Vietnam: Timeless Charm
I was honoured to be receive an invitation to the Sustainable Travel Summit in Danang, Vietnam by the Ministry of Tourism of the Socialist Democratic Republic of Vietnam. I boarded the extremely modern, state of the art Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner in Heathrow Airport. As I boarded I noticed the fresh and tranquil colour scheme on the Vietnam Airlines Dreamliner aircraft. A good omen of things to come it would seem.
While taxiing on the runway at Heathrow I noticed an old Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300ER also waiting in line to depart after us. I also noticed the pilots in the Boeing 767 admire the new metal of the 787. I completely understood why. Not only was metal sleek and new, the color scheme of Vietnam Airlines is probably the best I’ve seen in the airline industry.
The meaning of colour
The tropical blue with a small helping of sunshine yellow are very aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The colors blue and yellow hold special meaning in Vietnam. Blue is associated with calmness, hope, growth and calm. Yellow is associated with wealth, prosperity and happiness.
The yellow lotus flower also holds meaning as it represents softness and charm. These attributes are clearly reflective in the attentive and remarkable hospitality from the cabin crew. The flight was the fastest flight I’ve ever taken in terms of speed at 624 MPH (1,004 KMH) and the highest at 37,000 feet!
A small inconvenience
There was a few small issues that I observed on-board. What should have been the longest, brightest day of the year on my summer solstice flight turned out to be the darkest day of the year. This was mainly due to the override of the window shades – such a shame. There was no gin and tonic served on Vietnam Airlines, (since they ran out) and the wine glasses were very small.
My main course of haddock and pasta was cold, and when I requested that it be heated it came back cold again. Third time the charm as I was given another meal and it was hot. Soft drinks and beer were served at room temperature. However this could be due to Asian people believing drinks served at room temperature are better for your health than hot or cold drinks.
Hanoi
Stepping out into Hanoi from the arrivals terminal you know you’re in some amazing place! The climate, atmosphere and overall buzz make the 12 hour flight from Heathrow worthwhile! I then caught a transfer bus from the new international terminal in Hanoi to the old domestic terminal.
Should you require an onward flight connection within Vietnam this is the way you get there. There was some slight passport / visa confusion on arrival as I received some conflicting directions from the ground staff in Hanoi Airport in Vietnam. This which delayed me somewhat. Luckily I made my flight connection after requesting help by a very obliging Vietnam Airlines representative.
So take my advise and ensure you have sufficient time between connections should you have an onward flight in Hanoi! For a holiday visa to Vietnam, I would recommend a V.O.A. (visa on arrival) prior to visiting Vietnam. It’s much cheaper and faster too! I used vietnamvisapro.com and it cost a mere $10 for the processing fee.
A journey to remember
Travelling from north to south you can see contrast in the architecture and in the people. My Vietnamese tour guide told me that the north is somewhat more communist since it is closer to China, whereas the south is a lot more influenced by France and the U.S. More than 70% of the population of Vietnam are Buddhist, this is reflected in the huge amount of Buddhist effigies dappled throughout the countryside. 10% of the population are Catholic, and 4% are Protestant while less than 3% are Muslim.
I didn’t get much sleep on my bus journey from Hanoi to Da Nang, this was mainly due to the horn blowing every five to ten minutes or so. The horn was issued with the sole purpose of clearing moped and bike riders to the inner lanes to make way for the bus. However had I slept I would have missed the beautiful scenery, so in hindsight it was a good thing. Even-though there are few traffic lights, there seems to be a harmonious flow of traffic with zero road rage. It was a common sight to see three to a moped with kids not wearing any helmets whatsoever!
Da Nang
Six hours later we arrived in Da Nang, which means ‘by the water’ and there is plenty of water. Beautiful white sand beaches are plentiful, however, for the more adventurous travelers, there are no nudist beaches allowed in Da Nang, so pack swimming attire! The River Hán flows through Da Nang and the river is a marvelous site. At night when colorful lights reflect in the water, it is especially beautiful. The bridge is home to an impressive snake-like dragon, the dragon symbol is one of power. The the dragon on the bridge over the River Hán blows fire for fifteen minutes at 8.30 pm on Saturday and Sunday nights.
There is a single train track running north to south and trains change tracks at stations in order to avoid head on collisions, I didn’t get a chance to take a train trip, perhaps the next time!
Highlights
Attention
If you happen to have red hair, pale skin and freckles you are deemed a sex God or Goddess in Vietnam! And for a pasty white Irish man, it was nice to get a little attention, albeit just a mild ego boost as I am lucky enough to be happily married to a beautiful Irish woman. However the attention was not due to my devilish good looks, but down to the fact that Vietnamese people prefer pale skin, while in the west the opposite is true, as many people seek to darken their skin for vanity’s sake.
Marble mountain DA Nang
This is a must see! There are lots of cool temples to explore and the pagodas have seven layers to reflect the seven levels of accession to Euphoria (heaven) after death (depending on how good you actually were in life).
Monkey Mountain
A lot of wild animals are free to roam, especially monkeys! The reason why it’s called Monkey Mountain? Apparently if you look down from above, the mountain resembles the shape of a monkey. It is also home to the tallest Buddha in Vietnam, which was built by the people of Da Nang to protect against typhoons. A tree known as ‘flame of the forest’ is abundant here, the vibrant red flower give a flame like hue, it is a true marvel of nature to see the beautiful vivid flowers in bloom, which is only enhanced by the many different beautiful butterflies that are large and diverse and make Vietnam their home!
Son River
We took a wonderful boat ride up the Son River to Phong (n)hga cave. We tried our very best to catch a wooden boat, with their beautifully ornate decorations painted on the sides, and the looked authentically Vietnamese but , try as we might we ended up in a steel boat, which vibrated a lot, especially when seated near the engine at the rear. The cave itself is a testament to the awesomeness of nature, with rock formations and sediment forming unique stalactite and stalagmite structures that have formed over millennia.
Champa Kingdom Museum
I visited the museum which is based in Da Nang. During the Vietnam War, a lot of valuable, historic statues and monuments were destroyed and defaced by American soldiers. Statues were decapitated as the heads proved a far easier souvenir to bring back to the USA. Those relics are displayed in Champa Kingdom Museum. The museum is also home to the ancient writings from the Champa kingdoms which are written on huge stone tablets. To this day the tables cannot be deciphered, leaving much folklore about the secrets they hold.
Massage
I had the most relaxing 75 minute aromatherapy message which made me feel ten years younger. In fact, the following day I felt like I was ready to run a marathon! And all for just $16 USD!
Lions and tigers and bears.. oh my…
Once upon a time Vietnamese people feasted on tigers and lions, however today the tiger and lion are protected animals and are no longer allowed to be sold and consumed in restaurants or sold in markets. Markets are very popular in Vietnam and people prefer to buy from the local markets because the food is locally produced and it is much fresher. Vietnam boasts three types of markets, local markets, mini markets and super-markets!!
When I strolled down the local market I noticed a few things that were different. Such as, Pea flavored ice cream! Sauces do not come from bottles; they are made from scratch (as it should be). Vietnam is famous for its hazelnuts and coffee and hot and iced coffee is available everywhere.
The Vietnamese diet consists mainly of seafood, lots of it, it can be purchased everywhere in the market. Oh, and a lot of people eat a type of seaweed salad which is quite tasty.
A Country Recovering
One thing that struck me deeply was the wounds left from the Vietnam War. The sheer devastation it created is still very evident throughout Vietnam today. Agent Orange was used extensively in Vietnam during the war. The US government still deny it was used. However, it is very apparent that the herbicide was used through widespread repeated carpet bombing during the war. This is evident because 70% of the countries natural eco-system was devastated, and caused many children to be born with horrific deformities.
Landmines, were big news in the 1990’s but still today it is estimated that, on average 4 men, women and children are killed or seriously maimed every day by landmines left behind by the US army. Death is always present as a result of the deep scars from previous US and French wars.
Folklore
When I travel, I love to understand local folklore and traditions. In Vietnam I discovered that if you sit on a low chair it means you have little or no money, whereas if you sit on a high chair it signifies you have a lot of money. It is traditional for Vietnamese people take siestas. This is usually taken during lunch between 11.30/12 to 2pm and this allows people to take a rest from the afternoon heat and humidity.
Schools start at 7am; I can’t imagine my children rising at that hour on a school day! Vietnam workers work in two shifts 7am – 11am this is due to the population, people work four hours a day, six days a week. Doctors and teachers are the most respected in society but are not well paid.
History
What is very fascinating to me is the idea of Empire! When an emperor died, up to two hundred soldiers would volunteer to take the emperor to his final secret resting place. They did this in the knowledge that they would be decapitated once their duties were fulfilled. This was done for fear the location of his tomb would be raided for its many gold and jewels.
Emperor’s had lots of concubines; some had as many as five hundred. Concubines were usually a tribute from a neighboring land, and it was seen as an honor for a young girl to be chosen as a concubine for the Emperor. While concubines were little more than slaves, they did live a very privileged lifestyle. They always had beautiful clothes, plenty of food and large luxurious chambers. They were thought how to read, play music and embroider. However, they were not allowed outside the palace and were confined to their own quarters.
Out of the seventy five countries and islands I had had the good fortune to visit over the years; Vietnam is most definitely in my top ten. It has a glorious harmony, wonderful people and tranquil state. You are at peace here, Vietnam in its own right acts as a cleanser for mind, body and soul.
Food
