Good Nite John Boy..........Good Nite Bob Gaugrahn 4/10/10
Well my luck with public internet equipment is notorious. This is the second try to get this note out but will try again. As we make our way towards the dreaded "Home Stay" the air is filled with anticipation as we contemplate all of our possible sleeping arrangements that might possibly await.
After our customary 2 1/2 hour bus ride from the hotel and one boat ride later, we arrive in Mai Chai to continue our adventure into the Village of Poong Con where our family awaits our overnight stay.
We arrive in a lovely village offload from the bus and begin our climb up some very steeps (sans handrail) to inspect our quarters for the evening. The Stairway should make for very interesting and exciting potty runs as the evening progresses. Susan and I, the Carmans, Coles and Guarahns end up with Moma-Son and the baby. We trust that the three young men in the corner playing cards will not be spending the nite.
All the houses are on stilts, with storage area underneath. This area will also serve as our eating area. The room is open with straw mats, pads and blankets that will make up our bed for the evening. We suspect that the pads will be draped with mosquito nets given the proximity to all of that standing water in the rice paddies.
While waiting for the evening meal and obligatory cocktail hour (I must say the group is getting awfully good about no ice in their drinks........rum and Fanta at room temperature proves to be quite good when faced with these conditions) we venture into the village proper for a look around. As per usual the lady folk begin their assault on the textile market while the men stand patiently waiting. The village is quite immaculate, while primitve. All of the homes are on stilts and intermixed amongst their homes are neat little stalls for their livestock. Out door shops and little eating places dot the roadsides, all making for an interesting stroll before dinner.
Back at the home as we await dinner, we are once again put on the honor system of drinking, just paying for what you consume as your count is the one they go by. The same is true for the lunches and dinners we have out. At the end of the meal you tell them what you had and pay for it. The meal that followed was simple. Procrastinate as we tried, it eventually came time to go to bed. The nets had been hung and all was in place for our dreaded "sleepover". The fans came on and the lights were turned off, Moma-Son was secreted in her corner bed and the three kids playing cards were no where in sight.
It was a long night..........several trips to the toilet (we did have two sit down ones) while dodging the occasional cats and dogs, not to mention the weird assortment of night crawlers........................Long story short and everyone proclaimed it a lot of fun even tho the accommodations were somewhat lacking in ***'s
On our way back to Hanoi, we stop for another stroll thru a Duong Village where once again we meet some new best friends. We arrive back into Hanoi to await a 4am wake up call so as to board the flight to the old capital city of Hue. Come to think about it a leisurely wake-up in the rice paddies sure beats a 4am phone call. Into the city of Hue and not wanting to waste a moment, we set out for the Citadel the sight of much of the fighting during the Tet Offensive of 1968. The Citadel and some of the Forbidden City have been destroyed over the years during the conflict with the French, the North, and finally with the US. Our guide tries to gloss over the US involvement but its rather difficult to ignore. The palace is a poormans Forbidden City with courtyard after courtyard of lovely buildings, some destroyed and left to be seen as is, while others are actively being restored.
Another boat ride down the Perfume River to visit yet another Pagoda with a display about the monk who drove to Saigon to set himself on fire. His car was there to look at even tho he was not. Then it was back to the Huaong Giang Hotel where Susan and I had a suite fit for a King and Queen. A special thanks from Asia King Travel. In addition the "Welcome Group Gary Brown" signage awaited us just outside the hotel complex for all the world to see.
After a cocktail party to end all, with every drink brimming over with ice in the "Suite" we headed out for dinner. What a surprise awaited us as we arrived and were escorted into the wardrobe room to be out fitted with traditional Vietnamese garments. As it should have been, Susan and I were to be King and Queen for the night with all of our invited minions, also in full costume. We sat in a private room, dressed to the nines, eating and drinking while enjoying the music played by local musicians. Quite an evening.
After a group picture gathered about "The Sign" , we departed Hue for DaNang and eventually on to Hoian, another World Heritage Site. We made our way to the coast and over the mountains passes and into the fourth largest city in Vietnam. We skirted the town and headed to China Beach, which I had last seem some 40 years ago. I visited there several times during '69 as I accompanied the Battalion Commander up to DaNangs PX for critical supplies and an occasional game of golf.
Well, as I had predicted, all of the major Hotel Chains, Time Shares, and Joint Ventures are spread across the sands of China Beach with units in the Millions of Dollars. Not many completed thus far, but their intentions are clear. The cranes and the construction crews were busy at work preparing for opening day which seems to be a few months out. The scope is large, and the monies being invested are truly unimaginable.
We arrived in Hoian, a truly charming town and shopping paradise. The sun, the first of the trip, has been shining down on us all day long. Its good to be on the coast and in the sun again.
Tomorrow should be an interesting day. I have decided to book a car and driver and leave the group to head south to Chu Lai, the place where I spent 1969. I'll be lucky to locate anything but its bound to be more interesting than the tours that have been planned for us. I'm not doing this for any special reason other than the fact that being this close some 60kms and not making the effort to see my old stomping grounds is something that I am sure to regret.
I'll let you know how the day goes........next time........................gb
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