SAS Vietnam

Spent the morning transiting up the Saigon River and then waiting to disembark. Then spent the afternoon and evening with a colleague who had never been to Saigon. Our first stop was to go to a tailor he had heard about to get measured for our custom-made suits. We then walked and shopped and ate (I introduced him to rambutans and mangosteens) our way through central Saigon. 

Next morning I walked along the river for a few miles with the History Museum as my destination. 

I enjoyed two informative hours in the museum. 

Dioramas and maps illustrated the comings and goings of the Chinese Empire. 

Stone reminders of the long presence of Hinduism in Vietnam. 

Recovered goods from shipwrecks around Vietnam. 

Advertisement for a water puppet play focused on the disputed Paracel and Spratley Islands. 

Fresh orange juice, no ice. 





Had Bahn Mi for lunch. One of the global studies lectures prior to arriving focused on how this food is an excellent representation of the historic fusion (including the French baguette) of food thanks to trade and colonialism. 



US consulate rebuilt on the site where the evacuated US Embassy was located when Saigon fell. 

Perimeter wall had photos of US presidents visiting Vietnam illustrating an amazing change in relations since the war. 

In both my political geography class and my intro to geography class I covered quite a bit about Vietnam, including the role of Ho Chi Minh (center of billboard) as a nationalist leader who was fighting for independence, not to spread communism throughout Southeast Asia (as I grew up learning).

Streets are more ordered and pedestrian crossings are safer now than during my two previous visits to this amazing city. 

Delicious hot pot.

The flags of ASEAN

Day three we flew to Danang in Central Vietnam. 

Central Vietnam was the center of the Cham culture and empire. We visited a Cham museum.

Pedicab (called a becak in Indonesia) ride around central Danang in the rain. 

Out SAS explorers. 

That afternoon we explored beautiful Hoi An south of Danang.

I cut and pasted cloth on a lantern.

The week before much of Hoi An was flooded, but for us we kust had lots of rain. 

This old home in central Hoi An has market the heights of floods over the years. The second to highest level (marked in yelllow) at the top of my umbrella is where the flood level was last week. 

Temple to the queen of the sea who is supposed to protect from hazardous waterss

Painting of the queen of the sea coming to the rescue of a fishing boat.

That evening some of us went out for a walk in search of dinner. 

We found a mom and pop pho place. No menu--its only item was a bowl of pho. So delicious. Sadly, I (but no one else) got hit with Ho Chi Minh's revenge during the night.

For medicinal purposes.

The next morning we set out for a lovely bike ride in the drizzle through fertile farmlands. Many of the near to town plots were for growing the herbs used in Vietnamese cooking like pho. 

This enterprising farmers was harvesting snails from his fallow rice paddies.

Snail eggs.

Soon the rice fields will be planted with a new crop.

Beetle nut trees.

Next stop was for head and feet massages (I was up for that), but I sat our on the cooking class and lunch while my innards rested.

 

Evening dinner cruise on the Perfume River that runs through Hue.

Tinkling tea cups.

Moring view from my hotel room in Hue. 

We spent a rainy morning visiting several temples and tombs in the area around Hue.

Rolling incense sticks.

An over the top burial chamber. 

Notice the car in the photo on the back wall. It was used by a monk to get to a place of self-immolation (as show in the photo). 

The Imperial City of Hue

The gold gild throughout the complex gave me white house oval office vibes.

Capitalism and communism splashed across the same building facade.

 

Went to pick up our custom-made suits. 

It turned out nice. First time doing this. 

Got a massage. This was the offering at the entry.

A large department store all decked out for Christmas.

Main Catholic Cathedral







A delightful book street with an exhibition about Mekong Delta Rice. 

Central Post Office

Bought a couple of soccer jerseys and some fruit in this central market.

Communism and Christmas. 

 

two favorites

Stepped in and helped this woman struggling to push her handcart up the incline of a busy bridge.

She took over on the way down. 

 

Final view from the aft of the ship. We stayed in port over night so we could sail down the Saigon River in the light. 

Sailing away

Morning walking laps around the Ninth Deck.