Thursday, October 21, 2010

Left Vietnam, back in Hawaii

I left Vietnam a couple of days ago after a month of travel and I am back home in Hawaii now. I have downloaded all my photos and am sorting through them now. Soon I will put some new ones on my website.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Hoa Lo Prison aka Hanoi Hilton

After Hue I spent a couple of nights in Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island and then arrived in Hanoi a couple of days ago. I think I will just hang around here for the last few days of my month in Vietnam.

Visited Hoa Lo Prison aka Hanoi Hilton in Hanoi yesterday. I stopped by there when I was in Vietnam about 11 years ago too. Much of the prison is gone now, but they have preserved one large section and made it into a museum.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Hue

I left Hoi An after 3 good days there and arrived in Hue today. Spent some time walking around The Citadel (the former emperor's city within Hue).

Being in Vietnam I am reminded of another time and long ago. Here is Country Joe McDonald with his Feel Like I'm Fixing To Die at Woodstock in 1969:

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Hoi An

I am 15 days into the travels and still have the same time left, so in the middle of the trip now. I arrived in Hoi An yesterday and will be here a few days. I remember Hoi An as one of my favorite places when I was in Vietnam some years ago. Much is still the same, but the old, historic part has become a UNESCO World Heritage site and the old houses have become clothing shops, art galleries, and restaurants. :-( It is also much cleaner now. That is all great for the Vietnamese because obviously they are prospering, but it gives that part of town the feel of many of the old parts of Europe. Before, that part of town had just a few shops, mostly for local people, and the occupants and friends sitting out in front cooking, eating, selling vegetables, etc. Fortunately, there is still plenty of that too, just not in that section of town.

I got up at 5:00 AM and then outside at 6:00 to get down to the river and market early this morning and spent 4 hours walking around and shooting. Got many good shots. Actually, I think I have gotten a lot of good shots throughout the trip. We'll see when it comes time to download them all and review them though. :-)

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Arrived in Nha Trang today

Since last posting I again went down into the Mekong Delta for a couple more days, but to different places. Visited the famous and extensive Cu Chi tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war. Also, did a homestay with a family on a canal in the Delta. Cool. I visited the tunnels and did a homestay when I was in Vietnam last time too. Then back to Saigon and the next day to the old French colonial mountain resort town called Dalat. There are many hills in the town with a lake and looks a lot like a European village in Austria or France. Temperatures were nice and cool and a wonderful change from the heat and humidity in Saigon and the Delta. Stayed 2 nights there. This morning made the drive to Nha Trang and got here about 3 hours ago. It is on the ocean with a nice beach, although today is overcast with occasional drizzle.