CHAN MAY, VIETNAM (3/13/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (biggiroot)
Date: Mar 13, 2007 12:05 PM
Subject: Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

CHAN MAY, VIETNAM

Today was a killer. Bobbi woke me up at 5:30 this morning. Breakfast came at 6:15. That was pretty much about all I remember because I just sleep walked the rest of the day, but Bobbi says I gotta write stuff anyhow.

Chan May is the port town for Hue. It is pronounced, “way”, even though I call it Huey. This place was the ancient capital for the Nguyen Dynasty but most of the palaces were destroyed by the North Vietnamese when they invaded the south. There are a few left.

We boarded buses for an hour and a half ride, through the country, for a ride to a very nice hotel. We saw surprisingly nice houses now and then and of course the expected shacks. Much of the countryside was planted with rice and there was some really beautiful scenery with the mountains in the back ground. However, the ever present smog was always in the background also. At the hotel we went to what the guide called the happy room. Then at the back of the hotel grounds were the Dragon Boats.

Dragon boats used to be strictly for the rulers use but now they are mostly for tourists. They have a large covered open section in the front and the families live in the rear. We boarded the boats for a ride down the Perfume river. It surely didn’t smell like perfume so I thought it meant it needed some. The guide said it was called Perfume river because there used to be fields of very aromatic flowers it flowed through. The ride was about twenty minutes and ended at an old pagoda.

After looking at the pagoda we decided we had seen enough pagodas, and this one had far too many stairs. Instead we did the sensible thing, not. We went shopping at the many stalls. We got really good stuff too. Just what I always needed. Hand made fans and silk note cards. We finally walked to the waiting bus and went on to visit the tomb of an emperor.

Next it was back to the hotel for a Vietnamese lunch while they played disgusting old traditional music. It was very hot out and it was air conditioned in there. That was highly appreciated. The food was very good too.

After lunch we went to the moated citadel. It’s six mile wall has ten gates. Inside were beautiful grounds and several large and very impressive buildings that had been the residences of the emperor. There was a river running through and several ponds. There were some beautiful areas of green with many trees.

It had been a very long walk from where the buses had to park and we went back to the bus area before most of the others. At this bus parking area there were of course more stalls with people selling stuff. One woman brought out two American size chairs and said to sit. It was free. So naturally Bobbi had to buy tons of junk from her. Wow! Now we have T shirts and Cooley hats. We also have baseball style hats. Just have all the kids prepared to say, these wonderful treasures are just what they always wanted. After buying some junk the lady brought out two bottles of cold freedom water. That’s what she said it was. By the time everyone else was returning we found out there was a three story building with more junk. This was the oldest and largest market in the city. Yes, she bought more junk.

Now it was getting late and it was an hour and a half ride back to the ship. We returned at about 4:45. Guess what they had at the dock. More people selling stuff. What happens when people are selling stuff? Right. Bobbi is buying stuff. They have a large area of fine marble. We saw it last year near China Beach. They had figures carved in this fine marble. Now I have figures carved in this fine marble. At lest, I hope it is marble. It is very heavy.

Now we had too much to carry so we had to go back to the room and drop it off. We then went quickly back to the stalls to buy some beautiful black marble vases. They are really pretty. The people, while insistent, were not obnoxious. They were playful if anything. One woman had to keep rubbing my belly for good luck. Most of them are Buddhist and she insisted I had to be the Buddha. She then told me she was the tribal witch doctor and I was having quadruplets.

Some interesting facts. The lecturer now aboard is an expert on Vietnam. While all these people are very friendly and out going, you have to remember how they tortured prisoners and used children to kill enemies. He says it is well known that we could have easily taken over the country in a short time if we committed enough men. Even though we quit fighting, we did not lose the war. The communists now knew we would keep them from taking over countries in the area or parts of them. None were attacked.

The country of Vietnam is not really communist as it had intended to be. There is more and more private enterprise being not only allowed but encouraged. The streets are no longer crowded with bicycles. They are more affluent and are now riding motor bikes and motor cycles.

One thing we did see for ourselves that we found surprising. The young people want to be like the Americans. They dress like our young people and they are trying to act like them also. They watch satellite TV and want things there to be more like things in the US.