Book Nook Cafe discussion

*** reposting to this folder

message by Lesley

Lesley wrote: I returned from my quick visit of Vietnam a couple of days ago. We visited Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Saigon and the Mekong Delta; very much the beaten track. An interesting country with friendly people. Halong Bay was misty with rain while we were there, so the landscape was far different from the usual postcard images.

Just before I left we had much-needed rainfall here, so I returned to beautiful green paddocks, which is a great relief.

Welcome home, Lesley. What type of things did you do on your trip? How was the food ?

Ah, Lesley, the places you mention bring back memories of a sadder time. How nice to hear that the land has healed and that the people are generous. When I was headed for my first trip to England in 1973 my Dad, who had been part of Gen Paton's army asked my why I
wanted to see that bombed out country . Time and nature, human and Mother , have a way of putting things to rights.

Lesley did you take a tour or were you on your own ?

My sister and I travelled with a small tour group company that specialising in Indochina. Both Australians and Brits were in the group which got along very well. As well as visiting the major cities' attractions, we sailed around Halong Bay for a few hours, climbed up one of the Marble Mts on Central Vietnam's coastline, and climbed through one of the Cu Chi tunnels. My favourites; Saigon, Hoi An and Halong Bay.

The food was as I expected; lots of fish and fresh herbs. I particularly enjoyed the fresh/uncooked spring rolls with lovely light dipping sauce. Here in Australia I have only been to two Vietnamese restaurants, but now I feel more confident to try more (though I am far from one!).

Tourism is very important to their economy, and much is geared towards the visitor. I was not aware that shops take the American dollar, as readily as their own currency, the dong. ($US1/$AU1 equates to about 20,000 dong.)

That sounds like an awesome trip. It was nice that you traveled with your sister and not alone.

Would you go back there?

Lesley, thank you for sharing about the trip. Did reading about the country (& you read several, i was impressed) help you, do you think? I mentioned my daughter visited there several years ago. She has a photo of herself leaving one of the tunnels. It was unexpected, as i wouldn't have thought they even still existed. Did you find them tight?

I appreciate the observation about tourism being important. Perhaps i should suggest a visit to my husband. He was stationed there during the war but hasn't really mentioned returning, probably because Asia is low on my list. Still, i like the idea of helping with tourist dollars. Win-Win.

Again, i appreciate that you shared with us.

I think my sister is looking forward to her next trip already, as am I! I enjoy the planning of any trip!

I don't know if I will return though I was fascinated by the whole country. Hoi An would be a lovely place to relax for a few days, but I tend not to do 'relaxing' holidays very well. I find I get bored after a couple of days. Lying on the beach is not my thing either. I get enough sun everyday.

I find my reading of a country's classics really interesting and helpful as are the books set in that nation. Anything I can get my hands on really. GR's 1001 books to read before you die group has their books shelved according to country of origin, which is very handy.

Re. the Cu Chi tunnels. I am almost finished reading The Tunnels of Cu Chi which goes into great detail about this amazing defence system. I was blown away by the whole tourist attraction that it has become. There is even a firing range where you choose the rifle (I had a go). Some of the tunnels have been enlarged so that tourists can experience them. They are still tight, dark and with unexpected steps. I just can't imagine how American men 'the tunnel rats' could fit, let alone fight etc. And in the middle of the area where tourist walk around there is still a bomb crater, now covered over with vines and shrubbery of course.

I noticed tourists from all over the globe, but possibly more Japanese. Saigon has quite a few ex-pats working and living there.

Another couple of things I found interesting. I noticed only one each on Macdonald's, Starbucks and KFC outlets, and a couple of Burger Kings. I'm not obsessed with fast-food, but try to notice where these companies reach.

Thank you for that information. If my daughter told us more about the tunnels, i'd forgotten. As you noted, turning those into a tourist stop was a curious but neat idea.

I appreciate the tip on GR's book list divided into countries of origin. Like you, i think it's good prep for visiting a new country. Even if i never meet anyone who has read them, i get a sense of the place. It Really Paid Off when we were in Spain, as Don Quixote was referenced in many different places. But even there, we realized we knew so little about literature or authors from there.

Thanks for the notes, Lesley. Like you, i don't want to eat at franchises when on vacation, certainly not US ones. Still, i tend to note them. When the children traveled with us to Germany in '90 i didn't have to be the lookout. Our son was craving a hamburger & found a McD's. Their almost sausage-like burger didn't turn him off, surprisingly.