Vietnam Redux, Part Three - The Coast and Hue

A few hours north of Hội An was our next destination Hue. To get there we all loaded into a small van and headed north.  Along the way we stopped at Da Nang, a familiar name from the Vietnam War.  Over two millennia Da Nang has had many different names, and different occupiers.  It is the fifth largest city in Vietnam and has always been a key port, for the Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, French and US.  Da Nang was the principal port of entry for the US occupation.  During that time the airport was the busiest in the world.  

US Military coming ashore on Da Nang beach.

Bill on same beach today (I at least wade in every body of water I visit)

Da Nang waterfront skyline rivals any modern urban beach city

Hue has been settled for over 20,000 years, and has been an independent nation for two millennia.  It was the imperial capital from the early nineteenth century through the French occupation to the end of the monarchy in 1945.  Its walled palace is called the Imperial City and faces the Perfume River.  

Entry to the Imperial City

The fashion of Hue set the standard for what we consider traditional Vietnamese.  

Young ladies at the Imperial City

Wedding couple with more historic outfits

In the Imperial City gardens

An unrestored gate within the Imperial City.  Its color and architecture reminded us of Angor Wat in neighboring Cambodia.

Temple in the Imperial City

Restored detail of column with Chinese influence

The emperor's palace, a combination of French Rococo and Vietnamese

Quite excessively ornate but of that period for Emperors

The Library for the emperor's private study.  

After our touring of the Palace in the evening we went for a home cooked dinner.  The family has owned their own home for several generations and their extended family lives with them.  They have dinner every night together.  Too much togetherness.  

In 1963 the US backed South Vietnamese government of Dinh Diem, who was a member of the minority Catholic population.  He instituted policies that favored the Catholics for public office, military advancement and land allocations while persecuting the majority Buddhists. Thích Quảng Đức, a monk who was born in Hue traveled to the capital of Sai-Gon with two fellow monks.  They notified the press that "something important" would happen at a particular intersection.  Very few press showed up as there had been many buddhist protests.  

Over 350 local monks created a cordon around him while his traveling companions placed a mat at the center of the intersection and poured gasoline over him and lit it.   Thích Quảng Đức stayed in his meditative position while the flames engulfed him until he fell over backward and was consumed.  However, while his heart was charred, it remained intact as evidence of his holiness.  

Self immolation of the monk in Sai Gon

Note the car in the background that was driven from Hue to Sai Gon

One of the few journalists that did show up was the intrepid David Halberstam who wrote:

"I was to see that sight again, but once was enough. Flames were coming from a human being; his body was slowly withering and shriveling up, his head blackening and charring. In the air was the smell of burning human flesh; human beings burn surprisingly quickly. Behind me I could hear the sobbing of the Vietnamese who were now gathering. I was too shocked to cry, too confused to take notes or ask questions, too bewildered to even think ... As he burned he never moved a muscle, never uttered a sound, his outward composure in sharp contrast to the wailing people around him."

And John Kennedy noted:  "no news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one".

Original Car in Hue

Hue during Vietnam War

The rest of our time in Hue was considerable less grisly.  Despite the craziness of traffic and prevalence of motorcycles weaving through traffic, our tour company arranged for us to take motorcycle tour of the city and countryside.  This was probably our favorite activity of the trip.  I've told Robin many times that I learned to reduce stress and fear when I am not in control in a risky situation (like traffic in Asia) by pretending I'm playing a video game. I imagine the world that I'm seeing is only a video screen and if I crash I'll just hit the "reset button" and all will be good.  Obviously, it doesn't reduce the danger, but it does make the time much more pleasurable.  

Robin leaving a stop after visiting a temple

Robin learning to make incense sticks at a stop

My Driver

At the end of our tour, we packed up for an overnight train to Ha Noi.  I think the reason I look forward to train rides in developing countries is it feels like another era away from the tourism and modernization of major cities.  This train met my expectation of traveling the rails.  

Robin and I outside Hue train station.

Our approaching train. Quite different after the Shinkansen of Japan.  

There were no single occupancy sleeping cabins, only couchettes with four shared bunkbeds.  We were paired with another couple on our tour from Newfoundland, Canada.  I was fine with sharing a couchette for the "travel experience", but the other three wanted to see if we could pay an extra for privacy.  After checking with TV the train was booked and even if one was available there was no guarantee that someone might not get on enroute and occupy the open beds.  As it turned out, we all managed just fine - we were asleep!

Barry, Crystal and Robin in our Couchette.  The boys took the top bunk.

If you've ever traveled over night by train that is laid out with cabins rather than open seating you know that the corridor is where to hang out.  You literally bump into the most fascinating people and strike up conversations.  Outside our room were two Aussie mates in their mid to late twenties, drinking beer of course.  These young men were not taking a Gap Year or bumming the world as many do.  They were college buddies with steady jobs that periodically need to go Walk-About.  They now live in different cities and just a couple weeks before decided impromptu to go to Vietnam.  While our train ride was about twelve hours overnight, they started on the train in Sai Gon.  Their journey would be over 30 hours!  Just for the experience.  They were good looking and funny as hell.  When they departed the corridor they headed toward the dining car, a euphemism for the last car with benches, luggage storage, caged dogs, and disgruntled workers that also offered beer.  

After about fifteen minutes hanging around the corridor with the others I left to join them to have a beer and do what guys do best, tell stories.  We shared adventures about travel, hiking/climbing and mishaps. After mentioning that I wanting to travel to Kazakhstan they said it was on their bucket list to - but for a very different reason.  They want to see the national sport of Kazakhstan - Kokpar (also known as Bushashi).  It's a traditional equestrian sport where mounted players compete to grab and carry a goat or calf carcass and attempted to score by tossing it into a raised pit.  There are no safety rules and often a winning rider might end up in the pit as well.  They pulled up a YouTube video to show their motivation.  Considering they came to Vietnam just to ride the rails for thirty hours from Sai Gon to Ha Noi it seemed like as good a reason as any for these mates.    

When the youngest of our tour group El, the daughter of a Melbourne couple, heard I left to visit the young men she quickly joined us in the cramped dining car.  While we boys were having fun, the entire dynamic changed when she joined.  Needless to say, I could not hold my own with a cute twenty year old and two good looking mates, all from Australia.  It was fun to see them all come alive with the dance of youth and romance.   

Aussie boys and El while Robin observes.

Eventually, Robin joined us as well.  With the two boys on one side, and El and I on the other, Robin sat on a stool at the end of the table.  Every time the staff needed to go between the dining car and the corridor Robin had to stand up while the tall seated Aussie just reached over and lifted the stool above his head and the staff shuffled around us.  It was hilarious, particularly after several beers. 

The "dining car" with workers cooking and loading a food cart while baggage filled the rest of the benches. 

Next Post:  Vietnam Part Four - Ha Noi and Ha Long Bay