The motorcycle diaries

Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam Ho Chi Minh.... for a country that has been through so much pain and suffering both in its recent past and since time began, Vietnam is on first appearance and after 3 weeks and numerous cities, towns and villages a wonderfully forward looking, hopeful and friendly society. Before arriving I wondered whether there would be bitterness towards the western world and indeed western travellers, whether the museums and historic sites would be full of anti-Americanism and the same (or more) levels of propaganda which filled the text books I once studied (although of course on the other side of the fence) but nothing could be further from the truth. From Hanoi to Ho Chi Mihn we have experienced amazing hospitality, smiling faces and people desperate to talk.

We arrived in Hanoi 3 weeks ago and to cut a long story short have been slowly (or speedily, depending on your view of the world!) been meandering our way south. Hanoi grabs and you and wacks the senses from the moment you get off the bus, and if your not careful one of the 3 million motorbikes on the road at any given time might also whack you! Carrying on my new tradition of visiting the embalmed bodies of dead communist leaders, our first stop was the Ho Chi Minh morssaleum - the complex is massive and although it didn't feel half as weird as Lenin in Moscow the level of beurcarcy involved in seeing him was high! Leaving the city behind the next 3 days were spent trekking through the mountains to the north in Hoah Binh province. The scenery was fantastic, so relaxing to walk through the paddy fields and experience village life first hand, staying with two different families. Next stop was Halong Bay, over 3,00 islands are a feast for the eye and probably the best way to enjoy it was an afternoon of kayaking - in a slight change to my usual way of travelling the boat we were staying on was luxurious... shelley and I had a twin en-suite cabin and sea food was served at each meal in the restaurant - um...so far Vietnam really hasn't been much about backpacking :-) Next stop was Hue, which used to be the capital, but all that remains now of the once impressive Citadel is a few towers and temples, it deserves its UNESCO status, but is just one more reminder of the damage done by war. One of the most difficult yet memorable days was spent visiting the DMZ - the so called no-mans-land at the 17th parallel, we visited various museums and places of military significance during the American war. The countryside is exactly how you imagine it to be; jungle, green and rich with villages of wooden houses dotted around. We walked along the Ho Chi Minh trail and walked through the Vinh Moe tunnels where countless men, women and children had survived for up to 18 months and more cooped up in the smallest of spaces with such little air and only allowed out on days when the bombing was lighter to collect food and supplies - being down there for just 10mins was hard enough, seeing it brought home the truths of war and the suffering to ordinary people and the cruelty of human beings - several days and several more cities later, the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City is the ultimate reminder of the effects of war, not just at the time but for years to come. Over a quarter of the Vietnamese population lost their lives or were injured during the American war and still today babies are born with deformities caused by the use of agent Orange and other chemical weapons and 300 people a year are inured by land mines. Yet to end where I started, through all the pain and suffering, Vietnam is developing at a fast pace - its now the worlds second largest exporter of rice and has a flourishing tourist infrastructure, this surely is a country which has grabbed its freedom with both hands and wont let it go in a hurry.

A few highlights:Beer corner in Hanoi - The beer was really tasty and only 9p (yes 9p) a glass!
Treking through the mountains of Hoah Binh province
Hoi An - What a chilled out town
Whale Island - Except for the weather was absolute paradise
New Years Eve in the big street party which was Ho Chi Minh city
Chartering a dragon boat up the perfume river
The DMZ...

Current reading material - So dull I can't even remember the title!
Current iPod tunes - Anything related to Vietnam...