Vietnamese Burials

The Vietnamese country side is covered with cemeteries packed full of grand tombstones and mausoleums intricately designed, so I had to inquire my DMZ tour guide about them. As explained to me by her, a traditional Vietnamese burial is extremely complex and time consuming.

First the person is buried in a simple coffin just outside the walls of the cemetery. There the body rests and rots for 3 years to reflect on the wrong doings of the individuals life. After that 3 year period the coffin is exhumed never by family, but rather random locals. The bones are then cleansed and put into the final intricate tombs or mausoleums. These tombs however are never sealed and contain openings so that the spirit can be free.

The kicker is that during your 3 years of waiting in repentance, if another member of your family dies you then have to wait for their 3 years as well. If another family member dies the process continues and continues leaving the spirit trapped in its tiny coffin outside the cemetery, waiting for their second burial and freedom. I guess before you die make sure everyone else is in good health!

The Royal Tombs Via Way of the Jester

The Royal Tombs located on the outskirts of Hue are one of the major attractions to the region, with every tour company in the city offering day trips via tour bus to 3 tombs and a boat ride down the perfume river for approximately $40 with entrance fees. My version of the trip goes a little bit different on the $7 Huckle Tour!

I started with an 7:00 AM wake up to begin the 7 km run to the first temple. Once over the bridge and outside the city boundary, scenery and atmosphere drastically changed. Instead of motor bikes honking and heckling me for a ride, school children followed me on their bicycles asking me the only basic English questions they knew. As I got further out into the country the morning sun was already beating down and I decided to stop at a different tomb.

This first stop was  tomb not even on the map, making it the perfect first location. Not a tourist to be seen but rather nestled off the main road into a forested hillside along a narrow dirt path. Small in size but big in it's eerie, silent morning atmosphere in the misty morning light, the true feeling of a cryptic tomb.

Back on the road I could begin to see the tour buses rolling past me, continuing the run towards the next tomb. A woman on a motor bike kept driving along side me offering me rides saying how far it was and how hot is, but I kept going as did she. She decided to escort me up the hill and to the tomb. As we approached she explained to the women along the side of the road selling souvenirs that I had ran there and they began to cheer me on like some sort of crazy person.

When I arrived at the over 150 year old Tomb of Tu Duc several people from the tour buses recognized me and congratulated me. Entering the tomb seemed more like a palace. A large expanse of land surrounded my stone walls and lilly filled moats where concubines once waited. The tomb itself was guarded by 1 elephant, 1 horse and 5 men statues on either side with a giant stone encryption in the middle.


This is the point where the Huckle Tour goes where all the other tourists would never. As they returned to their river boats I continued to where the road ended to begin a short trek through some thin jungle into rice paddy fields. I don't think there is ever a moment as peaceful as trudging through a flooded rice paddy field where people are hard at work in the sunlight, buffalo wade in the water munching away, and white cranes fly to and fro. You really become one with the land and its offerings. Not an experience included in the $40 Tour.
After a half hour I emerged into a small town where the Tomb of Thieu Tri rests. Once again I was the only person at this temple where lazy dogs lay in the sun attempting to bark and scare me off. The grounds keeper looked surprised to see a visitor. The Tomb itself although not incredibly old was completely falling apart and not maintained. It is a shame that things not on the normal tourist trail are bothered about with up keeping.

With looming clouds I decided to head the 9 km back to the city with the same cheering fans along the way even when the rains began. Not exactly the perfect trip for most, but the perfect trip for me. Doing the things that no one else does is what real travelling is all about.

A HUE Kinda Day

Hue was never on my list of things to do in Vietnam, yet somehow I found myself staying there for almost 5 days enchanted by its charm. Although small in comparison to Vietnam’s other cities, Hue offers a wide variety of sights and activities both in and around the city. 

Having no idea what Hue was or what to see, it helps when you have some amazing local friends to help you out and show you off the beaten path. This was the case as they picked me up in a typhoon at 7AM on motorbikes to cruise around to various temples, passing pagodas and zipping over bridges to other sites where not a single tourist could be found.

Luckily the rain let up and I was able to visit the focal point of Hue which is the Imperial Palace located along the Perfume River. The Imperial Palace of the Nguyen Dynasty, between 1802 and the end of WWII, remains today a labyrinth of temples, palaces, and pavilions all surrounded by a mighty wall enclosed by a moat with grandiose gate entrances. Although not as impressive in age as other historic sites in Asia, its extensiveness and ability to survive numerous wars makes it a picturesque starting point for a visit to Hue.

 Outside the Imperial Palaces walls lies another wall bordering the entire river with a massive Vietnamese flag on what appears to be a fortress but is just a larger portion of wall. The river is crossed by several bridges which at night are illuminated and the adjacent bank of the river is lined with a flea market selling clothes and handicrafts as well street snacks and drinks. Even in the rain the city center, at its slow pace offers the most casual backpacker a lot to do.

A Day In Halong Bay

Many times when guidebooks and websites say that something is a number one must see location I can usually find several things nearby that are better. Halong Bay however certainly defies that in every way. It is definitely something that should be seen while visiting northern Vietnam and sooner rather than later as it is quickly developing, new hotels are arising, and tourist numbers are rapidly increasing.

In Hanoi there are hundreds of tour agencies all offering the same standard 1, 2 or 3 day trips to Halong Bay with varying price tags. I regrettably only did a one day trip which starts with a 3 and a half hour bus ride. Once there you get the overwhelming sense of being a tourist as droves of minivans and tour buses drop of hundreds if not thousands of unsuspecting tourists at the same pier at the same time.

One by one, 2 story white house boats pull up and group after group board and head out in a fleet of vessels. When leaving the port only a faint rocky shore line can be seen in the distance and all passengers are called into the dining hall to be served an elegant 9 coarse meal to be shared with fellow passengers from around the world. When lunch is complete the workers indicate to go onto the deck where the once foggy coast line now reveals dark shapes jutting out of the water with distant boats disappearing into the fog giving the sense of a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie setting.

As the ship approaches the dark figures continue to rise out of the water seemingly higher and higher as they turn from dark illusive figures to vibrant lush green islands. Left, right, straight, or behind every view becomes instantaneously postcard perfect and the cameras go wild. Flora can be seen closer and closer while birds and butterflies can be viewed circling the pristine islands. The fleet of ships that all set out like taxis going to the same party, all seem to have gone different ways and that the piece of paradise being viewed is for your eyes only.

Cruising around the various islands leaves the atmosphere silent with only the sound of waves crashing on the boat as everyone gazes around themselves in total awe. A small floating village lays hidden and protected within the coves of the islands and is home to 100 of the luckiest people in Vietnam that have the opportunity to live in a fairy tale setting such as this

Once around the islands the day tour allows passengers the chance to stretch their legs and get off on one of the islands to ascend one of the pointed hills and enter into a spacious cave. Although quite tacky with its neon bulbs illuminating its inside, the size alone along with the sound of trickling water from the cave ceiling and sunlight breaking through holes makes for a good break from the boat.

Puttering away from the islands back to the mainland while watching the sun begin to set makes for the perfect end to the perfect day of relaxation in the sun. Halong Bay deserves its UNESCO title but unfortunately it is only a matter of time until the connecting roads are paved, cruise ships come, and more hotels taint the shore line. For me it was one of the most spectacular natural wonders I have seen and am glad to have been able to do so while nature holds onto its beautiful land. It is with great hope that this struggling developing nation does it’s best to maintain the islands and ensure future generations can enjoy their natural splendor as well.

Ho Chi Funk

I'm not at all sure how the following pieces of work fit in with the theme of the Ho Chi Minh Museum that was dedicated to both the leader and communism, but I figured I share them anyway. 

Perhaps the middle picture fits. Communism brings big things and plenty of food to everyone's table? But the others?

Puppet Show

Listed as a major tourist attraction in Vietnam, the infamous Water Puppet Show truly is a must. We chanced upon the theater at 18:58 when the show was set to start at 19:00 and the 3 of us got the last tickets; one of those truly perfect timing destiny type moments. We had no idea what to expect but even if we had expectations it literally blew them out of the water.

The small red velvet seated theater had a murky dark green pool of water as the stage making an already unique setting. Two women sat to the left of the stage singing and playing live music while narrating the stories before each act with a translation screen behind them. Each act represented various aspects of Vietnamese culture from Indian influence to traditional tribal courtship dances.

The first scene was a dragon and a phoenix fighting but then breeding to create eggs containing man, which in itself amazed. A wall of water fell from the ceiling as the string less puppets on underwater sticks moved majestically through the water act after act. The audience packed with foreigners including ourselves, were left in laughter, curiosity and awe. The puppets although unrealistic in appearance still moved in lifelike harmony.

At the end of the show in the last act all the puppeteers emerged from the waters doing a final performance alongside their puppets. The entire one hour experience for only $5 was an absolutely phenomenal experience. The perfect way to end a trip to Hanoi, being both entertaining and culturally moving!

WHY DID THE FOREIGNER CROSS THE ROAD?

To get to the other side!
The better question to ask is... HOW did the foreigner cross the road?
With motorbikes, buses, taxis and cars zipping by in every directions with apparently no laws 5 east steps!
1. Accept the fact that this is the only way to cross the road or you will be stuck on the wrong side forever!
2. Look both ways, even on 1 way streets! Find a pocket, 2 seconds between 2 vehicles nearest you.
3. Have no fear and step in with swagger and DON'T STOP or TURN BACK!
4. Ignore ALL horns since everyone always honks, accept you will not be hit and walk straight NO bee lines!
5. Arrive on the other side, check that the curb slab on the other side is not wobbly or about to fall into a swer, thank your Deity of choice, and continue on!