Vietnam by Rail, Micki's 2nd 29th Birthday

Hoi An, Vietnam

We apologize for the delay, but we've been having some difficulty accessing our blog here. We can't tell whether this is due to inadequate technology or inadequate civil liberties, but no matter because today we somehow got it to work. Here's the summary: We left Cambodia on an all-day bus ride and arrived in Saigon (Technically Ho Chi Minh City) late in the evening of the 16th. Pretty much the first thing we did was head out for Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) to remind us of one of our favorite Harvard Square haunts. The comfort food hit the spot, but somehow a huge steaming bowl of soup seems better suited to Boston in February than swealtering Saigon.

Our next stop was the War Remnants Museum (tactfully renamed from the American War Crimes Museum) where all the atrocities of the war, disfiguring napalm injuries and agent orange birth defects are catalouged (icluding a collection of preserved fetuses). Despite the strong note of propagada in the exhibits, this was a sobering window into another perspective on the history of American Imperialism. They had a bunch of war planes and tanks too.

Everyone in Vietnam rides scooters, or 'motorbikes' as they call them. Cars are in the minority and most of Saigon had separate roads for the motorbikes. Score one for efficiency, but take two points away for the choking fumes resulting from all the two-stroke engines. I wonder what they do when it rains?

Day two in Saigon (the 18th) we wandered into some kind of flower fair on our way to Reunification Palace. The fair was pretty entertaining, with ribbons for the best orchids, bonzai trees, and tropical fish. The palace was interesting as well, pretty much untouched since the tanks rolled over the gate in '75. A "classic example of 1960's architecture" they said. It sure reminded me of the engineering quad at Cornell.

We decided the best way to get around the country was by train, and the sleeper trains are a good option to minimize the amount of time "wasted" in transit. Our first leg was from Saigon to the beach town of Nha Trang. We got on one of the plush "traveller" trains where Micki read up on our next destination.

Nha Trang is a busy touristy beach town filled with Vietnamese sojourners ejoying their new-years holiday. One very generous woman on the train gave those of us sharing her berth red envelopes wen we arrived in Nha Trang. Karma for her, breakfast for me, everyone wins! The the surf was high, our first couple days and we were a bit nervous to swim. We did have a great time sitting on the beach though, enjoying the nice breeze off the water. The third day was a bit calmer and Micki got to bob in the waves on her birthday!

The evening of the 21st we boarded another overnight train, but this time we got the express (a step down from the travellers coach). It wasn't quite as comfy, but we made it this morning to Hoi An, a cute town that served as a major international port before the harbor silted up. Now it's a tourist draw that features a bustling market and many historical buildings, including a Japanese covered bridge from the 16th century.

We explored around the town for a while and then rented bikes and rode out through a few rice patties to the beach (China Beach as it happens). It's a lot less crowded than Nha Trang, and has a lot less garbage as well. We may head back that way tomorrow.