Vietnam • 2003
by Hieu Doan
Although I have spent all my life in a Vietnamese family, Vietnam still remains somewhat of a mystery to me even to this very day. Living in a Vietnamese household has not only taught me about my country of birth and origin, but it has shaped me into the individual that I am. However, my vision of Vietnam, and its people remains eluded, made up of stories at dinner tables, photographs from travel books and western media, who's reflection on Vietnam is often only at a glance. Being raised in Australia, has allowed me to achieve an education, a career, a better opportunity than ever possible back in Vietnam, however it has left me disconnected to the place that was once home.
The trip back to Vietnam has been long in waiting, 22 years in fact. As a individual and as a photographer, there is no other place that I wish to visit so more so than Vietnam. So it makes good sense that my first overseas trip since making Australia home, be to the place of birth and origin. Although I, for several years have wanted to travel back to Vietnam , only now have the opportunity to do so possible. In speaking to other Vietnamese Australians who have been back to Vietnam, the feelings have been mixed. Some have enjoyed their experience and wish to travel back every year, while there are others who have not had quite an enjoyable experience. However the general consensus is that the trip back to Vietnam has to be done. How it will affect me, I do not know. Perhaps this is the best this way.
Discovering one’s origin is of vital importance. Although much can be learnt about Vietnam from the creature comforts of home in Australia , I believe you can never be complete unless you visit the places, experience the culture, discover the history and meet the relatives that you have never met as well as the millions of fellow countrypeople who seem so far away.
The beauty of photography is that it allows me to show others my vision of Vietnam and it’s people, and in writing and imagery I hope to share my travel experiences with others.
I plan to document my travel experiences back to Vietnam . This page will be constantly updated during the month of December 2003 for the duration of my trip and provides a means by which I can share my travel experiences with others via an online diary.
The photos as seen in my diary, will be from my digital Fuji S2. For my serious photography work, I will be using entirely film based cameras. Unfortunately, the images from my film based cameras will only be processed after I return to Australia , however they will eventually make an appearance on this website at a later date.
Started the day with a 2 hour speed boat ride to the tip of Ca Mau. A journey to a place of more sentimental value than scenic value. The tip of Ca Mau is the most southern location of Vietnam. For people in my parents generation, very few people ventured this far south because in earlier times it was a very hazardous journey.
BTW Vietnam just bet Malaysia in the SEA Games soccer tournament 4:3, the locals going nuts! (sorry boss)
After a short stop in Saigon to visit family we headed towards Vung Tau, a city popular for its beaches. Coming from Australia, a country with such beautiful and un-polluted beaches, the beach at Vung Tau did not impress me greatly. However, for some of the old timers the advancement of this city was astounding, the modernisation of this city was clearly evident, modeling itself on locations such as Surfers Paradise in Queensland, and no doubt it will slowly become a popular destination for tourists.
By the way here in Vietnam they eat hot potato chips with butter and sugar, how strange eh!
Making our way up further north, we made a stop at Damb'ri Falls (See below). The waterfall was absolutely stunning however, never before have I seen a waterfall where you have to access it via an elevator (its just too easy isn't it??).
Once again the slow traffic was a hindrance, however we finally got to Da Lat. A town located at the top of a mountain. Arriving at Da Lat, the first thing that hits you is the much cooler and much more pleasant temperature, almost like autumn in Adelaide (18- 20C) (It was a bit strange seeing the locals all rugged up in winter gear). The town itself is very clean in comparison to the other towns that I have visited in Vietnam.
I just realised today, that it has been a week since arriving in Vietnam. I am enjoying every part of the journey. Photographically speaking, the weather hasn't been great for us (cloud cover where you don't want it, if you know what I mean!), however photography is only secondary to the wonderful experiences of traveling a country once home. At times in the journey I would laugh out aloud with relatives as they would tell old tales (ones that I have heard a million times over, but also ones that are new), and at times the scenes of sadness and sorrow in the eyes of people touches you in a place deep within. It has certainly been a time of mixed emotions, both happy and sad, however it has been a wonderful experience so far.
Continuing our journey north to rest at Nha Trang. As we journey towards Hanoi, we begin to see a change in the landscape. South Vietnam consisted of many waterways and flatlands, however towards central Vietnam the landscape becomes mountainous and most noticeable it is less populated. For me it is finally good to see some open country, however there are always signs of human intervention wherever you go, unlike the Australian outback.
We also visited Da Tan La, Gougah and Pongour falls. Pongour falls was the most spectacular.
Spending most of the day in the bus, we continued our journey north. With rain persisting, most of our sightseeing was done from the bus. Of note was the upgrade of Vietnam's motorways, especially as we move north, particularly the new coastal road towards Qui Nhon, on one side we have mountain ranges on the other we have coastal scenery similar to Australia's Great Ocean road. Although we spent all day on the move we only managed to cover 400kms, whereas a day's travel in Australia we would have traveled double that distance. We now rest in Tam Ky.
Today we visited several places of historical value. Hoi An, Da Nang, and finally Hue. The most impressive part of today's journey was the drive along Hai Van pass. Mountains next to unspoiled coastal scenery best describes the drive. Unfortunately, the weather once again was unfavorable for sightseeing, nonetheless it was spectacular. Larger vehicles struggle to complete this journey due to the steep slopes (several trucks laid stranded on the road), however our bus managed to finally crawl its way through. The image below doesn't do the region justice, it was quite impressive!
By the way I am beginning to find it difficult to understand the locals, not because there is a change in dialect, but there is a significant change in accent. Strangely, variability in accent varies very little between towns in southern Vietnam, however in central Vietnam, there is a noticeable difference between one town to the next.
Driving down Highway 1 (major highway that connects from north to south) towards the former Demilitarized Zone, there was a sense of eeriness about the highway. Although there were few remnants remaining from the war, the thought of fierce battles and tragic loss of lives along this stretch of highway was somewhat haunting. Arriving at Hien Luong bridge which crossed the river Ben Hai, the most historical passing in Vietnam, was a real milestone achievement for the oldies, who never thought that they would see it (the river Ben Hai used to divide North and South Vietnam).
Diverting from Highway 1, we entered the partially completed highway, formerly the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Once the major target of American B52 bombers, its becoming an extensive highway passing through spectacular scenery (spectacular times 10 to be exact). The construction of this highway is a huge task, not only because it is a long stretch of road in mountainous landscape, but because most of it is manual labor (a lot of hard-work to be admired!).
Phong Nha Caves was also visited, consisting of limestones. The river cruise that takes you to these caves is worth the journey on its own. The Phong Nha and Ke Bang regions are world heritage areas. We now find ourselves in Vinh, after being lost in the partially completed Ho Chi Minh Highway (checking in the hotel at 10pm).
Having lunch at Sam Son Beach we headed towards the Cuc Phuong Forrest Reserve. Along the journey we stopped by the road to take photos of the ranges, to our surprise a short walk from the side of the road revealed a lake of breathtaking beauty (see below - can't wait to see my medium format shots!). Now we find ourselves in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.
Spending some time in the heart of Hanoi, revealed a city which runs with considerable order. The government buildings and city streets are controlled under very tight security, with armed guards at nearly every street corner. The parks are well groomed and the streets are clean, typical of a capital city. The locals, although in physical appearance are similar to their southern countrymen, the accent in speech is considerably different, as well as some minor differences in dialect. For example the word for spoon in the south is muong, whereas in the north it is thia. Being used to the southern accent all of my life, I find it extremely difficult to understand the Vietnamese language in the north.
After spending the morning in Hanoi, we visited Chua Huoung. An hour river trip by row boat led us to a Buddhist pagoda, a popular tourist spot for westerners and Buddhists.
Visiting Lang Son, which is located near the China-Vietnam border. Historically, it is the most famous northern province of Vietnam. Many battles have been fought within this area between China and Vietnam, during many occasions over the course of four thousand years, with the most recent battle occurring in 1978. The Vietnamese people have a great sense of nationalism, and historical victories are never forgotten, such as at Ai Chi Lang, a strategic pass between mountainous terrain, a monument that was erected to memorise past victories. Lang Son is also famous for its shopping (my brother got a very cheap watch, for $6 from a top designer brand made in China! If you know what I mean!!).
The most important leg of our trip, Ha Long. Hiring a private boat (at a very good price $80 Aus) we went for cruise in Halong Bay. In all my experience of traveling, I am yet to see a more spectacular location (no wonder it is a world heritage listed area) - EVERYONE JUST STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND HEAD STRAIGHT FOR HA LONG. The sea was calm (it is a bay after all) and the weather was fine. However, in this part of the world, days with fog cover is common, hence the islands cannot be seen with full clarity at a distance, though this has its own special effect on film. My digital camera however seized up mid trip, and I still don't know what is wrong with it (perhaps the humidity of Vietnam has damaged some of the digital components??) - so sorry, no photos for the website today - Digital can be fun and convenient, but ALWAYS rely on film based cameras, !!!!! You also get better results!!!!!.
I did a lot of photography on boat and shots with boats moving, so be prepared with some fast film (such as Provia and or Velvia 100 for color slide, or use print film/or negative film of speeds greater than 400). You may need to push process to obtain maximum flexibility from your film.
A tip for travelers to Vietnam: Always use government operated services, such as hotels, restaurants, tours and hiring facilities. The services are professional, reliable, clean and at a very good price (you won't get ripped off!).
Had north Vietnamese Pho (beef noodle soup) for breakfast. It tastes a bit different to the standard Pho in Australia and in south Vietnam. The evolution of Pho diverged after 1954, when there was considerable migration between borders. Originally a north Vietnamese dish, it became a favorite meal in the south and eventually world wide after 1975 (bet you all knew that though!).
We were on our way to Mong Cai, the most northern coastal town in Vietnam, when we had to abandoned the trip due to a shortage in time. The drive to Mong Cai is along the beautiful coast line of Ha Long Bay.
We journeyed back to Hanoi to rest, in preparation for at trip to Cao Bang and Ban Gioc Falls (near the China border).
The journey to Ban Gioc Falls was a difficult one. Having to abandoned our bus, we had to hire a more smaller and much more nimble vehicle in order to complete the journey in two days. The road that takes you to Cao Bang and eventually Ban Gioc Falls was currently under construction, as a result it was a very dusty road that weaved through mountainous terrain. Of note, the mountainous terrain was spectacular in sight, particularly the rice paddies arranged in terraces. Ban Gioc Falls itself was quite a sight, definitely the best waterfall in Vietnam, and the best that I have seen in my travels (well worth the journey).
Tomorrow we head back to Ho Chi Minh City to catch up with family and friends then head back home. This is probably my last entry for a while, so I like to wish everyone a merry Christmas, especially to the friends and family members that I haven't seen for weeks.
True story: At Ha Tinh, there is a local product called "Cu Do", a sweet cake, resembling a peanut brittle between rice crackers. The original founder of this sweet was "Cu Hai" or uncle two, but the French called him "Cu Deux", which phonetically sounds similar to "Cu Do", which incidentally means "floppy penis" in south Vietnam. (I took a photo of a street full of signs advertising "floppy penises"- sorry only on film).
Hope you all had a good Christmas.
Christmas day is well celebrated by the locals, even though Christianity is not a popular religion in Vietnam. Churches were well lit and preoccupied, the youth were out late on Christmas eve, every so often you would see a building decorated with Christmas lights (Christmas however is not a public holiday in Vietnam).
We now find ourselves back in Ho Chi Minh City. Our last few days in Vietnam will be dedicated to shopping, visiting family and friends, and absorbing the atmosphere of the hustle and bustle of Vietnam's second largest city.
Loving it all, but must admit I am missing Australia quite a bit. The other day I had a Pizza in Hanoi, and it tasted great! I am certainly missing the diversity of foods available in Australia (its mainly been seafood and exotic fruits - I really shouldn't complain).
If you have a half a day to spare, spend it at Can Gio Forrest Reserve. Just an hour and a half drive away from Ho Chi Minh City, it is a monkey reserve. Literally hundreds of monkeys swamp you as you enter the reserve, and brave they are. These monkeys won't hesitate to snatch your bags, food and whatever they can get their hands on. As soon as we opened the van door, a monkey swooped through, snatching a bag from us, luckily it was only full of rubbish. A monkey also tried to snatch a bag full of snacks from my hands, even though I was intending to feed it! Very fun.
Homeward bound tomorrow, four weeks has certainly gone quickly. Enjoyed the experience.
