NEW YEAR IN SAIGON

 29th Dec 2022 - 4th Jan 2023

Happy New Year in Sài Gòn

The Vietnamese, like the Chinese, traditionally celebrate the 'Lunar' New Year, called here Tết, which occurs sometime later in January or February. It depends on the moon I suppose. This year it's on the 22nd January (the Year of the Cat here) and work stops for a week, or two, with great family reunions. However, like Christmas, the Western New Year is another great opportunity to decorate the city and have a good party.

'Happy New Year', or in the local vernacular 'Chúc mừng năm mới' is the standard and enthusiastic greeting.

I was to spend the final 6 days of my 'Chrexodus' wandering around the city and enjoying the razzmatazz. The following captures a few sights in no particular order and ends on New Year's Eve!

There was a football match between Vietnam and Singapore. This was televised and shown on three enormous screens erected along the large Le Loi boulevard (left). 

Vast crowds assembled to watch and cheer vociferously.

Right: They sat, packed, on the ground or sitting on their 'motos' over a distance of 500 metres. The one thing you notice about Vietnamese crowds is that they are always very good humoured and well behaved. I have never witnessed any of the drunken rowdiness, let alone violence, that often accompanies similar British gatherings.

The match finished in a 0-0 draw and with no hassle.

I paid a return visit to the 'War Remnants Museum' north of the centre (left). This is now a modern hi-tech museum covering both the French and American conflicts. As you can imagine the displays are somewhat biased in favour of the gallant and patriotic Vietnamese.

It has been much revamped since my last visit several years ago and there were many tourist visitors.

Right: There is a large display of aircraft, armoured vehicles and weaponry involved in the conflicts placed around the outside. The displays inside are on three floors.

In fact, it was from inside here that I got most of the photos (of photos) shown in a previous blog.

Left: On the way up I passed the front gates of the Independence (or Reunification) Palace. It was formerly the Presidential Palace and where the famous 'iconic' photo was taken of an NVA tank smashing through the gates in 1975.

Right: I also passed the 'Palais de Justice' which I show as another example of rather splendid French architecture; rather spoilt by the large tent at the front.

Left: Also, on the way back, in front of the Independence Palace, was a stage where they were rehearsing an act for New Year's Eve. It featured the 'famous' Vietnamese pop star Dam Vinh Hung. No doubt you know of him? He is the one in the white T-shirt (you can just make him out if you look carefully). I'm afraid I didn't see the performance on NYE. Other things to do.

During the course of these few days I paid a social visit to a restaurant called 'Les Trois Gourmands'. It is in the Thao Dien district (District 2) which is just south of the Saigon River. This is owned and run by a formidable and charming lady, Mme Phuong, who previously, with her now sadly deceased French husband Giles (a sommelier), ran another great place, a restaurant and guest house, called Le Toit Gourmand in the northern Tan Binh district and where I resided very happliy (15 years ago!) for a couple of years. Les Trois Gourmands is one of, if not the, premier 'gourmet' restaurants in the city (with prices to match!). Well worth a visit for a special occasion. Above: Mme Phuong (right) with another lady, Chieu, who also worked at the previous Toit Gourmand. They seemed glad to see me and I was given a rather good glass of wine. Santé! Hẹn gặp lại !

While on the subject of excellent places to go to eat and drink when in this city, another worthy of praise and recommendation is 'The Refinery', a cosy brasserie in a secluded courtyard at 74 Hai Ba Trung Street, near the central Lam Son Square. It is owned and run by a French lady called Noëlle Carr-Ellison and has always attracted lots of 'ex-pats' (and tourists and locals) over the years. The Refinery is called thus because it is on the site of an old opium refinery when those things were in fashion. I visited this time (actually more then once) when there was a typical tropical downpour. When it rains here it doesn't just pour down, it is a veritable biblical deluge and normally lasts for about 10 minutes. It is quite alarming and noisy, but the bucketing water is at least warm. Photo above is of the downpour from the inside comfort. I could hardly hear myself eat and drink.

Left: The Amman emporium at the southern end of Hai Ba Trung Street, City centre. This is Saigon's equivalent of London's Fortnum and Mason. On two floors it sells all the upmarket goods you can expect from any of the Western, and worldwide, premium food and drink outlets (at a price!). If you want such things as Patum Pepperium Gentleman's Relish, caviar or any top-of-the-range drinks, as well as Tetley tea bags, they will have them. There is also a smart café/bar on the 2nd floor which does impeccable tea, scones and sandwiches.....as well as, to cater for the likes of me; wine and peanuts.

For some reason many people, especially tourists, were wearing these luminous ears on their heads (right). Or are they horns? Talking of tourists, why is it nowadays that 98% of all male (maybe also some female as apparently we can call ourselves whatever gender we like nowadays) Westerners between the ages of 18 to 40 sport scruffy unshaven facial stubble? The English cricket team and Andy Murray (tennis player) are prime examples. Is this fashion or simply laziness? Whichever, I think it looks most unattractive.

Below: A tuneful Vietnamese lady singing an appropriate song in the ground floor bar of the Caravelle Hotel.

I show some buildings and structures around town. 

Down by the river is this statue of Tran Hung Dao (right), an iconic warrior from the 13th century.

Left: ....and behind him, the Vietcombank Tower, a mere 36 storeys and 676ft high.

 

Right: The Bitexco Tower, with helipad and viewing platform at the top, with a rather expensive bar and restaurant. I have visited this up top previously and photos in a blog somewhere. It has 68 floors and 861ft high.

Left: The daddy of them all, the Landmark81 building, owned by Vinahomes, an upmarket housing estate at the east side of the city. It has 81 floors and is 1,513ft high. It is the 2nd highest building in south-east Asia. (and 17th in the world). A prize for whomever guesses the tallest (not difficult with 'Google')

Right: A pretty girl. There are so many around this part of the world; always well turned out, slim and with nice hair, and smiling and happy. Somewhat dissimilar to most in my home town.

Left: This chap was selling sunglasses, as were many others on the beach at Nha Trang, for example. I never saw him, or them, sell one. There was another lady selling backscratchers in similar fashion. Very useful I'm sure and I hope she did better business.

Below: Back at the rooftop-bar of the Caravelle Hotel. The jolly Cuban girls and band were at it again. They manage to get people up to to dance. Apart from me, that is.

On NYE the streets were thronged with people and 'motos'. They were making the most of New Year's Eve. Right: 'If pigs could fly'! Outside the Opera House.

Left: A chap performing a spectacular 'flame-blowing' act. I expect he probably singed his eyebrows, as well as those too close-by.

Right: A popular entertainment, mainly with children being instructed to ride these gyroscopically stabilised mobilty things, whatever they are called. I had a go and it was quite fun and easy to get the hang of it. I expect they would be banned in UK for not complying with any legally enforceable means of transport.

I managed to 'scam' my way into the (guests only) rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel, overlooking Nguyen Hue boulevard, which runs down to the Saigon River from where the fireworks were due to be launched. I was even given a complimentary glass of wine. Left: The crowds had gathered below in expectation.

Right: There was a band and singers up there to entertain us prior to the fireworks.

Right: Just prior to midnight, a group armed with champagne bottles assembled on the stage ready to pop corks to welcome in 2023. (7 hours ahead of UK).

The fireworks! A spectacular display which went on for 20 minutes. They even managed to control the lights on the tall building to read, roughly, 'Happy New Year'. Very clever.

So that was New Year's Eve, and a very jolly occasion it was. After most of the guests at the Rex had eventually thinned out they had left behind a large quantity of unfinished drinks in half full bottles. Guess who helped himself!

Right: Another pretty girl. I can't help myself! They were always very happy to have their photos taken.          Chúc mừng năm mới ! to you all.

So, back to Blighty. A decent, if unremarkable, 14 hour+ trip on Bamboo Airlines again. I arrived at London Gatwick airport (Gatport Airwick) at 8.30am on the 4th Jan to be greeted by cold and miserable fog and drizzle in true British tradition, together with various organisations going on strike, "We want more Pie", a concept totally alien in Vietnam. Actually, after landing at Gatwick it took over 20 minutes to taxi from the runway to the terminal. I think, with visibility down to about 50yds, the pilot must have got lost in the fog! Fortunately the trains from Gatwick via London Underground to Paddington and then on to Reading station were operating normally. From then on nothing. They were on strike! I made it home with help from a friend. 

Do you wonder why I do a 'Chrexit'? 

HUÉ BACK TO SAIGON

 28th - 30th Dec 2022

The rather ancient diesel machine which towed our carriages.

I spent four days in and around Hue and had, as previously in Dalat, booked into a small hotel 'on spec' at short notice. It was called quaintly 'Hue Lovely Homestay', and was on the centre-southern side of the river. It was indeed 'lovely' with a very comfortable bedroom plus bathroom (with excellent shower), good air-con and flat-screen TV. The owner, Ms Lien, and her staff could not have been more kind, cheerful and helpful, handing out free coffees/teas when requested. All this for just over £11 per night! Incredible, and unthinkable value in the West. The only drawback was that the small street was choc-a-bloc with cafés. I counted 11 all adjacent to one another, and none of them served alcohol. It must have been a 'temperance' area! One had to walk to the eastern side of town (although thankfully there was one decent watering hole quite close by) to find all the 'proper' pubs and bars!

I am a member of a Pool Club back home (The Old Buffers and Geriatrics Pool Club) which prides itself on the ineptitude of its members (all 8 of us). I managed to find a pool table in one of the bars and, to keep my hand in (well not necessary really because any form of 'practice' or indeed 'ability' is frowned upon at the OB&GPC), I was offered a game by a loitering Aussie tourist (left) who, fortunately, had a good sense of humour. Of course he won easily and wondered if I had ever played before.

Passing the illuminated bandstand on the way to the pub/bar/nightclub area I came across these people (right). They were sitting in a mesmerised state with an arm out in front of them looking at computer screens while making strange humming noises. I only record this to remind me and to try to find out what on earth they were doing! Very odd.

Left: Back past the illuminated Troung Tien vehicle/pedestrian bridge which, I think I mentioned previously, keeps changing colour.

Right: One of the many tourist cruise boats on the Perfume River, used by me several years ago to visit all the pagodas and Emperors' tombs in the vicinity.

Left: Also on the south-west side of the river is this very posh and luxurious  hotel, 'La Residence'. In French colonial days it was the residence of the French city governor. Several years ago I remember staying there. I must have been much wealthier in those days! It now costs a few hundred £s per night!

Right: .....and the swimming pool and bar at the back, on the riverside.

I think that more or less covers my visit to Hue, and very pleasant it was too. On leaving the 'Hue Lovely Homestead' Ms Lien offered to give me a lift, including my luggage, to the railway station on her 'moto' (scooter). I gratefully accepted even though it was only a 20 minute walk. It was very kind of her.....as said, they were all so hospitable and helpful. 

Left: The Hue railway station, 'Ga Hué'. There are cafés surrounding the place where one can sit and wait for the train. Mine was due to depart at 11.08am, and it did, on time, for the 17½ hour journey back to Saigon. It is about 600 miles with many stops....mostly at stations!

Which reminds me to comment on the Vietnamese language. It is the only south-east Asian language written in Roman script. On the surface it looks as if it should be quite simple to learn and speak, but this is a delusion. In the early days, before the emperors, the present day area of Vietnam was a mix of different provinces and languages, governed by local 'lords'. The various languages were written with Chinese type characters. In the mid-17th century a French missionary priest called Alexandre de Rhodes based himself in this part of the world. He invented a Vietnamese alphabet and vocabulary in Roman script. This was the basis for the current common language, adopted sometime in the early 19th century (I think). The vocabulary consists of small words, mostly between 1 and 5 letters long and many of noticeably French origin and pronunciation. Unfortunately, for the Western ear, this is a sensitive tonal language and the pronunciation of words/letters is governed by 'diacritics' ie. symbols and accents placed above and below a letter. The tone of pronunciation is subtle but critical! Also, the little words will mean something individually but combined together in sequence mean something totally different. So it's not simple at all. If you pronounce what you assume is a simple word incorrectly you will be misunderstood. To give an example (which is what reminded me) the word for a railway station is 'ga'. Pronounced as in the French 'gare'. But there is another word 'gà', pronounced very similarly but with a slight tonal drop. This 'gà' means 'chicken'. I was once in a supermarket in Saigon and wanted to buy some chicken. I asked for what I thought was chicken (gà) but was continually being shown out of the shop and directed to the railway station, nearby as it happened. However hard I tried, even flapping my elbows and making 'cluck cluck' noises, I couldn't get through to them. The Vietnamese, for all their many attributes, are not good at lateral thinking (this was a food shop for pity's sake!). Something is either 'correct' or 'not' to their ears. They would be completely useless at that parlour 'guessing game' Charades! Other 'ga's, such as the combination 'gâ gã gà' means, literally, "f**k the chicken"! Which is probably what you inadvertently say when trying desperately to pronounce the word 'ga' and thus cause some confusion, if not amusement. 'Khí ga' means 'gas'.

This time I had sensibly booked a 'soft' sleeper berth (right). They have 'hard' berths and 'soft' berths. The difference is nothing to do with the comfort of the mattress (which are universally hard) but with having either a four or six berth compartment.

The Vietnamese trains do (unlike our unreliable services) at least run on time, albeit rather slowly (ancient rolling stock), and with a max speed of about 50mph. At times the noise and motion are somewhat disturbing. It really was, on occasions, a rattle and roll ride with the occasional screeching noise accompanied by loud bangs and thumps. 

I shared my compartment initially with a charming and amusing Japanese gentleman (a civil servant from Tokyo) who had embarked in Hanoi the previous evening. He got off at Da Nang. He was on a tourist mission to Hoi An (famous for its Japanese bridge and making a suit for you in the time it takes you to drink a cup of coffee). From then on I had a couple of Vietnamese for company who were pleasantly quiet. Left: There was some dramatic scenery while travelling along the cliff tops between Hue and Da Nang. (photography failure as normal).

There was a good 'room service' selling food and drink and despite the bumpy, noisy ride I managed to get some sleep. The noise hopefully camouflaged my snoring! There was also a very clean and serviceable loo.  I lost count of the number of stops, but we got into Saigon railway station (right), on schedule at 6.40am, or I should say 'Ga Sài Gòn'. But I won't say it too loudly because it will probably, with my pronunciation, mean something very rude!

I arrived, shaken but not stirred, in plenty of time for the New Year's Eve celebrations. I had booked myself back into the splendid Thien Hai hotel (for a good kip), but had to make another booking for NYE onwards as they were fully booked then. Further report to follow and, hopefully, some videos of the fireworks and entertainment.

UNCLE SAM IN VIETNAM

27th Dec 2022

2nd Lieutenant William Calley

In all wars there have been acts of barbaric inhumanity. The German army which massacred whole French village populations as reprisals towards the end of WW2 springs to mind. The Vietnam War (or The Great American Fuck-Up, as I have coined it) was no exception. The difference being that by the 1960s/70s there were many more reporters around with cameras and good communications to report the goings on.

One prime example, and there were others, was the My Lai massacre on March 16th 1968. On this occasion a platoon of US Infantry were tasked (what their orders were is not clear, presumably to 'flush-out' VC) to go into the small hamlet of My Lai which is situated near the coast on the east side of the Central Highlands. The Platoon Commander, 2nd Lieutenant William Calley, of Ist Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 20 Infantry Brigade, unopposed on entering the village, gave orders to round up all the villagers. They were nearly all old men, women and children. The young men had had the sense to disappear leaving their families whom they thought would be safe; some too old or small to escape anyway. Calley instructed his soldiers to 'deal' with the groups of rounded-up villagers after going through the village burning houses, shooting animals and destroying property and, by all account, his soldiers raped some of the women. Under Calley's orders he, and his men, proceeded to shoot, machine guns blazing, all these helpless villagers. About 400 (estimates vary) were killed, all old men, women, children, babies (some of the bodies in the photo above). There were no VC found in the village.

This unspeakably murderous, gratuitous and senseless massacre was more or less 'covered-up' by the military hierarchy at the time. One of the misguided aspects of this war was that the US Army was encouraged to record and report a 'body count' after operations to satisfy the Top Brass that the VC were being beaten. Sadly, they didn't care which bodies were counted...the more the better and commanders' reputations were enhanced by the numbers! The photo was taken by an army cameraman soon after and was eventually published and thus came to the attention of the US public.

Calley was Court Martialled in 1970 and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. However, President Nixon (in his wisdom) and due to public opinion believe it or not, commuted the sentence to 3 years of 'fairly open' house arrest in his quarters at Fort Benning and he was officially released in 1974. By all accounts he had been a very second-rate officer who had only just scraped through his officer training course at a time when the US Army was desperate for recruits.

After his release Calley got married and worked at a jewellery shop owned by his father-in-law in Columbus, Georgia. He then divorced and moved to live in Gainsborough, Florida where, as far as I can gather, aged 79, he still is. According to some reports he is unrepentant. This photo (right) is of him taken in 2018. This murderous, and probably stupid, man should not have been sentenced to prison. He should have been hung, drawn and quartered. I think if I ever had the misfortune to meet him, or him me, I would be tempted to shoot him! Actually I would probably be tempted to stab his eyes out, cut his balls off and watch him bleed to death!

BOMBS. The US were very fond of using them and saw them, mistakenly as it turned out, to be the answer to this (and other) military situations. They were dropped from many types of aircraft including enormous payloads from large fleets of 'carpet bombing' B52 bombers. High Explosive (of varying type and sophistication), Cluster bombs, phosphorous and Napalm were part of the arsenal.

Right: This enormous 'daddy' was launched out of the back of C130 Hercules cargo aircraft.

Left: Details of the 'big banger' above.

Right: Can Thi Lac and her children who were all killed in a B-52 'carpet bombing' raid on and around the village of Kiem Hung in 1972. It is amazing the number of innocent civilians who were killed or maimed in this war, whereas the 'armed enemy' were usually able to avoid being hit by the simple expedient of leaving the villages and taking shelter in the countryside.

They were very keen on using napalm (an incendiary device consisting of enhanced petrochemicals which had a gell like property which burnt and stuck to things, like people. Left: A famous photo of villagers running from a village near the town of Tay Ninh (west of Saigon) after a napalm attack. It was titled 'Napalm Girl' featuring a screaming 9 yr old girl called Pham Thi Kim Phuc who had been badly burnt. The photographer was Huynh Cong Ut (Nick Ut) and it won several Press Photo awards.

They also used the controversial liquid 'defoliant' Agent Orange (containing the poison dioxin) to clear the jungle canopy with the hope of uncovering the VNA/VC hidden beneath, as on the Ho Chi Minh trails. This stuff certainly defoliated, but also had seriously poisonous 'genetic' effects on anyone who came into contact with it. It resulted in subsequent hideous birth defects and diseases of many kinds which are still being passed on in the population today.

The companies which made the filthy stuff have been under litigation for some time. They have, indeed, compensated US personnel affected (I believe), but no such compensation has been offered to the Vietnamese. To do so would admit responsibility, which the US is keen to avoid. There are many disfigured Vietnamese who also develope cancers and it is all still genetically passed on.

Right: General Vo Nguyen Giap giving orders to his commanders. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the 'Peoples Army of Vietnam' (North Vietnam Army) and a very talented stategist; reckoned to be one of the world's most successful. He certainly saw off the French and Americans/South Vietnam forces. He was later a successful and much admired politician: A national hero, he died in 2013 aged 102. 

While on the subject of gruesome photos, there were some particularly nasty jails run by the South Vietnamese during this conflict. There were eight of them; two of them on small islands, Phu Quoc and Con Dao, which are now splendid holiday resorts. They had the reputation of torturing and killing inmates who were mostly VC suspects or collaborators. There is an exhibition concerning these jails in Saigon and many photos displayed of appalling tortures and executions. There are photographs of prisoners being buried alive, crushed between planks and garrotted etc. The photo above shows the end result of some of these.

I must say that this conflict was a very nasty affair. It was something that with a bit of thought, you would think, after the French experience, that the US would not have ventured into. It was all down to their paranoid fear of communism spreading south. They certainly left in a hurry, in 1975, with their tails between their legs when the VNA rolled into Saigon. It was a highly unpopular war with the public in the USA, and other places across the world, with many well recorded and sometimes violent demos against it. The strategy, if not tactics, of the US forces was, in many cases, very poor. Yes, they had an overwhelming technical advantage with weaponry and aircraft etc., with some good troops and won many local battles, but failed to understand that you are onto a loser, eventually, if the majority of a large country is against you, and they are zealously nationalistic and determined and tough and enterprising, when many your soldiers are conscripts with little empathy with or understanding of the locals and with dubious morale. I think there were many US politicians that seriously regretted their venture into Vietnam. At least the French, despite being unpopular and with some fairly brutal treatment of the Vietnamese 'nationalists', left behind much beautiful architecture, infrastructure such as a railway system and roads, water reservoirs and suchlike. All the Americans left behind, as is their wont, were bomb craters, bullet holes and bodies.

I wonder if a similar scenario will play out in Ukraine?

The monument (in My Lai) to the victims of the My Lai massacre.
 

That's enough of the 'warry' stuff. Still plenty of jolly things to report, so next I will be finishing my stay in Hue and off back to Saigon for the New Year Celebrations.