean towards an all together different type of Vietnam. That said, Siagon has a few things for the travelling tourist. The War Museum (recently renamed from ' The Museum of American War Crimes') is a must as walls and walls of harrowing photographs and film clips bring the horror of the war to life.

The Cu Chi people gave severe resistance to the American and South Vietnamese army and the 'Red' area is a living museum complete with tunnels and resitance materials. You learn how these people lived through the war, by hiding and fighting from this hidden 75km network. The openings to the tunnels are tiny (too small for me to get in) but they have widened one enterance so you can see what it would be like. They have old American tanks and a collection of old AK47s which allowed Jason to try the power of these guns for a $ a bullet. Boys and toys!

With the sounds of motorbike horns, shop sellers and guns ringing in our ears, in the morning we move onto Cambodia and it marks the start of the last 6 weeks of the trip...!