Our Visit to Vietnam, August 2001.

Pilgrimage to La Vang, Central Vietnam, 8th August 2001.

 

Account written by Geoff Carlin. All views expressed are his alone. Spacing is set to allow easy printing of this article in A4 size, for personal use only.

 

Introduction.

I have been asked by many people why we chose Vietnam as a holiday destination, especially in view of the distance we had to travel, and the cost involved, to a country we had nothing obvious in common with. I gave the following reasons to the mildly curious; a desire to do something “different” while ‘en vacance’; a necessary resolution of what I personally felt about Vietnam, consciously and subconsciously, since I had grown up watching the war on television, a ‘laying to rest of ghosts’ if you like. There was also the desire to have a really good holiday following a year and a half of oppressive legal action by a vicious UK government department, OPRA, a continuing legal dispute with the Bank of Scotland over their allowing severe financial irregularities (fraud in my opinion) to occur in a frozen former practice account, and their refusal to do anything about one of their managers who seemed to be “gunning” for us; and profound difficulties with local Health Board members who were determined to end my medical career. Look what happens to you when you follow God! I took this ever-present annoying “flak” to be a sign that we were on the right track, and that the devil was determined to try and stop us by any means, either through his agents or those he could influence. I would say that the court case in particular was very wearing, as, at one point I was being threatened with a £5,000.00 fine and/or five years in jail for an unintended minor breach of pensions regulations. My poor wife, Margaret, suffered terrible anguish during all of this, but at the end of the day we emerged relatively unscathed if disheveled emotionally and light of pocket, God provides, God nurtures, God protects. I wait with interest to see what happens to our adversaries in their wickedness now that we have accomplished what was requested of us, praying that God visits His Justice on them tempered with His Mercy. God’s Justice is a slow wheel, but it turns, always moving forward.

Oh, I forgot to mention, Our Lady requested that we visit Vietnam during the sequence of messages given Margaret in 1995.

 

Itinerary of Pilgrimage

The ‘holiday’ was arranged by Asian Journeys, which is now known as Audley Travel Group, see end of article for contact details, and was seamless in terms of organization; their arrangements went without a hitch and I would recommend their services to you if you intend to travel to Vietnam. Asian Journeys were expensive and if money is a major concern, (remember the cost of living is very cheap in Vietnam but this has to balanced against the risk of exposure to health hazards), then have a look at the Lonely Planet guidebook for Vietnam (essential and most necessary book along with your bible!) for details of other tour operators.

  We visited the following places and I will have some remarks to make about them, Hanoi, Haiphong (including a visit to the stunning beauty of islands around Cat Ba), Hue (necessary to stay there for the visit to La Vang), Hoi An, Da Nang, Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City if you are communist) and Can Tho (in the delta where the mighty Mekong river joins the South China Sea). We entered the country in the North and steadily traveled South. There are Catholic churches in all these areas and it is possible to attend mass on a daily basis, which we mostly did if the itinerary allowed. The services were vibrant and well attended by the Faithful. We entered the country on the 3rd August via Hanoi (after a long flight – eleven and a half hours -from Heathrow to Bangkok on Thai International Airlines, then transfer to local flight to Hanoi – about two hours flight time) and subsequently left Saigon on 17th August to return to London via Bangkok. Total journey time from Scotland was a grueling twenty-four hours. We had specifically requested a day trip to La Vang, as this appeared to us a necessary part of our pilgrimage; this was arranged without difficulty as Asian Journeys created a “tailor made” holiday. Otherwise the trip was Spirit led, as we had no formal instructions on what was required of us, though we had a good idea of what was needed in terms of prayer. It was also a family holiday as two of our sons accompanied us.

 

Hanoi

Hanoi is the capital of the unified Vietnam and is a pleasant city to tour. We had our first experience of the apparently chaotic road system present throughout Vietnam. We enjoyed a tour by Cyclo; you sit in a forward-facing carriage propelled by your driver by pedal power. Initially it was hair raising as your driver launched out into an apparent scrum of bicycles and motorbikes, but somehow the masses of travelers part, and you become part of the seemingly chaotic flow. Collisions were surprisingly very rare. If you are crossing the road on foot do not stop at all if possible, the cyclists will find a way past you; it is advisable if it is very busy that you walk slowly against the flow of traffic (they drive on the right) traversing the road, then reverse direction to get to the other side. Do not stop! Walk steadily and slowly and pray you do not encounter a tourist on a hired motorbike; they are possibly the most dangerous things on Vietnam’s roads! We stayed in the Galaxy Hotel. This hotel is best avoided, levels of service were poor and some members of staff were surly, uncooperative and downright insulting. We would recommend that American visitors in particular do not use this hotel. These aberrant workers were dealt with in a forthright manner by first my wife and then myself. The difficulties started when it transpired that residents had to book places for dinner in the dining room, in advance, in their own hotel. Young Geoff and I had strolled in the half empty dining room expectant of ordering some food when we were brusquely asked to leave. I have never come across this in many years of traveling and we did not encounter this custom anywhere else in Vietnam. Nobody had told us of this peculiar local rule when we booked in. As we kicked up a fuss they offered to serve us dinner in the public bar, reassuring us that it would be the same food! Not acceptable I declared and I left the hotel with my eldest son, Geoff junior, to find a restaurant. Margaret and my other son, Richie, stayed in the reception area enjoying a soft drink and a beer.

We found a good Vietnamese restaurant a stone’s throw from the Galaxy Hotel in Hang Cot, though I must point out that the belligerent hotel staff threw no stones at us J. It was such a good meal we cannot remember much about it, one only remembers the bad meals, the bad service and bad treatment!  

 We returned to the Galaxy Hotel to find further trouble brewing. Apparently the staff believed that Geoff junior and I had left the hotel to avoid paying for a couple of beers we had had before leaving, (everything was going on the room tab anyway), and two male hotel workers had rounded on Margaret in an accusatory and aggressive fashion demanding payment. Margaret kept very cool, and brandishing her room key, requested two more drinks! They had no choice but to eventually comply and serve her. Having been through the Novomestsky Hotel course in guest harassment in Prague, in the year 2000, while on pilgrimage, we were more than able to deal with these chaps. I came in, noting the stony, staring faces behind the bar LL, and went on to the offensive when I heard what had happened, explaining at great length that the hotel was to be regarded as a home and sanctuary to guests while in a foreign land, and that every effort should be made to assist and encourage guests who are staying in that home; in short you should practise hospitality, including ensuring that your guests are fed and watered in a comfortable environment. In fact I recounted at length the proud Scottish Highland tradition of hospitality (which unfortunately was more or less killed by the growth of the bed and breakfast industry years ago, but they did not need to know that) and I perceived a thawing in their attitude and eventually received an apology. It dawned on me that they had taken us for Americans and this had caused their poor attitude and attempted bullying behavior. Some of the Vietnamese are still fighting the war. With my loud checked shirts and potbelly, or bishop’s paunch since we were in an allegedly up-market hotel, I looked the Yank to perfection. This similarity was to cause sporadic problems through the holiday. Having extracted a couple of grudged shreds of remorse from the staff we had a quick family conference and decided to leave and go somewhere else to pass the evening. I paid the bill with cash, as I did not trust them with a credit card given their behavior and display of contempt. The boys were tired and headed for their bedroom. Margaret and I left and went to a café, See Wan Ton, 3 Phan Dinh Phung, just along the road, within spitting distance actually, though the hotel staff did not try anything like that J, and ordered some soft drinks. The staff, here, were very attentive and thrilled when we promised we would mention their place on the Internet. The business is described as a teahouse, established in 1881 – they open late! We would advise that if you have the bad luck to be booked into the Galaxy Hotel you should avoid their dollar hungry bar and decamp to this place, the See Wan Ton teahouse.

 Here a Hanoian customer arrived, planted himself down in front of me, and proceeded to give me the hard, mean, continual stare. Ha, I was getting into the spirit of this game! I gave him a good, mean stare back, one that would turn the Gorgon to cheese, as Emile Zola might remark. After a good long minute, I said, “I am not an American, I am from Scotland, Ecosse.” This well built, leather-clad, muscular man then relaxed and burst into a smile. We got on fine after that, just as well, I suppose, given that he looked like a gangster. I showed him some photographs of my home and our big dog, Misha, a harlequin Great Dane bitch.

The size of the dog produced much comment and cries of “How beautiful an animal!” I knew they eat dog in the North so I remarked, “You don’t eat my dog, my dog will eat you!” This provoked some mirth and someone declared my dog would feed a village. “No, eat a village!” I declared.

The photographs proved to be a great icebreaker with the locals throughout the trip, the photographs of the dog in particular producing much comment. We would advise travelers to bring some simple family snaps with them to help oil the process of cultural exchange.

 What else did we see and do in Hanoi? We saw the old quarter and the markets. We were followed and harassed by street peddlers; the best strategy is simply to ignore them. We were taken to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum where we filed past his corpse under the watchful eyes of the white uniformed honour guard. I really did not know what to make of it, and privately considered Ho’s declared wish for cremation of his remains should have been respected. Margaret said the place gave her the creeps and, after viewing the corpse, declared, “He’s not happy with this! (‘He’ being Ho Chi Minh) He is not at all happy with this!” The building was cool after queuing for some time in the heat. The corpse functions as a continuing icon of the Communist struggle, revolution and victory. This custom of preserving the leader after death mirrors the Russian treatment of Lenin’s corpse; indeed it demonstrates neatly how faithfully the Vietnamese leadership follows the Russian leadership’s example in many things. We were also taken to see Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house; we saw a sparsely furnished, mothballed house on stilts. There was also a visit to a museum filled with Buddhist and Hindu statues and idols on the ground floor, and what can only be described as Vietnamese war art on the upper floors. Some of the war art was of a very high standard and met my criteria for good art – did I like it? Yes. Would I hang it on my living room wall? Yes! Would my wife agree with this choice? Never! Such excellent, exquisite works! The images portrayed a view of the terrible series of wars that afflicted Vietnam in ways simply not seen in the West. I have put some photos of some of the most striking images in the photo file.

 We also visited the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070 and established as a university in 1076, during a Cyclo tour of the city. This we recommend as an essential place to visit in order to appreciate the length of time civilization has existed in Vietnam. The rulers of that time established their first university some 340 years before the earliest Scottish University was established, St Andrews, 1410. There is, however, no way the Vietnamese invented golf, no matter what they, or some mischievous revisionist Chinese scoundrels, claim! They do not have the necessary links topography.

 The days were thus a continuous series of visits supervised by the guides assigned to us as part of the holiday package. I will give some information about guides and drivers later in this article. In some ways we were spoon fed by these individuals and shown what the government wanted us to see, but given our general naivety about Vietnamese culture and society I found them to be essential for our needs and purposes.

The information and cultural exchange was two-way as the guides were naturally curious about our country and society. “Parliamentary dictatorship,” I opined, when asked about the British political system, “but we get the chance to boot the brats out every four years, if necessary.” This left a very pro-communist guide rather baffled when going off to get deprogrammed after the day’s exposure to us.

 A very good restaurant is the Indochine, 16 Pho Nam Ngu, where a korma type, real free-range chicken curry is served – an essential for a curry deprived Scot! “This chicken is chewy,” declared Richie. “That’s because it has had a chance to run about!” I answered. Avoid the Apocalypse Now pub unless you like loud rock music and want to watch elderly leering Western sex tourists interact with local prostitutes. These men really were foul, one can only pray for them from a distance.

A visit to St Joseph’s Cathedral is recommended. It took me back to my childhood as males all sat on the left hand side of the Church, with females on the right, during mass. The lilting chants of the congregation will rest in my memory for a long time, a dynamic celebration of the Presence of the Lord in a uniquely Vietnamese fashion.

 

Haiphong and Halong Bay

The Royal Garden Harbour View Hotel in Haiphong was extremely comfortable and pleasant with good facilities and a pleasant staff. The restaurant was friendly and inviting with a good selection of Western and Vietnamese food. This was our base for traveling to Cat Ba Island in Halong Bay and spending a truly memorable day lazily cruising amidst the myriad islands, green gray, dappled on an opalescent emerald sea. Yet as the tourist enjoys this magnificent natural spectacle he or she will pass the boats and raft homes of the poor fishermen and their families who live here, eking out a living with no recourse to state benefits or medical services, with four generations often living in one cramped boat. Apparently if a typhoon hits the area the death and casualty toll can be very high. Something to mull over in one’s mind as the splendid five course meal, such varieties of fish and crustaceans, is served on board, while anchored off a coral sand beach which would grace Paradise.

 There is reputably a sea monster named the Tarasque in these waters. We never saw it. I think the Vietnamese Tourist Board has imported the very successful concept of the Loch Ness Monster to boost tourist numbers. When I told the skipper about Nessie he insisted she must be a cousin of the Tarasque, while trying to unnerve me by looking warily about and whispering to me, “I see it, one day, huge animal!” Apparently you can hire a boat to go Tarasque hunting, but we were much too lazy to get involved in such a potentially bloodless blood sport.

 We visited the fish market in Cat Ba; the bustle, the din and the smell assaulted the senses; there were dead fish, of many different species, displayed on slabs and aerated basins filled with moving creatures. Everywhere I went people smiled, and patted my belly, saying “Buddha” and telling me I was good luck! What a press of people! This day was truly one of the highlights of the holiday part of our trip and all of us have good memories of the day, particularly my sons, who can now say they swam in the South China Sea, or East Vietnam Sea which our guide insisted on calling it.

 

Hue

Hue is the ancient capital of the Nguyen dynasty and has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site. Nguyen is pronounced ‘wi-hinn’, but this is an approximation! Hue has suffered pillaging and destruction over the years from various invaders. I remember as a 13 year old watching, on the evening news, the US Marine Corp fight a bitter battle to clear the Hue Citadel of communist forces. That battle went on for weeks. I was maturing and becoming politically and morally aware in an adult sense. The images shown were no longer a “John Wayne” type entertainment to me, they were now harrowing and disturbing and worrying. After this I would avoid watching the news some nights if I had seen something unusually horrific, yet part of me was compelled to watch regularly – not as a curious or immature person watching a peep show of frightening sights, but as a witness to the sufferings of my brothers and sisters who were so determined on killing each other. I remembered many such images as I walked round the leveled Citadel, mourning the massacred and killed on all sides, and bore patiently without much comment the guide’s banal spiel about Nguyen Emperors and where the Emperor’s mother-in-law and concubines slept. Margaret was thoughtful as I told her the story of the Tet Offensive in 1968 and how the Viet Cong completely expended themselves, suffering a crushing military defeat, but winning such a propaganda victory in the minds of people around the world, who witnessed the struggle through the news reporter’s activities, that the American war machine was doomed from that time to withdraw in ignominy and defeat. The events of the Tet Offensive provided a defining moment in the struggle for a unified Vietnam, but are also a microcosm of the terrible savagery and atrocity and cruelty that all sides were guilty of in that terrible war – Vietnam War if you are Western, the War against the Americans if you are a Viet. The War of Cruelty and Atrocious Suffering where cousin’s destroyed each other’s souls, if you want me to rename it.

 I was more thoughtful about things as our time to visit La Vang approached. The Hotel in Hue, the Saigon Morin was pleasant, but I picked up some food poisoning and was very ill until I dosed myself with some Ciproxin, (I will give details of what I think are necessary medicines to take on a trip to Vietnam later in this article). The culprit was probably the buffet meal prepared by the Hotel in the evening. Everything was set up outside but it started raining heavily, so everything was transferred indoors; the buffet was delayed by about an hour or so with unprotected food sweltering in the heat, allowing any contaminating bacteria to multiply massively. Anyway the overall effect was a massive purge that left me light and fasted for prayer! It is a good idea in Vietnam to get your food cooked in front of you. In this way many of the better street booths are far more hygienic than the fancy restaurants! Anyway I was too unwell to visit some Buddhist pagoda on a river trip, so Margaret went with Richie, Geoff junior, was not interested in the trip. The boat they traveled in towards the imperial tombs was steered by a quiet man. A woman jumped into the boat with a large chest of junk souvenirs and a child in tow; she took great umbrage when Margaret refused to purchase various replicas of idols that she produced. It turned out that this woman owned the boat and seemed to think that she had exclusive rights to sell whatever she wanted at whatever price to Margaret. Margaret then became acutely unwell and collapsed as she approached the pagoda entrance, this happened when two people beside her turned and bowed in prayer or supplication to a large hideous stone idol, witnessing this act of idolatry caused a sense of horror and revulsion deep within Margaret, followed by physical effects. She had to be brought back to the Hotel by car; Margaret gradually recovered on the journey.

This temporary but alarming illness was to happen several times over the holiday, to varying degrees, as Margaret came into the proximity of certain pagan shrines and we thus studiously avoided them and whatever they contained thereafter; such was certainly inimical to someone with Margaret’s gifts and abilities, and dealing with such was not part of our mission anyway. I told her that she would have probably brought home more than she had bargained for if she had purchased the little idols on the boat! Some accompanying malevolent boat demons! It has always astonished me how carelessly gullible Westerners treat such potential spiritual dangers that actively used pagan shrines may contain; they are not tourist attractions, they are places of dedicated prayer and worship, and sometimes contain occult things that are not of God.

 We visited Notre Dame Cathedral, Hue, and meeting a parishioner, inquired about the times of the mass. We went to the evening service.

 

 

 

La Vang – 8th August 2001

Our guide took us by car to La Vang. It lies to the South of Quang Tri and is well signposted. One turns left a few klicks short of Quang Tri and follows the metalled road to its end. Details are given on the segment of the accompanying military map. This is an old map dating from the war but it gives the relevant information in a reasonable scale. La Vang is a place of pilgrimage for Vietnamese Catholics, as Our Mother Mary appeared there to comfort persecuted Vietnamese Catholics, as they hid from their oppressors in the jungle. These apparitions started in 1798 and went on for a considerable period of time to many different groups of people. Our Mother was being our Beautiful Mother, consoling and advising and encouraging her children, showing them the Infant Jesus. I believe the apparitions happened over something like an eighty-year period, indeed, as long as the persecution persisted. I have published some of the photos I took in the photos section. The statue of the Mother and Infant sits beneath a concrete representation of a Banyan tree; Our Holy Mother had originally appeared elevated off the ground in front of a real Banyan tree at this spot, but anti-religious vandals later destroyed the tree. This is similar to what happened at Fatima, where the authorities destroyed the holm oak. The time scale of the apparition exceeds that which has happened at Medjugorje. I do not know of any healings associated with La Vang, as at Lourdes, but am expectant of a gradual healing process on a national level as God comes to be known to the entire nation, a healing of the mind and political outlook?

 I would like to suggest to you, gentle reader, that you consider La Vang as a possible place of Pilgrimage, despite dangers and difficulties that may be present. We would suggest that the themes of the Pilgrimage could be prayer for the conversion of the Asian peoples to Christianity, and prayers for an end to the three huge scourges of communism, war and poverty that afflict Vietnam; this was the inner realization that Margaret experienced in La Vang.

 The bell tower is apparently all that was left of the original church built by the French after violent battles between the Northern and Southern armies raged here, but it still stands. The dead of all sides, going back through the troubled centuries, were heavily on our minds as we started praying. We first said a rosary to relax ourselves spiritually and enter the protection of Our Mother’s Mantle. Then we began the sequence of psalm readings, out loud, that I felt were to be prayed on this day for all souls – so many, so many different nationalities as empires had brought their colonial levies to fight and die in this country over the long suffering filled centuries – so many, so many innocents killed and destroyed before their time by war, starvation, neglect or disease, children, infants, old people, vulnerable people, unwanted people, all of whom were loved and cherished by their Creator – so much injustice and persecution and oppression, continuing to this day with God’s Church being oppressed by cruel elements of the current Communist Government – so many restless, lost souls to be brought home to God, so many that even Communist writers describing the war are aware of them! (Read the book, “The Sorrow of War” by Bao Ninh.)

  I read aloud the heavy artillery of prayer, these psalms, (Catholic Numbering), Psalm 119 “In praise of the Divine Law”, then Psalms 120 to 134, the songs of ascents or gradual canticles, which through the Mercy of God can heal and succour the most hard hearted and bitter of souls and guide them towards God’s all embracing Love. The atmosphere was electric and some Vietnamese quietly watched as we prayed. Something happened, a little thing which I cannot talk about, but which fulfilled one of Margaret’s visions from so many years ago. After time spent in thanksgiving and contemplative prayer we went to the little church and joined the mass, which had just started. We prayed at length for a brave priest of Hue, Father Ly, who was being held in a secret place by the local Communist authorities and who was being very badly treated and tortured. His crime was to petition for religious freedom. After mass we strolled around the grounds reluctant to leave this holy place, but eventually our guide reappeared and we went back to the people carrier that was our transport.  “Universal peace for those who love your Law, no stumbling blocks for them!” the words ran through my mind as we returned to Hue. Margaret reported to me that while at the shrine praying, Jesus had spoken to her, saying, “I died once and for all, for all people!” Ah, now we can relax and enjoy the rest of the holiday, I thought; my, was I being simplistic!

 We returned to Hue and went to the evening service by Cyclo, the drivers agreeing to wait for us and take us back to the hotel after the service. We met a wee nun after the service, a tiny petite Vietnamese lady, who engaged us in conversation and told us of her order’s work with orphans, lepers, HIV victims, the handicapped and the education of children. I was encouraged to see that, at least, the hostile provincial government was permitting these vital works. We were invited back to visit her organization and welcomed in by her sisters. She asked me if I could help her get 8 pianos to replace upright instruments ruined by flooding. Look at the photos! I said I would do what I can to organize this and other support for her work. If you can help please e-mail me and I will facilitate direct contact if things seem OK – Geoff.Carlin@btinternet.com 

  Later in the evening we went to the DMZ bar café – this was a pleasant establishment frequented by ex-pats mainly. I met some Irish folk whose job was to train Vietnamese citizens in hotel skills; they had been in the country for two years doing this work, so there is obviously a lot of preparation going on, to get things ready for a planned tourism boom. One chap advised me, when we arrived in Hoi An, to go to the beach early in the morning between 5 and 7 am to get conditions which we, as Westerners, could tolerate. He told me that they had problems with stinging jellyfish and that a small ‘eel’ had swum inside his shorts and attached itself to him, giving him some pain and difficulty in detaching it. Probably a lamprey I thought, though there are some rather obnoxious tropical parasites that do particularly unpleasant things, or was it a baby Tarasque? I made a mental note that we should stick to the hotel pool!

 Later when we returned to the hotel we discussed all that had happened and mulled over the whole La Vang situation and the current unacceptable oppression of religions. We knew that the communist authorities had refused point blank to allow His Holiness, Pope John Paul II to visit La Vang, but also that the communist attitude could suddenly change if they perceived an advantage to their own situation. It seems likely that to aid development in the country, and encourage prosperity and better living standards, they could allow western pilgrims to visit La Vang as part of a program of ‘ethically applied socialist tourism which utilizes all niche markets’. The communists would first have to shift their stated political position with regard to religious organizations slightly sideways, going from the present “Love Socialism first, then God!” (This is in direct contravention of the first and second commandments but the communists do not appreciate or understand) to “Love Socialism and God!” to “Love God as you wish, but respect Socialism!” Ethicists do this all the time and it is quite easy once you get the hang of it. My own appreciation of worst scenario Socialism is summed up by the trite definition of a socialist as “the man who has nothing and who wishes to share it with everybody.” Margaret and I both see major change occurring in Vietnam over the next few years and trust that such can be peaceful without major social disruption, or dislocation of the social fabric; we feel, and I am sure the communist authorities would agree, that social change must be for the betterment of the population. We also feel that normalization of relations between countries, that were formally such terrible enemies, must be achieved in order that true reconciliation on the human level, personal and interpersonal, can start to be effected. However, whatever the form or conditions of trading agreements and whatever economic progress is envisaged, there must be social progress regarding human rights, including freedom of religion and freedom to associate; there must also be a reconciliation internally with respect to ethnic minorities, with a special awareness of these ethnic peoples’ place in the society and history of Vietnam, and the restoration of citizenship and personhood for those denied such, because they fought with the South or are the children of those denigrated as “puppets” or “enemies”. Otherwise, there being no change for the better, the limited form of Western tourism present in Vietnam will probably continue: the backpackers with little money at street level; the ‘nouveau riche’, mainly French, living it up, cocooned from the reality of Vietnamese life in sanitized air conditioned luxury hotels, venturing out to see some ‘local colour’ if they can tear themselves away from the cocktails round the pool (having what they perceive as a ‘good’ holiday, in short!).

  The droves of Chinese tourists will continue. Vietnam is the only country that China allows masses of its citizens to visit; they can hardly claim political asylum or make a run to the West as they visit a fortified playpen!

 We must pray that the present Vietnamese leadership appreciates and considers this challenging situation and will be amenable to constructive gradual change; if they keep an eye on their old former adversary, China, they will see the wicked ‘fruits’ of repression and, indeed, the consequences to a nation, of driving tanks over that nation’s young people. God, as Father, watches all. The Holy Mother told us in 1992 to pray for China as “revolution is imminent”, inference being consequences too terrible to contemplate, and we have prayed as requested. Previous upheavals in China have been cataclysmic with mass human suffering. Progress and beneficial change come with stability, not revolution. Indeed, good works develop from good deeds, and the current destructive Chinese policies to female persons in utero can only bring sorrow as the Creator is being treated with contempt, and population dynamics are being seriously interfered with. I will comment on Vietnam’s attitude to family planning and the Chinese problem later in this article. Here ends the political sermon!

 Some other noteworthy events occurred while we were based in Hue. I met a transplant surgeon from Belgium who had come over to Vietnam on a voluntary basis to perform the area’s first renal transplant, we exchanged professional courtesies and he laughed when I declared he was very much more dangerous than me as a result of his surgical skills. He had brought his family with him but I sensed they had not seen much of him, as daddy had been kept totally occupied doing good deeds at the local hospital.

 We met a man, with his new wife, who came from Bonnybridge, a village just up the road from us in Scotland – it is a small shrinking world! They were heading for the Mekong delta and then Cambodia and Thailand. He claimed he had seen four UFO’s since arriving in Vietnam. I knew he was exaggerating – there would only have been two. See these Bonnybridge folk and the stories they tell!

 We encountered more sex tourists in the hotel, a young Australian and a middle-aged Englishman. I was sitting with Richie in the hotel bar enjoying an iced tea when they came in, sat beside us, and quickly engaged as us in conversation. Once the normal pleasantries of “G’day” and “Hi there” had been exchanged they quickly started an animated commentary on how beautiful the hookers in Saigon had been and, working from this basis, what an astonishing country Vietnam was. I remarked that we were not interested in that kind of activity. They suddenly became concerned and alarmed about our safety, trying to work out what possible reason we could have for visiting Vietnam. “Man, you can’t be here for the drugs, if they catch you will get ten years in jail!” exclaimed the older man. I explained that we were on a family holiday, which involved visiting religious shrines; they scarpered quickly. “Probably paedophiles, Dad.” Richie remarked, as they went. I did not disagree with his analysis.

 The trip into the DMZ and La Vang area also revealed that the land was recovering, plants and trees (other than the despised ‘American grass’, deliberately introduced as a military measure) were growing in areas that had previously been chronically denuded due to toxic chemical war time pollution.

 I took this as a good omen; I remembered the quiet birdsong we heard at Auschwitz the previous year. In God, things, all manner of things, can only get better. There is still much work to be done in making the land safe by neutralizing dangerous ordinance which litters some areas, and I believe some Western organizations are helping in this hazardous work; the West should also make some amends to those who live the long term affects of the massive bombardment of Vietnam, both in Vietnam and America; so many lives wrecked and ruined by substances like dioxin from Agent Orange, so many people wrecked in mind and spirit by what they witnessed and endured, so many bodies broken and maimed. The regeneration of the land is a sign of hope signifying that the people afflicted and scarred by this conflict can be healed and renewed also.

 

Da Nang and Hoi An

 We traveled by air-conditioned people carrier over pot-holed roads, through the spectacular Hai Van pass. After being whiplashed by the edge of a typhoon, the rain was literally coming down in buckets; we arrived in Da Nang, where we were shown the Cham museum, which contains artifacts from the Champa Kingdom. This consists of a display of cemented together stone artifacts, which have survived the vandalistic destruction of the ancient Cham temple complex by American bombers and helicopter borne sappers. I looked at the pictures and models of the former temple site and considered that the authorities were lucky to have such fragments to show, given the destructive power of American weaponry on targets on the surface. We gave the Marble Mountains a miss, to our guide’s chagrin, (“I do not want to see the Marble Mountains and the Marble Mountains do not need to see me”, I had declared. I was still moderately ill with the food poisoning bug, everybody else was feeling tired with the hectic schedule.), but we were taken without warning to a marble warehouse and factory outlet. The material for sale was impressive but far too expensive. The saleswoman could not understand that my refusal to buy an seven foot tall elaborately carved, dragon motif fountain which was topped by a revolving 5 inch diameter ball of marble supported by water flow, (every home should have one J, in a perfect world.), was not only because of the outrageous cost, over $1,000.00 dollars, but also due to the absolute certainty that such would be stolen, if left unguarded in my front garden! We bought some little mementos after much haggling. Avoid blue marble objects, the stone appears more liable to shatter, and the blue ornaments we bought were broken, beyond restoration by super glue, on the trip home. We also found that the trinkets were much cheaper if bought in the markets or souvenir shops, where market forces prevail. We suspect the guides received commission for bringing tourists to such expensive factory shops which you are in effect paying for through inflated prices. I will write more on this later in the article when I discuss the guides and drivers.

 We booked in at the Hoi An Hotel. This was a pleasant hotel with a swimming pool and reasonable facilities. In particular there were excellent opportunities to access the Internet. Hoi An was a delight, somehow having missed the ravages of war and history, with some buildings having been constructed in the 17th century. We recommend Hoi An as a special place to visit and stay in, for at least four nights, for rest and recuperation after your previous journeying! The beach is apparently a good one but we never visited it, there being a good Tarasque free pool at the hotel. The town is extremely popular as a destination for tourists and frequently casual visitors can find all the hotels fully booked. We recommend Tam Tam’s café for wholesome French cuisine and social contact with other travelers. Prices are displayed on goods and are generally fair; you can usually negotiate about a 10 to 20 per cent discount. There is an interesting Chinese Temple, which we visited, (without incident!), which celebrated six heroic Chinese generals, who died together in combat rather than submit to a new regime, and whose worshippers paid homage to a Goddess of the Sea; safety and survival at sea being an ever present concern to these traders of olden times, who ventured out on the ocean, leaving their families at home. When you visit the Japanese bridge, erected to control a monster which was believed to be causing earthquakes in Japan, you can think of the continuing massacre of Cetaceans by the Japanese, (a subject which I hold very serious and concerned views upon, not least because of alarming communications from Heaven regarding the nature of the whales and the parlous state of the oceans.), stamp your feet with purpose at this outrage and see if you provoke an earthquake or eruption in far off Nippon M. Human sin and how it manifests in Creation is a subject I have been trying to come to grips with for years; it is an extremely complicated and difficult reality to comprehend with an ever present danger lapsing into mindless superstition. While sin can distort and disfigure an environment, prayer can move mountains, this is all I can say at present with confidence.

 There is a Catholic church in Hoi An where we attended mass. It is very close to the Hoi An Hotel, go out the main gate, turn right, then right at the first junction going along Duong Nguyen Truong To, to the second street on the left – the church is on this corner. You can save a lot of concentration and wrong turns by buying Lonely Planet’s Vietnam guidebook and consulting the map on page 342 or thereabouts. They are ethical publishers and besides supplying good, authorative information, some of their profit is directed to causes protecting the environment and campaigning against human rights abuses.

 Do not cash travelers cheques at the Hoi An Hotel, they charge 2% commission and give a poor exchange rate. The receptionist was very snooty when I complained about this. The Bank of Foreign Trade at Duong Hoang Dieu charges no commission on Amex dollar travelers cheques and gives the correct rate. There are no advantages to using unofficial moneychangers in Vietnam, you will probably get ripped off. Go left at the main hotel entrance and take the second street on the right, the bank is about 50 yards away on the right hand side. As your hotel probably has your passport you will need photocopies of your passport details to get the cheques cashed. Be prepared for typical Vietnamese beaurocratic overkill as your completed application form and cheques are checked and scrutinized separately by four individuals sitting in a line together behind the counter, before the cash (about 4,000,000.00 dong for $200.00 US) is issued. With this level of intensity of inspection there should be no mistakes! The banks’ staff refuse tips as one surprised French lady found out when the dollar bill she proffered was thrown back at her face pronto!

 Hoi An is also the place to get your wardrobe renewed. I was fitted out by Nguyen tailors, 29 Le Loi Street. They made me two smart two-piece suits, and four tailored shirts, for a very reasonable price (despite the direct “You big, cost extra.” comment when I was examining materials for quality.). There is little point in mentioning the very cheap rates I was charged, as you can get even cheaper if you skimp on material quality. What did annoy me was one tourist in Hue boasting, when he heard we were going to Hoi An and its tailors next, that he did not bother to launder his tailored shirts, he simply threw them away and ordered new shirts when required. Such wasteful, selfish behavior, so typical of the West in terms of waste of work, material and resources! That type of behavior is sinful, frankly, and likely to get tourists a bad name if it became commonplace. I hope his clothes fall apart for evermore! Some of the dress materials were very chic and dresses were made up for the boy’s girlfriend back home. They fitted perfectly, with the tailoress working from basic measurements and a photograph of the person.

 Other Hoi An highlights are the various centuries old private houses which can be visited for a small fee - Vietnamese mini stately homes, if you like. We found the residents to be charming hosts who took a pride in showing their unique homes to us. I was surprised that Hoi An has yet to become a UNESCO world heritage site though the local authorities enforce necessary preservation regulations. Hoi An is the portal where Christianity entered Vietnam and this is worthy of prayerful commemoration as you pray in the local church.

 

Saigon

Renamed by the victorious communists in honour of their guiding light and leader, Ho Chi Minh, Saigon is officially known as Ho Chi Minh City. Most people we met in the South called it Saigon. We traveled there by internal flight. When one sees this modern bustling city of 8,000,000 people (6,000,000 motorbikes!) with its skyscrapers, well laid out parks, developed municipal and commercial services and a prominent luxury hotel provision, one might wonder, who actually won the war? The North or the South? Saigon is the place where Capitalism, and foreign business, has embraced Vietnam and all is thriving. In case anyone thinks I favour capitalism, I am of the opinion that capitalism, like communism, has been the cause of many social evils; witness the destructive effects of currency speculation by people like George Soros on the economies of nations like Indonesia. Will ‘Sorosian Social Action’ be a descriptor in the future for providing care for terminally ill prisoners, or, a euphemism for the wrecking of a country’s economy and citizen’s well being for profit and greed? There are sins that were not listed in the Bible! Will Capitalism wither and die, like communism, and disappear from human societies? Though what might take Capitalism’s place in the structures of markets and economies and currencies if such happens is a matter for conjecture. Marx predicted the eventual total collapse of Capitalism as it went through cycles of ‘boom and bust’ of increasing intensity and size; that has not worked out as predicted as yet, though political and social structures founded on his idealism have undergone astonishing transformations in the past decade. I trust that Capitalism changes and evolves as more people look to ethical investing and put money into solid, well thought out ventures that improve circumstances for people without callously exploiting them and the environment; indeed ventures that make a profit but are simply not just for profit. 

 The Vietnamese communist government must look back with some trepidation at what happened in Russia when free market policies were first introduced. It seems to me that if the government can keep the currency, the dong, stable as a means of exchange, the bulk of the people, who subsist, would be protected from bad economic effects, if world conditions fluctuate, once Vietnam has joined the world economic community. At present the highest denomination note, 50,000 dong, is worth $3.33 or £2.00 approximately. Hopefully they will issue 250,000 500,000 and 1,000,000 dong denomination notes (that is £10.00 £20.00 and £40.00 values) as affluence rather than inflation grows.  However, the communist government’s past manipulation of currency value and supply has been inept and unfair, particularly with regard to Southerners. On the other hand, in the bid to attract inward investment and enlarge export markets, Vietnam is in the process of fully joining the international banking and financial community, and is, I think, collaborating with the IMF and World Bank on various projects, on a large scale from what I could gather. Indeed, when in Hanoi, our guide had pointed out the World Bank HQ with a pronounced hushed and reverential attitude!

 We booked into the Bong Sen Hotel, Saigon. This was a pleasant hotel with a good attentive staff but the stay was disturbed during the day by the noise from extensive building works on the fifth floor. We had to eventually insist on a room change, which led to a little improvement. We had a new guide, a lady, who took us round on a city tour. Saigon is extremely busy with chaotic rush hours where the streets are absolutely jammed. If the communist government wants advice from me on any matter (unlikely situation!) then I would advise this with respect to transport policy – do not license any more cars in Saigon and increase your purchase tax on all new vehicles, other than public utility vehicles like buses, in Saigon and other areas to 500%! If workable measures are not taken now to limit car numbers, then Saigon will become one constant traffic jam; despite the large numbers of motorbikes, these, with the Cyclos and bicycles, ensure relative traffic fluidity and better safety than cars.

 Our guide warned us of the hazards of pickpockets, muggers and drugs and asked us to be careful if we ventured out. Any big city holds these dangers, but the main nuisance was the activities of beggars and, to a lesser extent, street children. The beggars, who would wave a deformed body member in your face or push a ‘starving baby’ under your nose, were mostly conmen and conwomen who seemed to be allergic to work or toil. I would have nothing to do with them and generally gave nothing, though I broke my own rules for some elderly beggars and for a badly deformed leper whom I felt pity for - perhaps I was trying to assuage my subconscious fears of what might befall me in later life? When you give to a beggar are you giving to a perceived distorted image of self, or, helping an unfortunate brother or sister? Margaret, on the other hand, with her discernment, would say things to me like, “This one is all right, give him something, he needs it” or “This is a poor soul, she is a lovely person, give her some money.” The result when this happened was that we attracted every beggar in the vicinity!! Then I would be seen to be the big bully by refusing most of them, while Margaret was getting the plaudits from those who had gratefully received! If anyone thinks I am cruel or heartless then I would invite them to read the descriptions of criminality involving beggars, and others, in Victorian London; “London’s Underworld” is the name of this sociological study. There are only ‘new’ scams as new technologies are introduced, thus making the cons seem new; traditional methods are ancient, tried and trusted, and totally effective on the naïve.

 The street children are another problem, many coming to the bright lights of Saigon to try and better their lives and make money, for themselves, and their families back home. There is general concern for their safety by charitable organizations as they can fall victim to gangsters, pimps and drug dealers as well as exposed to many other dangers. We would give them food, ‘bon bons’ in particular, rather than money. They devoured whatever we gave them and were obviously constantly hungry. I would also buy things off them, at a fair price, if I genuinely needed the article offered. I tended to buy cigarettes and bottles of water off the little old ladies in the streets, as I was aware there is no provision for the elderly by the state in this society, and, initially, I acknowledged their dignity by bowing to them as they bowed to me, provoking an insistent series of further mutual bows, getting lower and lower! We are aware of Our Lady’s great concerns about street children, particularly those in cities, in other countries, where they are hunted down as ‘vermin’ by authorities who should know better; while I would stress that there is no evidence or suggestion of such evil happening in Vietnamese society, there are real dangers present for children living on the streets and there is a duty incumbent on the relevant authorities to minimize these dangers, and seek to assist and protect the children involved. Of course, when one introduces dedicated child care organizations then one risks the presence of dedicated paedophiles who have possibly infiltrated the organization, probably years before, and who maintain a respectable and caring appearance until they get the chance to strike – life can be a bit contrary and complicated at times! There are no easy answers or solutions to the ways of the world.

 While in Saigon we visited the Cu Chi tunnel complex. This was a communist stronghold in the South, which had held out against the French and later the Americans and South Vietnamese forces. The people basically retreated deep underground into an extensive network of tunnels, which they had constructed, by day, and emerged at night to harass and torment the occupying forces. You will gain an appreciation of the dedication and determination of the Vietcong, men and women, in their long struggle against their enemies. You are shown an informative video before the tour begins. My lads thoroughly enjoyed this visit, racing through the underground tunnels after the soldier who was our guide, on their hunkers. I crawled slowly and painfully on my hands and knees after them. They apparently impressed the soldier so much that he took them down a series of original tunnels, where even they, young, lithe and skinny, had to worm and ease their way between the various underground chambers. I remained on the surface with Margaret; I had found the tunnels specifically enlarged for tourists difficult enough and the depth of about 8 meters sufficient! We were shown mantraps used against enemy forces, the thought of how they worked caused a grue in your being, a shiver down your spine. We were given the opportunity to fire weaponry from the period under proper supervision. I fired an AK 47 for the first and hopefully last time in my life. I fired 20 rounds singly at a static target, a bottle on a stick, missing it consistently, but setting off flares set in the earth bank, with the combination of lead and tracers. The noise and racket amidst the fireworks of the bullets was a dreadful, distracting din but I kept firing steadily. They gave me a badge and congratulated me, telling me I was a guerrilla. Richard received the same accolade for his proficiency with a combat shotgun. God grant that one day all weapons of war will be found in places like this, monuments to a past struggle.

Another interesting place to visit is the War Remnants Museum, 28 D Vo Van Tan. This exhibition leaves the visitor with no doubt about the horror and evil of war and the destructive consequences to innocents. Some commentators (1999) have remarked that some of the exhibits are one sided and anti-American and anti-Chinese. I could find no anti-Chinese exhibits displayed, presumably these have been removed since 1999 to avoid offending the many Chinese tourists who visit Vietnam; some of the anti-American materials that were present were justified if viewed in the context of being critical of the American war machine. I was surprised to find very little about domestic American anti-war protests, which were a major factor in the eventual decision to pull out, and nothing at all about protests in Europe, which put pressure on European politicians to pressure America. Some people have complained about there being no mention of Vietcong atrocities; they should remember that the victors prepared the exhibits, and that a totally frank appraisal by Vietnamese intellectuals and philosophers about all aspects of their struggle is possibly still a generation away. What is of considerable interest is the display of the work of war correspondents from all sides killed in the war. This recognition by the communist government of the reporters’ important contribution, (the resultant dissemination world wide of images and reports among nations, led to much campaigning and agitation that American involvement in the war in Vietnam cease) is encouraging and suggests that one day a fully dispassionate exhibition might be possible. These correspondents by their bravery and fortitude educated an entire generation with regard to the waste, the futility, the cruelty, the evil and the horror of war – I was one of the beneficiaries of their sacrifice, in terms of moral and political development, all those years ago, simply by watching television and reading newspapers. I stopped for a moment before the image of Sean Flynn, telling this soul of fortitude, who was so wastefully and cruelly murdered in Cambodia, that he was more a man than his famous father ever was. He is no greater or lesser than the other people commemorated, I simply took him as representative of all of them. I have published some of the photos I took in the photos section. We all found this section the most poignant and also the most disturbing. I would recommend that visitors be warned that about the horrific nature of some of the exhibits in the museum before entering, perhaps by showing a moderately upsetting picture (what constitutes moderate upset might be difficult to decide!) outside or a censored photograph, with a caption, “If this image upsets you, please think carefully about visiting exhibition inside”. Be warned there are gruesome pictures depicting torture and mutilation as well as death, in all its unhidden contortions and obscene dismemberments.

 There is a collection of US military hardware, field guns, tanks, jets, bombs, mortars and, of course, a helicopter, in the courtyard outside. This affords the opportunity to be photographed with such lethal killing machines in total safety. Again I state that ultimately museums are the only suitable place for keeping such destructive devices and I hope that one day such utopian circumstances can arise.

 Notre Dame Cathedral is an interesting church to visit, being situated in the heart of central Saigon. Services are held there daily. During services the doorways are barred and only bona fide worshippers are allowed in; bring a set of rosary beads to facilitate entry.

 

 

 

Can Tho and the Mighty Mekong

 I think this part of the visit was designed by our holiday’s architect to be a relaxing and laid back period before traveling home, but we found it wearing on our senses and filled with an inappropriate opulence that was in complete contrast to what we felt and needed spiritually. Spiritually we were exhausted and, at that time, completely spent. If you think about it, then this was the only way we could be, if we had been successful in what was asked of us. The hotel, the Victoria Can Tho was splendidly luxurious in a colonial style but was completely incongruous when compared with the poor and shabby town across the stream, and with the people there, whose company we joined to celebrate the Eucharist. The food and service was excellent with an attentive French owner carefully supervising all activities; the head chef Gustav was a fine young German chap completely dedicated to the very best in cuisine. We wish him well as he seeks to promote culinary excellence throughout the world. I think the problem was in our own psyches as we attempted to sort out consciously and subconsciously what Vietnam meant or signified to us on all levels, materially, spiritually, politically and socially. Margaret also felt something was wrong with the building but we do not know what this was. We had been told that this property had been sold to the developers by the Vietnamese army, as the military was cash strapped. Indeed, on the way to the hotel, just before the entrance, we passed a dug in artillery section; this had 6 light artillery pieces and associated gun crews. Good to see such a level of protection for tourists! Margaret may have been picking up something from past usage of the area or building, but was too drained to focus on it and learn what it was. Anyway, whatever was wrong caused us no serious problems during our stay.

 Arranged trips included visits to a stork sanctuary (photo of rules is interesting as it is obvious some of the visitors did not really understand what a stork sanctuary constituted) and a tour of a brickworks. We also visited Binh Hoa Phuoc island where we sampled delta cuisine and looked at fruit orchards. The Mekong is an immense river and the area is worthy of a visit. There are frequent mosquitoes. You must be on anti-malarial drugs while in this area for your own safety.

 We visited the local church for mass by taxi (the driver did not know where it was and I had to show him our Lonely Planet map) and after the service we took a motorcycle Cyclo back to the hotel. The driver was hesitant about driving through the gate and had to be beckoned in by the security guard. He was wide-eyed and astonished at the luxurious reception area; it was obvious that he had never seen anything like this before. Margaret spoke to him, “No, this would be bad for you. This is not good and you simply do not realize. Stay with your people in the town! What you have there is good and honest!”

 We do not know if he understood what was told him or the sentiments imparted. I gave him a large tip and off he went. I think the guests who stayed in the Victoria used taxis only, or the hotel’s private launch. Perhaps a motorbike Cyclo was not deemed suitable for their usage; what a laugh we had coming back in the cramped compartment, “First cuddle you have given me since arriving in Vietnam!” quipped Margaret, as our driver negotiated darkened broken and flooded streets. We could declare that Jesus is present in those streets; we were not so sure about the hotel area and its arboretum filled with rare trees, some presents from Cuba. The Victoria Hotel presented us with a minor spiritual conundrum. It would not surprise me if it turned out to be a former military prison or interrogation centre. This hotel was also marred by noisy building work throughout the day.

 We left the hotel for a final night and day in Saigon. Here we did our final shopping for friends and family. Visit the Vietnamese Refinement, 141 Dong Khoi St., for good quality cloth woven by ethnic peoples and fine silver jewelry. It was quite amusing, the owner was desperately trying to sell his wares and the ethical concept behind his venture, the presentation for sale of unique goods made by the Hill Tribes, to a Japanese business man; meanwhile Margaret went into shop-till-you-drop mode and looked like buying half his stock, without any sales technique or persuasion. I think the man genuinely liked talking about his wares but by the time the taciturn businessman was on his way, with nothing bought, we were leaving with a parcel of goodies, sold us by his assistant, in total ignorance of their significance or origin. We do, however, know and appreciate quality when we see it! We can have guessing games as to which hill tribe wove which cloth as a diversion some rainy night.

 On our last day we went down to Notre Dame for morning mass and were astonished to witness the entire Vietnamese Hierarchy present for the ordination of a new bishop. God worked this out for us in that we had a grandstand view of the whole ceremony from a side door in what was an all ticket affair. We were encouraged by our trip ending on such a high point. Will we go back? Almost certainly, if they let me in after writing this piece!

 

 

 

How to arrange your trip.

The ‘holiday’ was arranged by Asian Journeys, now known as Audley Travel Group, (Vietnam expert Chris Orme, contact by telephone on 01869 276 203, email: chris.orme@audleytravel.com ) and was seamless in terms of organization; their ‘tailor made’ holidays are expensive but are unlikely to be bettered. They also arrange your visa. Other tour operators are listed in the Lonely Planet guide.

 

Guides and drivers.

The guide will travel everywhere with you, except for free days, and will be knowledgeable in a superficial sense about most of what you encounter. They were superb at sorting out luggage and boarding passes at airports while we sat and relaxed, and they also ironed out difficulties at hotels we were staying in quickly and effectively. When going for lunch with the guides, usually at a place they recommend, you will be expected to pay for them. Prices are very cheap so this is not much of a burden. Both drivers and guides expect to be tipped daily or at the end of their period of service to you – ask them which way they prefer. The going rate is $6.00 to $10.00 per person daily, depending on how well you perceive you are being attended to. Give them dollars rather than dong, these are what they are looking for. Their day finishes at around 5.00pm.

 When going to visit attractions you will notice that the guide handles entry monies and gets a chit stamped and countersigned. You have already paid for the cost of entry in your holiday package, so do not concern yourself about that. The guide needs the countersigned chit to show to his superiors to demonstrate he is doing his job, these chits may also be needed to claim payments or reimbursements. Thus you have to be prepared to go to some previously arranged things you might rather avoid, in order that the paperwork gets completed and everybody is happy. We sussed this out fairly quickly and would suggest we go elsewhere once the forms were stamped and signed – no problem.

 Your guide may well be monitoring you, remember Vietnam is a communist country and the rights you enjoy in your homeland are not transferable! One of them did seek to engage us in political discussion and would come back the next day, having been debriefed by some mentor over ‘difficult’ points we raised, with a swadge of party orientated ‘correct’ viewpoints. Interestingly this was the guide assigned to us for the La Vang segment of the holiday. 

 Being intellectually prepared is wise, I had read extensively about the French and American conflicts and recommend that you do the same; our guides were astonished at the amount of background information I could detail at length, particularly political manoeuvres in Washington during the wars and details of the French campaigns and Dien Bien Phu in particular. (At Dien Bien Phu the French military discovered to their cost that those whom they contemptuously referred to as ‘little brown brothers’ could fight “big war”.) You will gain their respect if you have gone to the trouble of learning about their history. The book list I provide is not all embracing but will give you a flavour of what went on. Some of the local books are probably not available outside of Vietnam and, obviously, your guides will have had no access to the sources you can consult.

 Your guides may suddenly interrupt a journey to stop at a local factory. The advantage of this is viewing the products at source and seeing the whole selection - some of the Saigon lacquer ware was truly beautiful, thus an inlaid mother of pearl panel showing the Holy Mother and the Holy Infant graces the wall above this computer that I work on, I never saw such high quality devotional objects for sale anywhere else; the disadvantage is that prices were higher than the shops and markets they distribute to, part of this is almost certainly due to commissions given to your guides and the fact that they have a monopoly over your spending power once you enter their establishment. Do not worry about this too much, relax, you are not just a tourist, you are a ‘going concern’ with economic benefits and effects you are totally unaware of!

 Use the guides to your advantage and do not be railroaded into suiting what they want to do. Take your time and be unhurried, they have the rest of their lives to live in Vietnam, you only have the moment.      

 

 

 

Medical Kit.

Besides any prescription medicines you are taking the following drugs are useful. I will put ‘used’ after each item if we actually had to use the drug or object at some point. I will also remark about what we experienced with the anti-malarial Malarone. (reasonable alternative to the psychiatric admission inducing Lariam!) Quantities were to cover the possible needs of 4 people. You should consult your family doctor for advice regarding immunization at least 2 months before traveling.

 

Written list of medical conditions, prescription drugs and allergies with regard to party members. Remember if they end up unconscious you may not know all their medical details.

Ciproxin 500g, powerful antibiotic, dose 500mg twice daily. 20 tab. (used, severe gastroenteritis)

Tylex, painkiller and antidiarrhoea drug, 60 cap. (used, pain relief and gastroenteritis)

Piriton 4mg, antihistamine for allergies and minor bites. 60 tab.

Cephalexin 250mg, standard antibiotic, 100 cap. (used, dental abcess, respiratory infection)

Lansoprazole 30mg, ulcer-healing drug suitable for severe heartburn and gastric upset, 28 cap. (used, severe heartburn)

Buccastem 3mg, antiemetic drug. 100 tab.

Flamazine cream, antiseptic cream, 2x30g tubes. (used, insect bites, particularly bullous lesions)

Betnovate cream, steroid cream, 100g tube. (used, insect bites after application of Flamazine)

Chloramphenicol eye ointment, topical antibiotic, 4x4g.

Steristrips, light skin suture tape. 2 packets. (used, finger laceration)

Selection of elastoplasts (used). 2x4 inch Kling bandages. Micropore tape, 1 roll.

Melolin 10x10cm dressings, five.

Mediswabs, 30 sterile alcohol wipes. (used, various minor bites and cuts)

Boot’s wet ones, 2 containers, non-sterile soap wipes. (used, various applications)

Scissors, 2 pairs. Nail clippers, 2 pairs.

Battery powered clinical thermometer (used)

5x5ml plastic syringes. 5 green needles (used, extraction of glass from thumb)

 

The last two items were included in case anyone needed drugs by injection to ensure sterility. HIV infection is a growing problem in Vietnam and there is an ongoing public health campaign with posters warning of the dangers of promiscuous sex and drug use.

One could get totally filled with anxiety about possibilities that are never going to happen and take inappropriate items (like a sterile laparotomy set?), and I thought my kit was oversupplied, but just about everything was used, and in the event it was about right for a two and a half week stay. You may need to speak to your family doctor very nicely to get this stuff; alternatively a letter of authorization to the chemist should enable you to purchase the necessary drugs - remember the British NHS is in the throes of cost cutting, drug budgets and ‘expansion enabling’ cut backs. I brought a stethoscope and a diagnostic set but never needed to use them.

 Malarone is the preferred antimalarial for this area at present. If you are simply visiting the cities you might be lucky and not contract malaria, but I would advise you take this drug, as directed, as a prophylactic against the malarial parasite. If you are going into the country, for example La Vang or the Mekong Delta, you must take some form of drug protection. Falciperan (malignant) malaria, if contracted, may afflict you intermittently for the rest of your life. Side effects of Malarone were noted, with us, and various travelers we encountered, and included aggression, tiredness, labile emotions, short-term memory impairment and lethargy. These effects are livable with and do not even start to compare with serious neuro-psychiatric effects seen with Lariam in some patients, which allegedly provoked long-term psychiatric admissions. I reckoned I was dodgy enough with my nerves without taking Lariam! Malarone is perhaps an opportunity (?) for the male to experience an emotional phenomenon similar to PMT,  “It is not I! It is the tablets!” you scream at your suffering companions. I have no doubt I have excluded some drugs favoured by other doctors as a matter of their personal preference.

 

Bibliography.

From the Vietnamese experience, the victors.

 The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh, ISBN 0 436 31042 2, published by MacKay’s of Chatham plc, available from any street child around Saigon’s Notre Dame Cathedral for around $4.00; the only way publication of such material was permitted was if it were presented as fiction - my opinion. I read and appreciated this book on the long flight home and appreciated its many subtle nuances set within a theme of unrequited love, and could detect an allegory of Vietnam and the Communist Party, work it out for yourself.

Vietnam – A Long History by Nguyen Khac Vien, GIOI publishers, Hanoi, is a reasonable account of the history of Vietnam and I found it invaluable regarding information about the early history of Vietnam and the struggle against the French by nationalist patriots in the period before the Second World War. The style is turgid communist party jargon at times and the book is unashamedly a work of propaganda. Read it to get a different view of the conflict and party aspirations up until 1993 at least.

Vietnam - the war: 1858-1975  by Nguyen Khac Can, Pham Viet Thuc and Nguyen Ngoc Diep. This is an overwhelming coffee table type, illustrated, tri-lingual book that has some gruesome images on its 360 pages, containing over 800 photographs. Some are also shown in the War Remnants exhibition in Saigon. The epilogue by Vu Duong Ninh, Professor of History, Hanoi refreshingly expresses hopes of friendship and cooperation between former combatants in the future. Sit down and say a few prayers before you open this book! There is one glaring howler which I detected on page 267; there is a still from the film “The Green Beret” with the actor John Wayne inspecting a line of actors dressed as Southern troops, above the caption “An American general inspecting Saigon military in the plan of: ‘Vietnamize the war’”! There is also an interesting collage of photographs 390 to 399 showing the assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem, and subtlety linking it to the assassination of President Kennedy. There is a school of thought that links these two events, with Kennedy’s murder being revenge for the murder of Diem by the CIA influenced conspirators. Certainly once Diem’s restraining influence was removed and the Americans appointed pliable leaders the war escalated substantially and irrevocably. I am sure that the true facts behind these murders will eventually be revealed, and I wonder if a peaceful end to the conflict could have eventually been negotiated with Ho Chi Minh, and his inner circle, if Diem had remained in power. The war after his death developed from an ongoing horror to a waking nightmare with worldwide effects and ramifications.

 

From the American and French Experience, the defeated.

Our Vietnam by A.J. Langguth, ISBN 0 684 81202 9, Simon and Schuster, is an essential preparatory read. The author had access to many archives and records opened after 25 years and provides an astonishing insight into the attitudes of successive American presidents and their advisors to Vietnam. What is noteworthy is how successive presidents kept an unwinnable war going to secure election for a second term, not wishing to be seen as presiding over a defeat – yet none of them achieved that second term. There are poignant and graphic descriptions of some key battles and an account of the My Lai massacre with mention of the one American hero at My Lai, Hugh C Thompson. I hope this book is made freely available in Vietnam in the near future.

Acceptable Loss by Kregg P.J. Jorgenson, ISBN 0 8041 0792 0, Ballantine Publishing Group, is a first person, “as I saw it”, American infantryman’s account which is idiosyncratic and bittersweet in its style and content, as the narrative covers events in the author’s time with the 9th Air Cavalry. Language and morality is raw and crude, probably such is fully described to cater for the popular market, but the book is valuable in telling how it was for these soldiers; work of literature it is not, but it is a gripping read in parts. Recommended only for mature persons with access to a confessional J.

Hell in a very small place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu by Bernard B. Fall,

ISBN 0 306 80231 7, Da Capo Press, tells the compelling story of how the communist forces, ably led by General Giap, ground down and defeated the French forces and their allies in this decisive siege. This is the definitive work on Dien Bien Phu and is probably best read in conjunction with Street Without Joy, Fall’s other work on the history of the conflict with the French, which I have been unable to obtain as yet. ‘Hell in a very small place’ was of considerable interest to me given connections, with the German military machine, and the extermination camps, with the battle, (some military fugitives from justice had enlisted in the French Foreign Legion and served in Indochina, but the legend that the Wehrmacht finally died at Dien Bien Phu is nonsense), and the people and events associated with Dien Bien Phu, that subsequently played a part in the later Algerian uprising against the French rulers. I had tried to change our itinerary to include a visit to Dien Bien Phu but this was not possible at a late stage. The day I got this news there was a large earthquake in the region!

 

Essential Books to take to Vietnam.

Bible and prayer books

It is difficult to get English versions of these books in Vietnam at present. However, it is very unlikely that they will be subject to confiscation. So bring these for your pilgrimage and read the psalms. What a highlight! Visiting the Vietnamese churches is fulfilling and spiritually uplifting but remember the Catholic Church is being actively persecuted in some provinces with priests being imprisoned and tortured; it may be wise to limit contact with clergy in certain areas in case you get them into trouble. In any case some might be too frightened to talk to you, Our Lady says be cautious. This does not mean be frightened, but be cautious. Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and if in doubt do not make contact. You will be leaving the country safely, but others may have to live with the results of any action you have taken. Visits to La Vang should present no difficulties.

Lonely Planet: Vietnam compiled by Mason Florence and Robert Storey,

ISBN 0 86442 638 0, is an essential companion and extremely useful in finding superior pubs and restaurants and getting round the sights. Time does produce casualties and some information is necessarily redundant or dated. For example, we looked for a small Indian restaurant, the Indian Canteen, located near the central Mosque in Saigon and could find neither, despite their location being given as within a few hundred yards of the hotel we were staying in. Either it was Malarone induced selective blindness or the gleaming new triple towered, high-rise Caravelle Hotel, which we encountered, had taken their place. Watch future editions of Lonely Planet: Vietnam for answers! I would go as far as to say that leaving without this guidebook is almost as bad as leaving your air tickets and passport, you will not get far without these.

 

Gifts, Duty Free Goods and Declarations, Departure Tax.

You can leave small gifts with people whom you have met and appreciated in Vietnam. We left some miniatures of whisky, cigarettes, tea and tins of food, Scottish produce, at various places we visited, as a wee present from Bonnie Scotland. The whisky was enthusiastically received! You are required to declare certain articles if duty free allowance is exceeded on entry to Vietnam and cash if over $3,000.00. The allowance is generous, 400 cigarettes per person and a litre of spirit per person. Full details of current allowances are given in the Lonely Planet guide. You will be given a green form to fill in while on the inbound flight; an official stamps this form when you are going through Immigration, and is then handed back to you. Watch Hanoi airport, some of the immigration and customs officials are horrors with attitude problems. One shouted and screamed at Margaret over some unknown matter involving this form. The boys and I were already cleared and through this restricted area, and were bristling at how she was being treated, when another official, seeing me and the boys advancing back, stepped in, picked up her travel documents for her which had been thrown to the floor, and assisted her with her baggage, saying “Do not worry, little Mama.” This calmed what could have been a tense situation! You need to give the officials at your point of departure this green document so it can be stamped again and taken off you. Apparently not having this form can cause problems, so keep it secured inside your passport with a low-tech elastic band. You will also have to pay $12.00 departure tax before you can board your flight to leave the country. 

 

Birth Control – A pernicious spread of Chinese Practice?

The Vietnamese government has introduced a policy of only two children per couple, though it appears this will mainly affect urban areas and not be enforced in the countryside. I could not get anything out of our guides about how vigorously this will be enforced, they were very evasive, but got the impression that visits to re-education camps would be provided for repeat ‘offenders’. I could not find out anything about rates of termination of pregnancy at present in Vietnam, or whether enforced terminations, in the style of the Chinese, were planned. At present the population projection for China show that 20,000,000+ Chinese men of the next generation will be unable to find a bride. This has been caused by the aging Chinese Communist Hierarchy’s murderous and barbaric policies with regard to enforcing abortion, and the manipulation of these directives by couples who perceive males to be superior to females, and thus engage in selective abortion of female fetuses to get what they want and observe the law. Certainly if the Vietnamese communists blindly adopt such policy, then any attempts to enforce it will lead to further disagreement and conflict with the Vietnamese Church and other religious bodies, as well as a demographic time bomb for the future. This could be a future problem, please pray about this and all the other problems I have mentioned in this article, God is listening for your prayer! Remember us in your prayers as we struggle to do what God has asked of us.

Laus Deo Semper!

End of article.

Geoff Carlin © 2001. Reproduction permitted for private use only. Please respect the editorial construction of this article in terms of content and how it is presented. If quoting please give link to full article to avoid ‘out of context’ misunderstandings. 

 

 

Warning!

This is a dynamic electronic document with working internal and external hyperlinks to facilitate usage. These will not work if transcribed to papyrus and will malfunction if fed into dubious black boxes or modified biscuit tins.  JU