After 46 Years...a Trip Back in Time, Part 8

by Glenn N. Holliman

This memoir of a return to Vietnam after forty-six years had passed since a young soldier served with the 1st Infantry Division, US Army, continues with photos of time as a typical tourist is some beautiful parts of northern Vietnam.... 

Ha Long, March 10, 2015

Below, a map of beautiful Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage site, in northern Vietnam and an overnight cabin cruiser.  

       

Tuesday, left late morning for the maritime port where the cruise boats take overnight tourists into the Ha Long Bay.  The sea bed has collapsed leaving a bay of gum-drop shaped islands, magnificent in height and shape marching into the Gulf of Tonkin.  Ocean going vessels with cargoes, do not dock but unload into smaller vessels, coastal trawlers. Fascinating to observe the larger ships as our boat weaves and dodges among the islands and many others. 

Our cruise manager is 38 years old, a French teacher.  Her grandparents served in the French War and her parents from 1973-75 helped maintain the Ho Chi Minh Trail crawling through Laos into the South Vietnam.  Phuc was born in 1977 and remembers the austerity of the pure communist years, when food and clothing were rationed.  Had a discussion with her at length.  Her generation has no memory of the American war, only that in 1986, economic policies changed, and people could again own their own land.  Agricultural production increased quickly, and now no one is hungry.

Below Grace captures a picture of an ocean going vessel unloading and a view from the Ha Long caves of the island formations.
             
       

There are only 13 on this cruise, and a crew of fifteen.  The company, Bhyay, owns 17 boats, and the food and service are excellent.  Clean, bottled water available….My wife would enjoy the ambiance. On board are Australians, as well as two American ladies from Long Island, a German couple and a couple from Guildford, England.  Remarkable how Vietnam has become a major tourist mecca.

Below my daughter, Grace Holliman, and cousin Karen Holliman at a meal on board.  Also Grace in one of the spacious rooms.

Our first stop was a floating village where we tendered in, climbed a floating dock and then boarded boats hand paddled for 45 minutes through spectacular scenery and by floating homes, cabins without running water resting on the water!  Nets protect the children from falling from their homes into the 18 ft deep sheltered bay.  The economy is driven by fishing and tourism.  Our cameras are snapping pictures left and right.

Back on board we have a cooking demonstration, how to make spring rolls, and then we eat them!  Delightful.  Happy Hour starts at 5 pm, and I chat with two Australian couples, all born in the 1960s with no memory of the American War.  More and more, I am aware as an old man only I carry within me the ghosts of the past.

Below, Karen closest to the camera prepares spring rolls and a squid she caught during night fishing.

Another grand meal, fish and shrimp of course, and then we go squid fishing!  We stand on the bow, are given poles with plastic lures, bright lights are turned on and like children, we drop our lines and pull them up and down.  Karen catches an 8 inch squid which will be on the boat's breakfast table.

That night our boat anchored in the floating village bay with another 30 or so similar craft, three story villas on the water the highest being an open air deck.  Dining is forward with seating only for about 16.  Marvelous way to travel.

To bed early, but an observation from earlier this morning at the Saigon Ha Long Hotel.  The women are largely in western style clothes – skirts, heels and arranged stylishly.  The only heavy Vietnamese tend to be middle aged men, all dressed in western clothes of coat and tie.  English is taught in all schools, not Russian as in the 1970s and 80s.  The USA may have lost the 1965-1973 war but capitalism is winning the present. 

Economic development is proceeding with the blend of moderating socialism and capitalism.  These are a strong people who have defeated the French, Americans, the Chinese and each other in 20^th Century wars.  If they can have a century of peace, they will become more prosperous.  Education and economic investment are now needed and time to work its magic.

 

March 11, Wednesday Ha Long

Body clocks still unsteady, and Grace goes to the top deck for Asian stretching exercises – Thi Chi – with the Australians.  I do journaling and watch this lovely part of the world sail by as we move to our next event this morning.  We ‘sail’ to the Surprise Cave and climb steps to walk through a massive cave complex with a lovely view of the bay.  Bushed, I shower and they feed us again – a brunch before we dock at 10:30 am back at our harbor.  This cruise well worth the money.

A driver takes us back to the Saigon Ha Long Hotel, about a ten minute drive, and I answer emails and nap.  Karen purchases us tickets for a tour tomorrow.  Time for a nap.  Later a drink in the hotel with Grace and then dinner with Jim and Karen on the 14^th floor.  We note the Celebrity cruise ship, the Millennium, in the harbor.

March 12, Thursday, Ha Long

Up early for a tour north of Ha Long City, through the coal country, to a Buddhist Temple, one of the oldest in the nation.  We have a driver, tour guide and a guide in training.  Tweet, the 23 year old guide, a bubbly girl.  This is pilgrimage time for the Vietnamese.  They were dressed in their finest, all western garb, at the temple.  We ate lunch there – all vegetarian.  Many people took pictures of us and with us as Westerners are rare for most Vietnamese.  We felt like ‘stars’.

Below the temple and right, I chat with our tour guides, delightful young persons.

Stopped at a market, more how does one say, traditional…some of Vietnam is very modern – a suspension bridge, a museum, but in other places, modernization has not taken place.  But no doubt the country is growing prosperous, and no one is hungry.

 

Next post, we go to Ho Chi Mien City (Saigon) and memories come flooding back....