Drum lesson at Korean Cultural Center in Incheon airport 12-11-08. I got to keep the Sago drum. Also got to make a six panel tiger and magpie screen.
Live orchids at gate 23 of Incheon airport make waiting for your fight more pleasant
View from San San and Zach's 23rd floor apartment in Shenzhen, China. There is usually a haze over the horizon.
View from San San and Zach's balcony
Minsk World, Soviet aircraft carrier at theme park in Shenzhen. Zach is on the right.
Zach at Soviet aircraft carrier, Minsk, in Shenzhen
San San at Minsk World in Shenzhen
Sculpture given to UN; man beating sword into plowshare
Lianhua Shan Park in Shenzhen
Nursery area in the park. Most of the ladders we saw in Shenzhen were either bamboo or homemade as is this one.
Chickens roaming free in the park nursery area
Worker's footwear drying atop a bush in the park
Stone art in the sidewalk
The person who was chair of the Communist Party when Shenzhen was planned in 1979
The park is busy with kite flyers, families, skaters, etc.
Kathy and San San at the new Shenzhen museum. It was scheduled to open in January 2009.
Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, Hanoi
This is where Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnamese independence 9-2-45, and died 9-2-79
Presidential palace in Hanoi. Ho Chi Minh never lived here.
Ho Chi MInh lived in one room and worked in this building adjacent the Presidential Palace.
House on stilts, where Ho Chi Minh lived in his last years.
The northern tribe people felt Ho Chi Minh was one of them when they learned he also lived in a house on stilts.
The one pillar pagoda
Ding, our guide, at the “Hanoi Hilton” prison, built by the French to control the local population in the late 1800s.
Vietnamese prisoners were kept in shackles much of the time.
The prison was used to house captured US pilots during the Vietnam-American war.
Not much light came in through the small windows near the tops of the cells.
French guillotine, used frequently in the prison.
Hundreds of motorcycles lined up at a Hanoi stoplight,
When the light changes they are off.
Kathy spent over 8 hours hooked up to IV bottles in SOS International Hospital December 17. Rotavirus had caused dehydration.
Halong Bay shoreline
Our room on the Jasmine on Halong Bay
Fishing, working, living boat
Very few of the islands have beaches. Most islands are rock where they meet the ocean.
The sun was very bright on the bay.
Kathy on the balcony as David leaves for Titop beach.
Titop beach
The first of over 45 steps to the top of the mountain.
What a great view. Had to stop for a breather anyway. These steps are challenging.
You would be tired too, after climbing 45 steps up this mountain.
Relaxing on the balcony
Floating fishing village in Halong Bay
Floating fishing village on Halong Bay
100 families; 800 people live in this floating village
The school
Ladies from the village sell food and drinks to the tourists.
The boats are made from woven vegetation, then coated with a tar-like substance.
A cave in one of the mountains in Halong Bay.
This cave had 714 steps. Two of the young girls counted them.
The cave was a popular stopping point for cruise boats.
It is a long way down to sea level.
Hai, the driver, at exit from the Jasmine boat cruise.
Rice paddies between Halong and Hanoi
Rice Paddy
Sweet potato plants. The leaves are trimmed, so more energy will go into the roots. The trimmed leaves are fed to pigs.
Onions
Onions, radish, cabbage, corn
Mao Khe, a wealthy, dirty, coal mining town. The streets are watered to keep down the coal dust.
The French started the coal mining in the 1800s, and built the country's only railway to haul the coal.
Companies do “open mining”. Many individuals engage in dangerous, illegal tunnel mining for extra income.
About to enjoy a cyclo ride in the old quarter of Hanoi.
It is busy at almost all times of the day
Shops on this street offer mostly sheet metal and hardware.
Shops are small, so the work is often done on the sidewalk.
Typical crowded, small shop
Ladies carry all kinds of goods and food in baskets riding on their shoulders
Flower shop
Pink and white balloons mark the entrance to a wedding reception. Often it is at a small street-front shop or business.
A common site in Hanoi motorcycles parked so closely on the sidewalk that pedestrians have to walk in the street.
Duck and suckling pig for sale on the street.
Coffee store
Views from our room at Hong Ngoc 1 Hotel on Hang Manh street, Hanoi
Ready for a massage
Bedroom of our suite at Hong Ngoc 1 Hotel
Fresh flower on the bed every afternoon. Asia Hotel in the ancient city of Hue 12-21-08
Hue view from hotel room
Citadel, 510 hectare enclosure within the outer wall. Hue
The inner wall of the Citadel & Imperial City of Hue. Within the inner wall was the Forbidden City. It was destroyed by the South Vietnamese after TET in 1968 to prevent the North Vietnamese from controlling it.
Minh Mang Tomb, west of the ancient city of Hue
View from hotel in Hue
Junks along the Perfume river in Hue, ready to take tourists for a river ride.
Park beside the river in Hue is filled with sculpture
Heineken Christmas tree in “art park”, Hue
Private junks along the Perfume river. People live aboard these junks.
Old Chinese lanterns waiting to be recycled
Farmer “flowering” the rice paddy in Cua Hai. Very few tractors are used in rice paddies; water buffalo are the most common source of power.
Prawn lagoon near Hue. They are huge, shallow areas with slightly salty water.
Mountain pass near Langco, between Hue and Da Nang.
We saw many memorial monuments to the Viet Cong. There were no monuments or grave sites for the South Vietnamese soldiers.
Dinh Deo Summit in the mountains between Hue and Da Nang.
Dinh Deo Summit, overlooking the South China Sea.
French bunker at Hai Van mountain pass
Cham museum in Da Nang
Dan Nang, Vietnam
China Beach, Da Nang, Vietnam
China Beach is an 11 km stretch on the south side of Da Nang, the 4th largest city in Vietnam. During the American War, the beach was packed with US soldiers on “rest and recreation”.
China Beach 12-23-08
This 11 km long beautiful beach is starting to be developed. Hyatt is building a large resort with a 9 hole golf course. Other resort and golf courses are also in the planning phase.
A cool winter day at China Beach, Da Nang Vietnam 12-23-08
One of the few hotels currently on China Beach. Soon to change. Our guide said they expect the beach to be crowded with resorts within 5 years.
Kathy and Hue (who ee) our guide on China Beach. Da Nang was the site of the USA's largest Air Force base during the American War. The airplane hangers are still there.
Ho An hotel room 12-23-08
View from Hoi An hotel room
Balcony of hotel room, overlooking the pool. Hoi An, Vietnam
Bonsai sculpture at Hoi An hotel
Chinese people's gathering house/temple in Hoi An
Standing in the rain at the Chinese people's temple, Hoi An 12-23-08
30-day incense burners hanging from ceiling at Chinese People's Gathering house, Hoi An
Overlooking the street from Chinese People's Gathering house in Hoi An
It is common for moss to grow on tile roofs in Hoi An
Kathy and David at the Japanese covered bridge in Hoi An 12-23-08
Inside of the Japanese covered bridge, Hoi An
Along the river in Hoi An
Bamboo bicycle
Cat sleeping on bicycle at the oldest house in Hoi An
Chalk marks on the wall show the high water marks from recent floods. There were 5 in 2007; 3 in 2008.
Outside the oldest house in Hoi An
My Son relics area. My Son is in a narrow valley about 50 KM west of Hoi An. The Cham built here in the 4th century because it was easily defended, being between high mountains. The Ho Chi Minh trail is in the mountain beyond My Son, so B52 bombings were frequent. They destroyed most of the 78 temples built for the 78 kings.
Dancers describing history of Cham people in My Son, Vietnam. The Cham controlled this area from the 4th through 7th centuries.
Old man playing bamboo instrument. Played for several minutes without seeming to take a breath.
My Son heritage area, near Hoi An
My Son is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Many of the temples are in the process of restoration.
Hue, our guide at the Cham historical area.
Kathy's older sister looks very much like her, except for the moss on her body.
20 year old brick on the left; 4th century Cham brick on the right
Artifacts in the Cham temple
Overgrown bomb crater beside a temple
Remains of a large temple that is being restored.
Reconstruction area. The temple was heavily bombed by US forces.
Pathway through the forest, My Son. The Vietnamese are trying to get rid of chemical traces of Agent Orange. Many of the young people have birth defects from Agent Orange.
Peanut fields near My Son
Grass patches are left in the fields so the water buffalo have something to eat.
Christmas Eve dinner-show at the Hoi An hotel 12-24-08
Binh Tay market in Saigon 12-26-08
Dishes packed for shipping at Binh Tay Market, Ho Chi Minh City
Motorcycle loaded with goods. Binh Tay Market, Ho Chi Minh City
The Vietnamese people are hard workers. This is a common site.
Thien Hau Temple, Ho Chi Minh City 12-26-08
Room in Northern Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City 12--26-08
Street scene, Ho Chi Minh City
War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi MInh City
One of many quotations from US officials stating the USA erred in Vietnam.
Tiger Cages were used by the US installed Saigon government to detain political dissidents
Map of the Ch Chi Tunnel area near Saigon
Entrances to tunnels were boxed with wood. It would expand with wet, thus keeping out rain water.
The entrances were very small. People the size of the typical American could not fit into the tunnel.
Booby trap. When you step on the grass, it pivots, allowing you to fall on the bamboo spikes.
The tunnels were started around 1948 when the French tried to colonize Vietnam after the Japanese were kicked out following WW!
The tunnels are over 200 KM in length, and undermined much of the US military base at Saigon.
The locals knew about the tunnels, but did not tell the US about them. The Vietnamese explained it as “The US was on the wrong side, supporting an unpopular puppet government. We were members of the Communist Party long before the US got involved.”
The Cu Chi tunnels were used to assemble troops and supplies from the north. They were very important during the TET Offensive in 1968.
There a tunnel entrance hidden beneath the leaves.
Booby trap
Vietnamese people cut up unexploded US armaments to make land mines
The tunnel entrance is the width of a water bottle's height.
Deep jungle around the area
Underground cooking area
Drying rice paste to make rice paper to wrap food
Underground garment factory. All the farmers and Viet Cong wore black. It made them indistinguishable, and hard to see at night.
Making sandals out of US tires. Front and back of sandals are the same so you could not tell the direction of travel by looking at the tracks.
Crater made from B52 bomber strike about 40 years ago
David in an enlarged tunnel
Dining area for many soldiers at a seating.
Underground kitchen. Smoke from the fire was piped via bamboo pipes over 50 meters before reaching the surface. If the US bombed the smoke coming out of the ground, it did not hurt the tunnel or the kitchen, as they were many meters away.
Typical meal of a soldier in the tunnel.
Kathy and guide at the Cu Chi Tunnels
Cashew tree. The nut is at the bottom of the orange fruit.
Grazing cattle west of Saigon 12-27-08
Cao Dai temple, built in 1955. The religion was started in Vietnam in 1929. It mixes Tao, Confucianism, Catholicism and Buddhist ideas. There are about 2 million members in Vietnam. Approximately 4 million additional members are in France, Cambodia and the United States.
Cao Dai temple grounds 12-27-08
Rubber plantation west of Saigon
Hotel in Saigon center
Opera House in Saigon
Poster honoring Vietnamese soldiers
Downtown display honoring the country and the war. Erected for TET, January 26. Tet is the Vietnamese new year.
Kathy in her rain “plastic” in Saigon. This was the dry season, but it still rains occasionally.
Tet display in front of the Opera House
Christmas decorations. They have a very small Christian population, but Christmas is a retailing celebration throughout Asia.
Motorcycles in a traffic circle in the evening
The larger dept stores and shopping centers have displays where you can take Christmas themed photos.
The bright night lights of Christmas
Heading south from Saigon to the Mekong Delta. Rice paddy
Ducks along the road
Cai Be in the Mekong Delta
Many boats are ready to take tourists and cargo
Most buildings have access to the water.
The river inlets into the town are busy with commerce.
One of the many large, inhabited islands in the Mekong Delta.
Most boats have the “long tail” propellers“
The eyes on the end of the boat are to frighten alligators
The muddy water is laden with nutrients for plant life
Washing clothing in the river
Rice paper drying
Grinding coconut to make candy
mixing the coconut milk and pulp
The paste is then dried in strips
The strips are cut into squares and wrapped in rice paper
Trenches cut through the land on the island to drain off rainwater.
This vegetation is harvested for your meal in a local restaurant.
Not all boats have “long tail' motors and propellers
Floating hotel
The sticks in the water are fish traps
Nursery on the island
They do not waste expensive sawed lumber to make ladders
Hanging the daily wash out to dry. The family lives aboard the freight carrying boat.
A working boat in the Mekong Delta
Leaning against a hammock. You see many people napping in hammocks while the boat is traveling.
A valuable cargo being hauled along the Mekong River
Restaurant on an island in the Mekong Delta
This dining room is one of many on stilts over the wet island ground. The boards are wide, and sag as you walk over them.
Fighting cock at the restaurant
Python at the restaurant. It is fed one duck per month.
Fruit will become someone's dinner when ripe
Most bricks are made close to where they are used.
Fruit trees are grown in the nursery
Tourist show at the nursery. Many of the larger businesses put on shows to attract tourism revenue.
City scene, Saigon 12-28-09
Opera House on right, Hotel straight ahead. Saigon 12-28-08
Rex Hotel, downtown Saigon
Some cyclists wear masks for pollution; most wear them as a sun screen. Vietnamese people desire a lighter skin color.
Fine Arts Museum, Saigon
Work of a local artist, for sale
Local artist's work
Ben Thanh Market, Saigon
Cyclists lined up at a stoplight on Le Loi Ave in Saigon 12-29-08
Park in front of the Rex Hotel
Ho Chi Minh Statue, downtown Saigon. He is lovingly referred to as Uncle Ho.
Revolution Museum
Lobby of Hyatt Hotel
