Demilitarized Zone

If you have not heard of the Demilitarized Zone  it is probably because in the western world we did not really understand what was happening in Vietnam during the 60's.
The DMZ was the area between North and South Vietnam.  Communism controlled North Vietnam and 5 km on either side of the river was set up to keep the Vietnamese separated.  When the boarder was closed families were split up if they were on opposite sides of the river.  Family members were not allowed to have contact with each other.   If the father was working on the other side of the river when the boarder was closed they were not allowed to join their family.

 The bridge represents the turmoil that existed between the two sides with the north painted blue and the south side painted yellow even thought the country is now unified.

The Vinh Muh tunnels are located north of the river along the coast. Here military and local farmers lived under ground for two years while the US B52's dropped bombs on the area.  The tunnels were used as shelters and hiding areas.  The top level was used by the military the remaining levels were used as a hospital, school, food preparation area, meeting area and nursery as several children were born in the tunnels. Families had their own sleeping areas.  The tunnels actually go all the way down to the beach area so that rice and produce could be loaded onto supply boats and taken out to the islands off shore.

Above the tunnels there was an elaborate systems of trenches that allow people to move around without being seen. Farmers could go out to work the fields and injured people could be removed to the hospital without being easily seen.

Trench

When the US pulled out of Vietnam this area had to be cleared of thousands of bombs and landmines. The fields and roads were repaired so life could start again as a unified country started to take shape with Ho Chi Ming as their president under communist rule.  At the time the Vietnamese did feel that there best option for a peaceful society was to choose communism.  Now they have what they call a democratic communism.  This was explained that private citizens can now own businesses.  There are a lot of problems with a one party system through bribes and payoffs necessary within the government run departments.  We were told that the Police will stop motorists and demand money without any cause.

Danang, Ho Ann and Hue Vietnam

Dragon Bridge

A short flight from Ho Chin Minh  City and you arrive at the Danang airport.  Flights within Vietnam are inexpensive if you book online.  The seem to have specials with online booking.  There is no airport at Hoi An so you need to fly to Danang.  Danang is an International Airport so you can start you trip here instead of Ho Chin Minh City.

Cham Museum

Driving from the airport we stop to see the Dragon Bridge and the Cham Museum.  The Cham Museum has excellent statues from the ruins of My Son-Holy Land.  This is a very small museum and is a great representation of the Hindu influence in Vietnam.

Japanese Bridge

Hoi An is a wonderful quiet town.  The old quarter in Hoi An is a UNESCO heritage site and has several traditional building worth investigating.  Because this is a heritage site you will need to purchase a ticket to investigate the area.  Check out the Japanese Bridge.  The covered bridge is not very long but did have an important function of linking the town.

Street View from Merchants  House

Hoi  An has great restaurants,good  shopping for specialty items and cooking schools.  Take time to relax, learn to cook Vietnamese food and explore the many options available in the restaurants.  If you happen to be in Hoi An during a lunar full moon the old town is lite with paper lanterns that makes the whole experience very magical.  You can purchase a candle to float down the river.  I wish we had planned to spend more time in Hoi An.

My Son is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. My Son became a religious center in the 4th century.

While at the site be sure to take in the traditional dance performances.

The drive up the coast from Hoi An gives you a taste of the country side and great view when you travel over the Hai Pass.

View from Hai Van Pass

In Hue you can visit the Imperial Citadel located on the Perfume River.  There are several sites you can visit in Hue.

Ho Chi Ming (Saigon) Vietnam

Arriving in Ho Chi Ming City can be a shock to the system.  Asia is quiet different from Canada and the weather in November is still warm and humid.  Some days the humidity is in the 90's.  The name changed in this city after the American war as communism became the unification power in the country. 

Ho Chin Ming City has over 20 million people and about 10 million scooters.  The road system is organized chaos.  There do not have many accidents because people are very patient and not aggressive drivers.

Shopping - Markets

Market areas are plentiful.  The Chinese market sells in bulk and the store in the city buy from them.  The Scooter market sells parts and you can get you scooter repaired.  Then there is the flower market and flowers are not expensive since they are grown in Vietnam.  When in the market there is an area for kitchen supplies, fabrics, hats, clothes, shoes, food anything that you need.  Markets are popular because you can bargain what you will pay.

Socializing

In the morning men will bring their birds to the park and have coffee.  This is a social gathering for the men and the birds who learn to sing from each other.  There are vendors selling crickets that have had their wings and legs clipped.  The men feed their birds the crickets.  We enjoyed a traditional Vietnamese coffee which is strong dripped coffee with sweetened condensed milk.  Followed by a cup of hot green tea.

 Burning Buda

In June 1963 to bring attention to South Vietnam and what was happening within the country a Buddhist Monk Thich Quang Duc burned himself to death at this corner.  This was a strong political message that was directed at the US who supported the current government.

 Time for homework. School is very important for all children.

Homework among the Scooters

Lunch on the Street

 This traditional mung bean pancake is cooked outside in a wok and filled with beansprouts.  It is served with basal, mint, lettuce and mustard greens.  To eat this pancake you tear off a piece of pancake and wrap with the greens then dip into the fish sauce with chili. Delicious and very filling.

Traditional Pancake

Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia)

Why Visit Indochina

If you are adventurous and want to learn about different cultures Indochina is an excellent experience. These countries have been through a lot of turmoil that I was not really aware of living in North America.  The countries are establishing a tourist industry which is helping the local people have a better quality of life.  Each country has a good selections of different tour and accommodation options available to accommodate backpackers to the traveler who wants more luxurious accommodation and restaurants. Costs are reasonable and tipping is becoming common as wages are very low in all three countries.

When to Visit Indochina

Lotus Flower

November is Vietnam's winter so it is cooler and can be grey and cloudy.  Depending on what you want to do on your visit will determine when you visit.  

If you want to see the Phong Nah cave it is best to visit in March or April.  Central Vietnam gets rain in November, December and January.  But if you want to cruise the Mekong River the water is highest in November and therefore better for cruising.

The humidity is still high in November so remember that you will need clothing the is breathable.  If you plan to visit temples clothing must cover shoulders and knees. Sometimes even a scarf over your bare shoulders or a sarong to cover your knees will not be accepted.

Laos

November the temperature is more reasonable but is can still be warm and humid.  Rain is minimal.

Cambodia

Is closer to the equator so is warmer than Laos or Northern Vietnam during the winter months. Be prepared for hot and humid weather with some rain.  Rain can come down very heavy and drainage is not great in most places.

Foodie Tour by Scooter with XO Tours

Scooter with Rain Gear

Looking for something different to do in Ho Chi Ming City why not a night tour on scooters through five districts outside of district one.  You are driven through the city and arrive at different street food restaurants.  This allows you to try a variety of food and meet other tourists.


During the evening you have an opportunity to experience Vietnamese food, culture and transportation all in a safe an secure atmosphere. Over drivers were well educated and could speak excellent English.  At each stop the girls ensured that you were well fed and had fun.

Crab

 We started at a restaurant that served a beef soup made famous in Hue.  Then off to the next location that changes depending on availability.  We eat sea food, barbeque, frog, quail and even duck eggs.  To finish the meal we had traditional dessert on was coconut jelly.  Each restaurant had a selection of beverages that you could choose from and always Bria.

Barbeque with our guides

Cooked Frog with and without skin

Soo Much Food

 Scallops

A Wonderful Evening

Scooter Travels

Paris Sights

Ten days in Paris and so much to see.  We rented an apartment in Zone 2 the district of Marais which is an ideal location.  If you are looking for an apartment Paris Rentals is one source that you can check.  The apartment gave us the option to cook meals and wash clothes.  We had already spent 13 days on a bus tour so the freedom of not having to eat in a restaurant was appreciated.  Our view from the sixth floor apartment was the roof tops and the apartment was very quiet.

 

 

The Louvre Museum and Notre-dam Cathedral were within walking distance of our apartment.  There was also great shopping and several other museums close.  The subway station was within a block and we used the subway to travel around Paris.  We purchased 10 tickets at a time which saved us a few Euro.  

 

Our biggest decision was which museums we would try to see during our stay.  We decided to purchase a Museum Pass and this was an excellent decision.   We also saved money because of the number of sights/museums we visited in four days.  You have to remember that once you activate the Museum Pass the days are consecutive that you can use the pass.

 

Here are a few museums/sights that we saw during our visit.

 

Arc De Triomphe

Climbing 258 Stairs to the top.

Unknown Soilder under the Arc de Triomphe

Museum Du Louvre

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Bill was surprised at the variety of artifacts that the museum housed.  We chose to spend a very little time in the Renaissance Wing and spent more time in the areas that we have not seen is previous travels.

Mona Lisa

Middle Eastern Antiquities

Museum Du Quai Branly

We enjoy Asian Art so this museum was very interesting.  The exterior of the building is a wall of plants.  Check out the picture below.  The variety of the artifacts was exceptional.  We have not seen very much from Japan or Africa so we did spend a lot of time in the collections.

Building Exterior



Japanese Collection

Eiffel Tower

This was one of my highlights of the trip.  I have always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower ever since Elementary School and I was learning about geography and sights around the world.  I must admit that the ultimate experience was seeing the Eiffel Tower twinkle at 10 pm.


From the Seine River

 

Look Up Way Up



Orangerie Museum

Claude Monet last work on these massive panels titled Water Lilies' is a wonderful representation of impressionist art.

Water Lilies

 

Rodin Museum

The Thinker

 

 Army Museum and Napoleon Tomb

Napoleon's Tomb

Army Museum Collection

Museum National De La Marine