we were early for the train, early at the airport and sailed through the E-Ticket process. Everything went well and we waited for our plane in comfort. As we waited we met William "Will" Lee who was from Texas, New Jersey and now Shippensburg where he is studying Art. He is off to Taiwan to visit relatives, some of whom he has never met. His mother wanted him to have the connection to his relatives and culture and I think Will is going happily. The plane boarded and all went well.

After lunch we were off the bank only to find it gone. We then went downtown to another bank and as we came out I saw Hoa's Mother selling drinks and trinkets on the sidewalk. She said hello and asked a friend to call Hoa, who came down and we had a nice chat. Dylan was feeling the effects of the flight so we returned to the hotel and he went to sleep.

I returned to town and saw Hoa again and met her husband and baby. The lady who called Hoa had been there when they were filming the Quiet American and had been asked to play a victim of the bomb in front of the Opera House. I told her that she was the only movie star I had ever met. She thought it quite funny. It began to storm and we all sought shelter. I returned to the hotel.

We get tickets and are off to the airport. The trip is a short one, just over an hour. Last time we went to Danang was 2 years ago and we arrived in a small Folkker that carried around 40 people. This time we arrived in the daily Airbus 330. We arrived at the My Khe to find that all the rooms were filled in all the hotels. The beach is packed with students on Summer Vacation. After a while we are told there is one room that is open for one night only. Any port in a storm. Appearently one can o longer just wander into town and find Accommodations. Just by luck we have run into the lady who helped us find things 2 years ago and she tells us that we will find a room in the morning. Dylan and I get dinner, take a nap and now it is dark and the beach is empty. We have a nice swim in the beautiful clear South China Sea and we are off to bed.

True to her word that lady showed up and suggested we have breakfast. After breakfast her sister, Tien, whom we first met in 2006, arrived and has found us a room in a hotel one block off the ocean. She apologizes for the room being $25 dollars, the in season price, instead of the usual $20. We are happy and now have 4 days to plan where we will go and how we will get there. I have said it before, it may be nice to have friends in high places but it is really nice to have friends in out of the way places.

The wireless internet in Vietnam works sometimes and not at other times.

Now in our new hotel we ask for a lift to a travel agent and a an internet. I have time to update and then at the travel agent we make plans to go to Hoi An, then Hue and take a bus trip to the DMZ so we can see Vinh Moc.

With tickets purchased and hotel reservation in place till the 19th or 20th all we have to do is enjoy the trip and make a reservation on the Saigon Train after Vinh Moc. See I knew it would all work out. It always does.

There is a man in the hotel who translates and does odd jobs name Xe. Pronounced See. He studied in the US in Chicago and Louisiana for electronics and returned to Vietnam in 1972. When the war ended he spent time in a re-education camp. Although everyone here who has been in a re-education camp calls it prison and is quick to correct you if you call it other. He used to repair Auto-Pilot Systems but after the fall he is only allowed to do minor electrical work. He is retired but has no pension so he must work. He says that Americans may now own property here. The hotel next door is Italian owned. Xe says that a few years ago a General who was a strong hard liner died and things began to loosen up. As the old guard dies off things get better and better. A small house can be bought for $20,000 USD. Much is changing.

We had a treat today. I know there is nothing served here that Dylan would order if he had a choice, although he does try new things. and never says Yuch!!! So Today we went into Danang City and found Christy's. Dylan and I had a Cheeseburger and fries. When we were done I asked if Dylan wanted another and he said no but he would have some more French fries.

We came back and had a dip then a nap and did not wake till early next morning.

I am so amazed at the sea here. It is crystal clear and there are very little waves. We are about 400 or 500 feet off shore and the water is chest deep. I can look down and see my feet real clearly. The water is salty and holds me up. I look up and the clouds are light and delicate. It is so beautiful here.

We swam for a while and returned to the room. On the way I met a man who lived down the street in a beautiful 3 story house. It was airy and had beautiful gardens. He said this house would sell for around $300,000 USD. It was a block from the beach. He was a civil engineer who worked and lived in Hanoi. There is a growing middle class with a disposable income.

Just a few doors down the street there is an Italian owned hotel and restaurant. We went down and asked for lunch. The hostess said they only had spaghetti at lunch time. She showed us a menu that listed 10 different kinds of fried rice. So I asked about the spaghetti She then said that they did have it so we both ordered and sat down. The restaurant and hotel are both beautiful. Lovely buildings and a beautiful outdoor area with small pavilions and ponds with fish. Also many flowers and plants. The spaghetti arrived and it was really good. Dylan liked it even though it had onions which Dylan can sense with amazing accuracy. We are now having a rest so we can go swimming later when the sun is going down.

After lunch Dylan wanted to walk around the neighborhood. It was an interesting and fun walk. We passed many homes and businesses in the area behind the hotels on the beach. One place was a shop where some men were using power and hand tools working with wood. There were several barber shops and small stores in the labyrinth of narrow passages that wind their way through this area.

It is amazing but the beach is packed from just before sunrise till about 7:00 AM. Then it is empty till around 4:00 PM. The middle of the day is deemed as too hot for swimming.

Dinner time arrived and we went back to the Italian Restaurant. We thought that at dinner there may be more of the menu available. Unfortunately this was not to be. The first page was all Italian but all they had was spaghetti. We looked at the rest of the menu and it was mostly Vietnamese. However there was a page of beef. Unfortunately they did not have any of those except one. Beef with tomato and onion. We convinced them to make it with no onion and it was a very tasty meal. Dylan was happy, though Dylan is not a complainer. After dinner we asked about but they had no deserts, not even the Italian pastries on the menu and no ice cream. The hotel in front of the Italian restaurant did have ice cream so we stopped in and got ice cream cones. On the way back there were two young ladies making droughts on the street. We got a few and they were very good.

After Dinner we have a last moonlight swim in Danang and off to bed. Tomorrow we leave for Hoi An.

Breakfast gives us little choice. Most places are closed. As it turns out 7:30 is early, we are usually still in the water at this time. I have a short chat with Tien about the hotel boom and two men who offer tours by car or cycle where you can go from here to there, not in a direct line, but wandering the country side. I will definately have to try this later. Soon we are soon we are off to danang city. We are early and go to Christy's for lunch where we meet a Vietnamese man who is home on break from college in England. He learned American English in Vietnam and arrived in London having to learn British English. He also wrote for us the words "goggle and snorkel". After lunch we went to the market and, using our Vietnamese words, were able to purchase a pair for each of us. We had said the water was so clear that we should have goggles.

Still early for the bus I suggest the Cham Museum. There are many stones from a temple that had fallen. Not much to hold Dylan�s interest. We wandered for a while and ended up back at the bus stop. The bus was a little late but the ride was nice and only an hour.

From the My Khe Hotel, which was the last hotel on China Beach 2 years ago, to Marble Mountain is all under construction. Past Marble Mountain, and all the way to Hoi An the beach is walled off in huge tracts and is all planned for construction. If you need to see the encroachment of progress on the local people, the new highway follows the old road and many homes and businesses have the front few feet torn off and others are empty and abandoned. It is something sad to see. A population of farmers and fishermen are being turned into uniformed bellhops, laundresses and maids. If you want to see Vietnam do it now before it is gone.

This was my first trip to Hoi An and I had been wanting to see it every trip. I had heard it was a small town that remained intact since it had no strategic importance during any of the wars and was not fought over or bombed. It survived the French, Japanese and the Americans however I wonder if it will survive the tourists. The bus was almost as wide as the narrow street. The streets are lined with shops which, on this street, are all selling clothing. Showing nothing traditional only the latest fusions made to order from catalog and magazine photos. I walked up and down the street for a short time and talked to locals who said that there is an old section that is being preserved. However the construction is everywhere.

Breakfast was a nice buffet. Dylan was happy with the western selection. We each had omelets and other treats. I had a crepe, just like Granny used to make, filled with jelly and topped with a little sugar.

We start the day on a bright note. This morning I am at the hotel, which is larger and more western than I like to stay at, we have met Randy. He is from California and has a bookstore here in Hoi An. We will have to get there this evening.

The ride to the beach was a nice ride through the fringe of Hoi An. As we approached the beach we found the shore lined with hotels. Still the beach was nice. Crystal clear, just as Danang, and just like Danang the view of the same mountains to the north and also Marble Mountain , now to the north. As we look out we have a much better view of Cham Island. We used our new goggles and snorkel and had a beautiful view underwater. There were a few jelly fish. Each accompanied by a small fish or two. Unlike Danang there are shells here. Also we have seen small fish. Two boats are anchored about 400 feet offshore. We swam out to them. I have not done so much swimming for a long time. This is the rainy season however it only rains for a short time in Saigon and once during dinner in Danang. On the beach were 4 jet skis and Dylan was excited till we found that none of them ran, but they were being worked on, maybe after lunch.

Lunch at the hotel is good and we rest for a short while. Then I am off to find the local expats. There is an interesting group at a Sleepy Gecko over on the island. They track down a jet sky for me but the owner is going through a divorce and we can not get it till tomorrow and I think we will be gone in the AM. I had a lot of fun talking to the group there. They are some really nice people. One of the expats told me that the property all the way down the coast from Marble Mountain to Hoi An, that I had mentioned has been gobbled up by the worlds 4 and 5 star hotel chains and people have been notified to get their ancestors moved.

So it is back to the beach and the tide is out. I think I have done more swimming in the last week than in the last 10 years.

Dinner is back at the hotel and there is enough for Dylan to choose from. Some of the things we look at on the menu make us wonder if it is possible to get it wrong. Maybe different is a better word. My shrimp cocktail tonight had chopped up shrimp in a tomato and onion sauce and it was warm. Still it was nice. Just different. I am sure things like this happen all over the world, not just in Vietnam.

I forgot to mention that Steve, at the sleepy gecko said his bank is paying 17% interest

Back at the hotel I tried to arrange a train or plane but they are full for days. One of these days I guess I will have to plan ahead.... Naaaaah. In two days we will take the sleeper bus to Saigon. Not so bad. From Saigon we can take the Hydrofoil to Vung Tau or a public bus to Pham Thiet. Lucky that Dylan is so easy going.

The bus ride up from Hoi An to Hue was 5 hours and comfortable. The bus was partially a sleeper and Dylan went back and rested. I met a young lady names Van who was returning to Hanoi, where she lived. She used my camera and liked taking photos of the landscape with the sun shining in the back ground. Some were pretty good.

We arrived in Hue, settled into our hotel and went for KFC. A good end to a good day.

Trips like this are nice to see a number of things that we would not usually get to see however they do not allow time to see them all well. The scenery is beautiful all the way. Away from the cities there is little construction and life seems to go on as in the past. We have met several individuals who offer tours on motorcycle. This would allow you to stop at any interesting point and spend some time.

We also stopped at a monument at the DMZ to the radio men who stood watch and reported back to the North on what the Americans were doing. We crossed the river which is at the 17th parallel. Stopped at a point of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Driving through the village of the ethnic minority, whose homes are thatch and up on stilts, we could not help notice the Dish TV disk on the side of one of the huts. The scenery was beautiful through the entire trip.

Our last stop was Khe Sanh. So little is left but a small museum telling of our foolishness to be there and about our defeat. The airstrip is outside the area of the museum. The tour did not allow us the time to go and wander. I have always thought of Khe Sanh as a very sad place.

We returned to Hue and went to KFC. My diet will do better after Dylan leaves. Still I am getting more exercise than before

I was in a hurry before and did not use spell checker. I just did and am amazed at how badly I type.

In a rest area we met an Isreali who had been in a village where he said he saw two young boys tied to a telephone pole being beaten and insulted. He was told they had stolen. He was not happy with Vietnam.

The trip did give a look at a lot of scenery. In the night a man in his field with a lantern. Going through cities and small towns that even in the night are busy. I saw many places that I would like to return to when I have time to stop and visit. Miles of rice paddies and canals to supply water. Buildings that were here when the French were and new construction. Many areads had no new constructions at all. It was nice to see. Places where the hillside was covered with graves. Some old and faded many painted brightly. In a reas stop a beautiful little girl who wanted to have the soda can when I was through with it. People on the bus were interesting. Old and young, all going somewhere. New factories that covered many acres.

By the time the bus arrived in Saigon we were both really ready to get off the bus.

So we end the day, back in Saigon, and ready for another beach.

We spent the best part of the day at Dam Sen Water Park. This is a park that we went to on our last trip. Last time we pulled into a large area and entered the park. This time the areal was filled with motorcycles and a show was going on.

There are some great water slides including one that comes down a long tube and dumps you into a circular place and finally you drop out the bottom into a pool. There was a long line and a bar you hold on to and slide till it hits a bumper and dumps you in the pool. We also went to the wave pool which was almost empty when we went before but now was packed. At the wave end of the wave pool a show was also going on as everyone was in the pool. I do not know what they were singing about but at one point everyone was splashing at once. As usual there were plenty of people who wanted to talk and introduced themselves.

It was a fun day ended with a trip to KFC.

Back to the tour agent and we catch the bus to Mui Ne. This is a 5 hour ride to a place, just above Phan Thiet. I do not like long bus rides but it is this or a car so we are off. There is a rest stop juat above Long Binh Post and another just before Phan Thiet.

Our hotel is nice however there is no power. The beach is another matter. Most of the beach has washed away. There are palm branches, coconuts and trash floating and the water is cloudy. I am loosing credibility as a tour guide in Dylan's eyes. Still he uses expressions like "next time..." in reference to things that did not work out as planned. This is billed as a place where the Saigon expats like to go so I expected more western food and in this we are not disapointed. Dylan likes the food, however there is a tendency to over salt.

The pool is nice and it has cooled down a lot.

The day ended with a swim and going to sleep in the un-airconditioned room, the power is still out. At 11:30 PM we were awakened by a knock at the door and a young man told us that the power was on. He turnerd on all the lights and the airconditioning. The air was nice, I could have done without the lights.

We saw the Cham Tower and the light house. Now we are off to find the water falls.

As it turned out we did not find the waterfall. We did have one of our best days yet. We rode the cycles all over Pham Thiet and the beauty of the cycles is that you cover a large area and yet you can stop to take a photo, look at something or just talk to people any time. I am getting some great photos and will get them up when I get back to Saigon and have wireless internet. I have them all safe on the laptop.

On our ride we stopped at a place where the fishing boats were unloading and a small fish market was being operated. I got some photos of a very large cemetery and a Cham Tower high on a hill, also a beautiful temple. We had so much fun riding and joking. We pulled into a road side restaurant and, of coure, the lady smilled. I told Dylan that when I am riding a thundering beast like this I am a real babe magnet. He laughed, we are riding Honda 150cc cycles. We had a good day. At one point Dylan stopped and by time I stopped he had run down a hill and was out on the rocks that went into the sea. It was so clear that we will go there tomorrow to swim.

At one point we went down a hill. Dylan was half way down where the road went to the left but a small road continued to go down. I did not see it till I was right there and as I braked I was also pulling the throtle. I did not stop as quick as I wanted and so continued down the bad road. I was only going around 10kph by now but the pavement was broken and the potholes were filled with loose sand and gravel. The bike fishtailed a little and I heard Dylan, up the hill, yell "Grandad, don't die". I think he was kidding.

We had borrowed the cycles for $3.00 USD each, for 5 hours, and the owners wanted 3 litres of gas as well. Along the street are people selling gas in 1 liter bottles and from, what we would call, old fashion hand crank pumps for 30,000 VND per liter. Up at the gas station the gas is 15,090 VND per liter. We got back early and Dylan wanted to swim so we left the cycles at the office and told them a man would come and get them. We swam, had lunch and it was about time for the man to come. We went up front and there he was, early and happy we were back. He asked about the gas and we told him they were both full. He looked and was happy.

We swam some more and had dinner. Dylan is experimenting and finding new things he likes. At lunch he tried, and liked, lemon milk. He has been trying Tea or Coffee mixed with various things.

We swam after dinner and as it got dark there was a storm moving up the coast and out to sea.Long after dark we were still watching the lightning. Sometimes it would back light the clouds and sometimes it would shoot a bolt across the sky from one cloud to another. Once in a while it would send a bolt down that had such force and just seemed to stay lit. Later it was back lighting the clouds like the end of a fireworks show. The lightning would flash and flash again and again with such fast repitions. It was fascinating.

There was a baby next door that was crying as we went to bed. The baby was not so bad but the people trying to quiet it were so much louser than the baby. Finally I could not sleep and as I got up the bathroom light came on and I knew we had power. So I came to the internet.

There is a nationwide power shortage here. Almost everywhere there are times of the day that power is out. Here in Mui Ne it is from 9:00AM till 10:00PM, The construction, industrial expansion and the influx of tourists has far surpassed the production of electricity.

Back at our hotel we had lunch and swam. Another storm had come p and was crashing waves against the sea wall. I went for a swim. As violent as the waves were to locals it was like an average day at the Jersey shore. We have found no real waves in Vietnam. This is a little disappointing to Dylan.

We swam in the pool and watched the storm from the pavilion. The fishing boats are being tossed around a lot but the fishermen are still at it putting out their nets and hauling them in.

Yesterday Dylan steped on a nail on the beach. Since he had his shots there seemed little to do. He has been washing it with listerine, since that is what it was invented for, and keeping antibotic on it. I think the pool water does it well also. This morning it did not look red or swollen and by noon he said it did not hurt to walk on it. We will keep an eye on it.

Earlier while we waited we swam and saw a jellyfish that was over a foot in diameter. He was hard on top and a little menicing.

As we walked around after the lesson we saw an unusual car. Turns out it is an old Russian Limo. There are a lot of old Russian Jeeps and old Minsk motorcycles with side cars. The Russian presence is large here with many signs in Vietnamese and Russian.

Dylan is rested up after a busy day and later we went to dinner. I had thought Dylan a picky eater, and though he is not a fan of most Vietnamese cusine he has been trying many new things. At lunch he had noodles and seafood. When it arrived he realized that seafood incldes squid. He ate most of the dish but did leave the squid. At Dinner he ordered, and enjoyed, the tuna grilled in lemon butter.

We watched 2 movies and went to sleep. Dylan wants to see the sunrise tomorrow.

Dylan finally got up and we had breakfast. We went next door and rented motorcycles. It was another great morning. We rode down to Phan Thiet and all around the town. I got some good photos and we rode back to Mui Ne and around the town there. On the way to Mui Ne we passed the white sand dunes and found the top of them being transformed into a Golf Course, Condominiums, and single homes. The club house and restaurant are huge and beautiful. Just down the dunes is another development of single homes that have a beautiful view of the ocean. All these new homes are high enough to be out of danger from future monsoons.

While walking the other day in Mui Ne we saw our first minor accident. There was a motorcycle up on the sidewalk, laying on its side, and a Chan Sat (Police) truck also on the sidewalk. The officer was writing information and there were two very young men with him. They looked to be early teens and were wearing oversized uniforms and army helmets. It did not seem that anyone was hurt.

Back at the hotel we were a little early for the bus. So we had a last soda on the pavilion and went to the lobby to wait for the bus.

On the ride there was so much to see. Our second accident, but not so minor an accident. Apparently a bus had been passing and ran into a truck, head on. A car behind the truck ran into the truck. There was not so much damage as you might expect from a head on accident on the open road, but still there was enough damage. Here busses seem to own the road, or so they think. Constantly in the oncoming lane and honking their horns. Always passing the much slower trucks and pushing the motorcycles to the side of the road. Traffic does move slowly enough that there is almost always room to slow down or move back into line, Almost always.

Also, on our way, areas that were out in the country in 1967 are now wall to wall houses and businesses. In the area above Bien Hoa on rt1 there were at least 10 large Christian churches. I found that a little surprising. There were also considerable areas that are in Rubber, however much of that has been cleared for factories that have many huge buildings. There are a lot of Korean and Chinese names on the factories.

Fields of corn and aloe. Bananas and coconuts. something is growing everywhere in Vietnam.

In one area there were wall to wall tractor dealers. In another area there were some men cutting granite with rather primitive tools, and polishing it to a smooth shine.

It was a long enough ride that we were ready for it to end. Dylan asked if we could go right to KFC when we got back.

Lunch was at KFC and Dinner was to be at the Saloon. This is a place near De Tham where the staff is dressed in 10 gallon hats and chaps. I must admit I have been wanting to see this. We arrived at 6 but it did not open till 7 and Dylan was hungry so we went to the Lotteria around the corner. I had a shrimp berger which was interesting. We walked back to the hotel.

On the way we ran into Hai Be. Her photo is in the section "2006 Trip" on the page "Around Saigon". I bought her dinner once in 2006. I had run into her before Dylan and I went up to Mui Ne and she asked about dinner. I told her "after I return from Mui Ne". Tonight she reminded me so I took her to dinner. Jeanne Natali had seen her photo on my site and wrote to tell me that she knew Hai. She met her when Hai was 6 and has kept in touch. Hai ordered Chicken, an egg, rice and a coke. As she ate a friend came in and Hai asked for another fork so she could share with her friend. Hai is such a beautiful, happy child.

I have been looking for something for Jack and just found it. I needed to go to the ATM first, unfortunately the ATM did not give me the cash and kept my card. There are no emergency numbers so I have to wait till Monday morning and go to HSBC to get my account straightened out. My distrust of computers is once again justified. Oh Well, we can eat in the hotel and Dylan does not want to go anywhere so we are OK till Monday.

I wandered but Dylan wanted to go back to the hotel and the internet.

While wandering I went into the movie theater, by the ice cream parlor. This used to be the Casino during the days of the French. I was hoping to find a small trace of those days. I really love all the old French buildings that have survived. There are many scattered here and there. I have much to search out after Dylan leaves.

Back at the hotel I convinced Dylan to go to lunch. He wanted to go to KFC but changed his mind and decided to go down the street to Sa Sa.

After lunch I went back to the bank where they produced a book filled with cards that had been confiscated by machines throughout the city. They found mine and another small snag. Instead of signing my card I write "Ask For Identification" so my card can not be used with a matching drivers license, which is a photo ID. A good idea however it is out of the ordinary, and out of the ordinary throws a spanner in the works here. I explained this and we got everything straightened out.

returning to the hotel Dylan and I went to the Lotteria for dinner. On the way home we met a lady who touched her tummy and then mine and smiled. It turns out that she is from the Philippians and is visiting a brother who lives here and has just been married. It gave me a chance to use my Tagalog, which is hello, goodbye, how are you and I am fine, which Miss Lorma was nice enough to teach me. Just a few words in someone else�s language is so appreciated. We had some water and sat and talked for a while. She had family and friends waiting for her so we said sigy na and went our separate ways.

Another fascinating thing is how we change our course, walk down a different street and meet someone that we would not have met. It happened again. Down an alley off Pham Ngu Lao, and as I walked a lady walked out a door and there we were. She was born in 1968 and her father served with the allies. After the war he was imprisoned and has since died. She will be a good source of information about the time after the war and what it was like growing up then.

All in all an interesting day.

Dylan and I went into the tax store and bought some Lipton iced tea. When we returned to the travel agent he was in and all that he wanted to see me about was to tell me that it will take till Monday to get my Visa extended.

Dylan came with me and we had a nice walk. I always like to take a different route than last trip. This time we walked a block south of Le Loi and found ourselves on a street of antique dealers. We were fascinated by some of the stores. There were wood screens and carvings and a lot of Pottery, I have a hard time telling an antique and a dirty new one. Dylan remembered his mother telling him about friends who made antiques by distressing them. There were many antiques that we could see were old. Old telephones and other gadgets used long ago.

For dinner we returned to Sa Sa. For those who do not have a taste for Vietnamese food. Sa Sa is very good place to find more western dishes.

Dylan wanted to walk down some of the alleys in the maze across the street. It started to rain as we walked. The wind was blowing and I was concerned that anything might blow off a roof or construction project. It rained heavily and we returned and sat on the steps of the hotel and watched things blow around and people trying to keep dry.

Dylan went up to the room to use the internet and I went back to walk in the alleys. I ran into the house of the lady I met the other night and as we talked I noticed that her house was a little bigger than a walk in closet. It was two stories and looks like it was built against a larger building. All the houses on her street are like that. Like so many barnacles clinging to a ships hull.

We went to the airport and I went in with him. I was afraid that his passport might not find a ticket since I purchased them but it went smooth as can be. The lady gave Dylan a sticker and told him to put it on his shirt. She told me that it would signal people at the Taipei airport to see that Dylan found his way. Dylan looked me as if to say it was lame. However when people care enough about you to help you find your way it really all isn�t that lame. Dylan put it on. We already went through the procedure at Taipei. It is the same as when we came. You get off the plane, go through security, up the stairs, and to your gate. There are plenty of refreshments in that area.

Dylan asked what was next and I said "You have to go that way and I have to go this way". I said "I hope the good days outnumbered the boring ones". He smiled and said they did. We said goodbye and he went on and I went back. I waited in the check in area till his plane left. As the minutes clicked down to his take off time I looked out the window. Right on time an EVA plane lifted up over the terminal and the little roller for flight 392 turned and said "Departed".

I know Dylan was getting a little homesick and I was glad to see him on his way but it was also a little sad to see his plane lift off. Departures are like that.

I also wrote to a few of the people I hope to see while I am here. I got a reply from Alan Mossman whom I met through my site. He said he worked on Dung Khoi Street and asked if I knew a place where we could meet. Dung Khoi used to be Tu Do Street. I asked him if he saw the Quiet American. He did and I suggested the ice cream shop across from the Opera House, where the girl in the Quiet American liked to meet with her friends. Alan is from England and arrived here in 2008. He was working with a shipping company who sent him. Like myself he fell in love with Vietnam and has been here ever since. He told me he was very lucky to be able to live and work here. I had been looking for a westerner who lived here for his point of view on the city and country. We discussed many things including the economy, here and there, the war and the government. It was very interesting. Alan is off to Cambodia on company business in a few days and said he would call when he returns.

I wandered around Saigon for a while and the new construction is amazing. Building is going on everywhere. So much of the old, the Colonial French is disappearing. It is happening all over Vietnam.

Back at the hotel I called Mr. Phuc. I had wanted to stop in and see Ky�s family and Mr. Phuc was recommended as an interpreter. Mr. Phuc said he would come by the hotel at 6:00. He arrived and we were off to see Hue Ha and her brother Hue Hein. We all went out to dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant that we had gone to when we visited in 2006. It was nice to see Ky�s sister smiling so much. The last time I saw her she was saying goodbye to her sister who was leaving for the United States. She was not so happy at that time.

I do not know if I mentioned the Season. The tourist season is from June to the end of August. This season is based on when Americans and Europeans take vacations and travel. During this season airfares are up 50%. In Vietnam planes, trains and buses are booked days in advance. Everything is more crowded. The weather is hotter and more humid. It rains almost every day. On the good side it usually rains in the evenings. If it rains during the day it is usually a short shower. All you have to do if caught in a shower is duck in and have lunch or do a little shopping and in a half hour or so it is sunny again.

Today I went wandering out past the Opera house and up past the Cathedral and Main Post Office. I went looking for the corner of my Best Picture but I did not find it. after a while I found myself on Pasture Street. This is where Mr Hien lived. I had met him through my site and went to see him in 2006. We had a nice talk then and wrote for a while. All of a sudden his email address became bad and I did not hear from him. A woman who visited my site said she had known Hien when he lived inthe US and had lost contact with him. Soon after that I searched for his magazine and found an aritcle with a photo of the same magazine that he had given me and the article said his translations may not please the government. His house was off Pasture at the end of a small alley. I found the alley and went down hoping to find his house and him happy and in business and some simple reason his email went bad. Instead, at the and of the alley, I found the long lane to his house and at the end was a vacent lot with an excavator at the end. His house was gone and no one knew where he might be. Puzzling.

My new hotel is in an alley, off De Tham. Then take a left and a right and quick left and here we are. It is first floor, which here is really second floor. I have a small balcony and a window which has no glass. The no glass is by design not an accident. It is verey clean and bright. Only problem is that there is no internet.

This evening it began to rain a little early and very hard. It rained much longer than usual. When it began to let up I went out for a walk. Down the alley the puddles got longer and deeper. By time I got to De Tham Street it was flooded. Shop keepers were sweeping the water out of their businesses. Some motorcycles were moving slowly and their riders were covered in ponchos, trying to stay dry. Others came speeding down the street, splashing up waves and acting as if the were on a ride at the water park. Buses and taxis manuvered and pedestrians waded, calf deep, as if at the beach. I just took off my shoes and waded in. It was really a lot of fun like a bunch of kids in a wading pool. By time I got to Pham Ngu Lao it was a river with coconuts and debris floating down the street at a good speed.

I ran into a man from the Philipeans and we talked for a while. Tomorrow we will have lunch with his family. Later I ran into a second man from the Philipeans and as we talked I asked if he knew Bien, who is also from the Philipeans. He did and as it turns out this is the woman I met in the department store the other day. He asked if I wanted to meet his family and since it was almost 4:00 and time for the rain to begin I said ok. He got a cab and we drove out to Newport. I met his brother who had been living in Vietnam and once again met Bien. We had a wonderful time talking. The brother had worked in the Philipeans and now lives and works in Vietnam. He was a very interesting and we discussed many things.

I got in touch with Cathy whom I have known since 1999 and we will have dinner and try to include as much of her family and Miss Yen who is Cathy's mother's best friend. Miss Yen was at the first dinner at Cathy’s house when I was here in 2001. Cathy’s name, on the internet is Opium poppy, which in Cathy’s case is just as innocent as can be.

I also got in touch with Mr Bach. Thuy who went with me to see the little girl I sponsored in 2001. He now lives out in Thu Duc which is just wonderful as he is an older man who has a lot of knowledge about the American war and the time after. He also lives near the National Military Cemetery. This is a place that has been neglected and desecrated since the fall of Saigon.

I spent a few hours sitting in the alley in front of the hotel. Despite the fact that the alley zig zags and is, at some points, only a few feet wide it does not slow the motorcycles. Many Vietnamese in this place eat out a lot. It is easy and cheaper that cooking. Just across the alley and down 2 stores is a restaurant on the corner. A group gathered there, ate and is now watching television. There is much laughter and talking sometimes it is obviously aimed at the program and sometimes at one another. People drop in and leave. On the corner opposite there is a woman sauteeing clams. Miss Hoa dropped by and asked if I was hungry. I said I was not but went along to see the place. She stopped at the end of one of the alleys where it emerged onto De Tham street. A lady there has a large pot of soup. She dishes out a bowl and adds a spoon full of shallots and a spoon of chillies. Miss Hoa adds another spoon full of chillies. We go back and sit in front of the hotel and eat. She gives me a taste of the soup. It is hot as in temperature and very hot as in chillies. I take a taste and have to drink something. I told her I would have a bowl tomorrow, with less chillies though. Children are playing with sticks and other discarded items. There are no toys here. The alley is far more extensive than I had first realized. We are in one block and yet the alleys cris cross and twist through a maze. It appears that many of these houses were added onto the sides of larger buildings that once had alleys wide enough for a truck. Miss Hoa's house is less than 5 feet deep and less than 12 feet long. It has a second story that is equally small. Many houses are two and three storied and most are about 10 or 12 feet wide. The lady in the hotel has placed a tray on the step. It has food, tea, a candle and prayers and money. She lights incense and places it on the tray.

As it gets later women are washing dishes and throwing water out into the alley. Restaurants are emptying and closing. The lady from the hotel returns to pour the tea into the planters. Place the food out in the alley and places the prayers and money in a can and lights it on fire. As it burns she places the incense sticks in the planters. The doors are being closed and lights are going out.

Back near the hotel I ran into Miss Hoa whom I met a few days ago and who is the one who found my hotel. I asked her if she would help me learn to use the bus. We went out to the place that in 1968 was the Circle Sportif, a fancy officers club. It is where the Water Puppets preform. We bought the tickets and were told the first show was at 6:30. The bus is 3,000 Dong, anywhere in the city. A cab is 20,000 to get almost anywhere. When it is time to see miss Hue that will be 90,000 and we can even use the bus to take the girls to the water park. We had a lot of fun on the bus talking to people.

After that we went to the Zoo, on The bus. The Zoo was packed. The animals were relatively clean and looked in good condition. At one place there were three little girls playing tag. Each had a small branch in each hand as they ran around. There was a stage and a magic show was going on. Children would go up and sit on the edge of the stage to see better. We stopped and got lunch which was a soup that was very hot.

Evening arrives and we are of to see the Water Puppets. The theater is rather small and Hoa is a little afraid that I might not enjoy the show because I do not understand the language. I have to tell you that the one thing no one should miss in Saigon or Hanoi is the Water Puppets. The curtain opens and there are 3 classical musicians on each side of a large pool. Behind the pool is a Vietnamese building that might be a temple or a home. There are 18 short stories that are acted out. Some have no words at all and are easy to follow. Others have the puppets speaking by the 6 musicians saying their words. In one play a boat came out with 4 men, the first had a sword. A mist comes over a corner of the pond and a golden turtle came up and took the sword from the man in the boat. I said to Hoa "Le Loi" and she smiled and said yes. When we were in Hanoi in 2003 we went to Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake of the returned sword. We were told the story of how Le Loi was given a sword by the Gods to defeat and enemy. Later he was n the lake and a golden turtle, sent by the Gods, came and took the sword back. It is really wonderful to make a connection between the history and this play. All the plays were wonderful. In another two dragons fought. In another a dragon came out and was breathing fire. It was such a wonderful evening. I remembered new batteries for my camera but forgot my camera. I guess I will have to go back again.

After the Water Puppets Hoa asked if I wanted to hear some music. We stopped at an outdoor theater. We were a little early and walked around outside where kids were buying snacks for the show. There were all manner of fruit and most were things you would not find at a concert in the US. One man was selling olives. He would scoop them out and place them in a small bag, add a scoop if salt and chillies and pass them out. The singers began and it was a fun time. During the show people would go up on stage and hand flowers or stuffed animals to the singers who would bow and even pose with them for photos. Hoa said one of the singers was wealthy and had sung in the United States. She had purchased some flowers. When an man, she said was 43, came out he sang to more traditional music. She went up and gave him the flowers. There is not a lot of applause during the show. Even as individuals leave the stage there is not applause.

Hoa had cut herself, while cooking, two weeks ago and though the skin healed it is red and sore. I told her she should see the doctor. She did not want to but her friends also thought she should. This morning we went to the hospital and that was an experience. We waded into a mass of people all needing care for one thing or another. We met a man who was using a power saw and cut his hand rather badly. And so many children in casts or newly arrived. So many beautiful little girls. I know the term beautiful little girls is redundant but such is life. We got into the system at one office for a cost of about $1.50 and then went from office to office following a trail of proper procedures. We ended up across the street getting and x ray for $2.50 and that was the total cost for the day. After that we followed a nurse around with a group of patients that got dropped off here and there as their needs required. Every once in a while there was a sign in English but not often. I figured out Radiology by the Kodak sign. Everyone was friendly even though pushing and butting in line are the order of the day here and nothing is thought of it. We met many people who shared the nature of their problem or their child’s. In the end we find that Hoa's finger is not infected and can be fixed or left as it is. She is afraid of the pain of fixing it. This would be opening it, cleaning it and stitching it closed. She has decided not to get it fixed but is happy to know that she does not have an infection.

In the alley Hoa was having lunch with friends and we talked about the Circus and other things to do. Finally the group thought Karaoke would so off we went. Karaoke is a little different here. You do not get up in front of a bunch of strangers. Instead you get a room and all your friends get in and sing along. You only have to look silly in front of friends. Hoa sings very well and selects her songs from traditional music. The Karaoke, in our case, is in the upstairs of a house down the alley and around a few corners. The man shows us upstairs and turns on the machine. We get seated and start looking through the catalog. The unusual part of this is that all the songs have been recorded by Vietnamese groups and the music is very different than as we know it in the US.

One negative is that as we got into Vinh Long there was a little boy sitting in the gutter just staring down the road. I was told he was mentally ill.

The boats move slowly up and down the river. All except he police and the harbor police. They have high powered boats and like to come full throttle down the middle of the river leaving a wake with 2 foot high waves. As they pass the small boats turn into the wake and ride over the waves. The drivers look at one another and smile and shake their heads.

Along the rivers there are many boats of all sizes from quite small to rather large. Almost all have eyes painted on the bow. In the past we were told that this was to chase evil spirits however on this trip we are given another explanation. We are told that the Mekong is 4,500 Kilometers long from it's beginning in China to the coast of Vietnam. We are told the eyes are so the ship will always find it's way home.

We spent a lot of time in boats. Going across large expanses of the Mekong and also in small canals where the vegetation hung over the banks and often in the boat. At one point Hoa reached out and picked a handful of cherries off the tree. Talk about a fresh snack. It was ver relaxing. We were left to our own devices for diner so Hoa wanted to get something on the street. This is a lot of fun.

Our second stop was at a rice processing plant. We had stopped here last trip however it was national ladies day so the plant was closed. This time it was open and it was a fascinating place. It could probably be picked up and placed, as is, in a museum. All the machinery was old but everything was running fine. We watched the rice husked and some was ground and other was bagged. I took a lot of photos but the dust in the air showed up as little spots on the picture. We cruised more canals and were back at the dock in Can Tho. Once again we were on our own for lunch. I love eating on the street. We went to a vegetarian restaurant. A Buddhist chant was playing very gently in the back ground. The food was very good however Hoa uses a lot of chillies. There are times she gives me a taste of something she is eating and it burns my tongue and makes my mouth numb.

It rained a lot on the second day but it could not ruin the day. I did take off my shoes most of the day because they are cheap sneakers and I was afraid if they get wet they will fall apart. Later in the day, as we were ready to start back to Saigon, we were on the river in Vinh Long again and had an hour to get a snack or wander around. Hoa got us the hoagies I like so much. The sun had come out and was shining as we walked to the pavilion on the river. It was then that I stepped in a large puddle and Hoa thought it quite funny that I kept them dry all day through the storm and ended up stepping in a puddle after the rain had stopped.

There is a ferry in and out of Vinh Long. There are 8 large boats in constant motion between the opposite landings. Down the river we can see another bridge crossing a tributary of the Mekong. As we arrived we had to get off the bus and walk onto the ferry then off and get back on the bus a few blocks away from the landing. Coming home it was still raining just a little and we are told the policeman is asleep and we do not have to get off the bus. We later find that the policeman was not really asleep it is just an expression. There are many interesting expressions here. Some make perfect sense and others take a little figuring. I now know why Taxi Girls are called Taxi Girls and it surprised me a little, I had not thought of that.

The bus ride back was quiet. For a time we talked to the driver and assistant. I had told Hoa that the assistant was Korean and she said he was not. On the way home he mentioned that he was born in Korea and had come to Vietnam a long time ago. Two young girls had gotten on the bus in Vinh Long and one sat in front across the aisle from us. She looked frightened. I did not realize it at the time but she suffered from motion sickness. About half way back she was sick in a small bag she carried. The driver looked around at her and I thought it would be nice if he stopped and let her dispose of the bag and get a drink. Instead the man next to the girl, who I had thought was asleep, saw her get a tissue and clean her mouth. He slid the window back and she held the bag out. When she saw there were no motorcycles she dropped the bag. I was a little surprised and my expression was noticed by Hoa and the assistant bus driver. They spoke to one another and he gave a thumbs up and said "Vietnam is number 1". I said "Yes it is, Vietnam is number 1".

At the Rice Plant there was a scale. I knew I was losing weight but was happy to see I have lost 10 Kilos. It doesn't sound like much but you have to multiply it by 2.2 to get pounds which is 22 and that sounds better. Also in Kilos I weigh only 145, unfortunately you also have to multiply that by 2.2 to get pounds, which is roughly..... something or other.

I will see Cathy and her family Sunday. Still hoping to see Van Anh Saturday. I have been keeping contact with others I hope to see in the next three weeks.

In the park I met a Russian man who wanted information about exchanging currency. He had a half an inch of US $100 bills. He asked the exchange rate and wondered if I would like to help him by exchanging a $20 UDS for him. Before I had a chance to say I did not have enough(not quite the truth). Two men approached and the man changed the subject thanked me for my help and walked away quickly.

The second man I met in the park was from Milasia and we talked for a while. He was happy to tell me the virtues of Miliasia. He told me how beautiful and less expensive it was. He seemed quite happy to be from there. I told him if I win the lottery I will see all of asia but now all I can afford is Vietnam.

Thirdly I met two men from Mozambique, I realize I probably spelled that wrong. They had been in Vietnam for a month. They took their life savings and filled a container with clothing and sent it back to Mozambique. They sold the clothing and are filling another. They are quite optomistic.

Dinner is at the cart down the alley. We have 3 dozen small clams, 2 dozen razor clams, and one dozen crab claws plus 2 drinks each and the tab is 160,000 VND or just under $10.00 USD. The sauces are very diferent but these are all very good sauces.

After dinner it is back to the music concert. It is just as good as Sunday, in fact it is very much like Sunday's.

The music was great unfortunately most of the narrative was in Vietnamese. Vietnam TV was there to cover the event and several of the singers were well known and have made recordings. Our host was Chairman of the school and also a professor of music at Kent State in Ohio. He had gone to the US after the fall of Saigon. There were several traditional instruments in cluding a guitar, or so I thought, it had the frets carved deep to allow that tinny sound so prevailant in Asian music. It was a great evening and I had a chance to meet more members of the school.

I came home after what I thought was a great evening of music. I had just arrived and sat on the end of my bed when there was a knock and Hoa came in. She invited me to a get together at the home of a friend. Her friend was playing the guitar and I am told thet she knows every song. It may be so. The beer was flowing and there were many snacks both Vietnamese and Western. We sang and talked for a while. It was 11:00 when I arrived and I do not know what time it was when I left.

I twas not a total loss. I got some more practice using the bus and finding that the bus map is not exactly the route that the buses follow. While wandering I met mr. Nhut who was so much help in years past with the girls. We talked and he took me to the Anh Linh School where the girls now live. Chuot came running out and hugged me. She was so excited. Chau came out and also hugged me but she is so much more restrained. While Chuot smiles from ear to ear Chau will have a much more quiet gentle smile. Both are doing well however Chau was 14 when she started the first grade and was behind. She is doing well with hewr studies and wishes to become an airline hostess when she graduates. I took a few pictures and asked Sister Thuy if I could take them to the Water Puppets Sunday night. She said that would be fine and the girls were excited about going.

Sister Thuy began with the school as a teacher in 1990 when the school opened. She is now Director. Her order has schools in 7 countries including France. There is a Convent and a dormatory however the school is a public one. The Government does not allow church schools. The building is small but they are building a much larger one. It is scheduled to open soon. Sister Thuy said I would be welcom to volunteer as a teacher if I get the teaching job and can stay here.

Returning from the school I met Hoa in the alley. She asked if I wanted to go play pool. We went to the "Guns and Roses" bar. It hasd a mural of the group and loud musin was filling the small room. So here I am in the Guns and Roses bar, being beaten at pool by a half pint hussler who can not reach the center of the table. I can't stand the music and I am drinking ice water because I know a beer will put me to sleep. I must be getting old.

Coming back I walked since it was not a really long walk. It is Sunday and the park is full. There are acres of children playing on all manner of equipment and also playing in groups with toys or just sticks and leaves. There are Cub, Boy and Girl Scouts all over in groups. A boy and girl are practicing dance moves and look to be having a lot of fun. There is an area set up like a race track and remote control cars are screaming all over. The park has many manicured gardens and even a rather large Cactus garden. A girl has a fan and is dancing in a very Japanese style. Everyone seems so happy. I stop to take a photo of a ring of Girl Scouts and everyone begins to wave and say hello. So many children passing by say hello. I always say hello in return and How are you. For some hello is their only word and they are so happy to use it and find that it works.

I walk past Ben Than Market and through the back where fish are swimming in large pans. While bowls of snails are crawling around and occasionally going over the wall in an attempt at freedom.

Back at the room someone has pealed Bui and placed them in my fridge, I love them. I think back home they are called Palmetos, not sure. I have asked the few people I see a lot of to not buy food since I am so happy that I lost the 10 Kilos. However there is a core of people who think I am wasting away and are concerned that if I do not eat I will weaken and be unhealthy.

I am back a little early for lunch. I go to the restaurant and since I am so early I just wander the street and finally stop at another restaurant and have some tea and shade. It is 15 minutes before Cathy, her Mother and Miss Yen are to arrive so I go back and am told they are here. Upstairs I meet them, I saw Cathy last trip but I have not seen her Mother or Miss Yen since 2001. Miss Yen is Cathy’s Mother’s best friend. Miss Yen is one of those people who make you feel special just to be around her. We talk of many things. Thuy, the young lady, just out of high school, who came with Cathy when I first met her in 2001 is now Dr Thuy. Her field is Pediatrics. She works at the hospital that Dylan and I went to, last trip, when we needed to have his foot looked at. Right now she is in Austria on a scholarship. Miss Yen knows French and we have a fun time discussing French and some of the silly translations here in Saigon. Cathy’s brother has a good job and is off with friends today. The restaurant Cathy has picked is Thai and it is very good. There is one dish that had peppers which were brown. Since I did not see the red warning color I ate it. It was very hot. Miss Yen said do not cry.

I am off to the school early unfortunately I have no watch or clock so I arrived over an hour early. This gives me a time to see the entire school and have time to talk to the sisters and to Chau and Chuot. We had been a little concerned that since Chau was 13 when she entered the school and first grade that she might not take to it well. There was an incident where she left the school and was away for a time. She did return and is now doing very well in her studies. She does computer work to earn extra money and is very happy at the school. Her career plans are to become and airline stewardess. She certainly has the looks for it. She still has that reserved quiet smile. It becomes much more as we talk but always returns to that quiet smile. Chuot, on the other hand, smiles a lot and also talks a lot. She is a little shy using her English, as is Chau. Chuot is 12 and has also taken well to school. After her studies she likes sewing and does a lot of work making the school uniforms which provides her spending money. They are happy and on their way to a good life. It is something that has worried me for a long time.

Sister Thuy has photos of students and of the homes they come from. Some have been abused, some sexually. Some live in 6’ by 6’ shacks. Some have come to her in the middle of the night and asked to stay. In spite of all that has happened they have such beautiful smiles and want to go to school and work hard. The students clean the school and do other chores.

At 5:30 we go to the Theater. Chau and Chuot are both excited. I think Sister Thuy is also. A friend told me that for a western man to take two young Vietnamese girls anywhere could cause a problem. So I purchased an extra ticket and invited Sister Thuy or one of the other Sisters to come. The show was a hit and all enjoyed it. At times Chau would show me where we were on the program. When we returned to the convent I told Sister Thuy that in the past I only dealt with Chau and Chuot and did not think of the other girls. I told her that next time I would think of all the girls.

And to think I thought this day was going to be boring. I was up and had a nice cold shower to make sure that I was really awake. I got dressed and was sitting watching the Olympics when Hoa burst in and said “Come on we have to go to the airport”. I asked why. She said a friend of her best friend has a son going to Arizona and we have to go. I asked why and she said he is 130 kilos and you are 145 kilos. If this makes any sense to any of you please explain it to me. I said how will we get there. Hoa said they have a car. I love getting involved in these family and community things but I asked how many people would be in the car. She said it does not matter it is a big car. I went with her to see what this was all about. The boy who was going was Dai. His mother was the sister of Hoa’s best friend. Hoa’s best friend and her husband own 5 buses and her best friend’s husband’s Sister is in tourism. In fact I think the whole family is. The grandparents have restaurants. The big car, as it turns out, is a bus. As I approach Dai came over and shook my hand and said “thank you for coming”. I guess someone told him they found his size to go to the airport. We all pilled into the bus and went to the airport. Dai’s Scout troop was there and he put them in formation and called them to attention and they saluted one another. Everyone was emotional. I told him it will be a great adventure and I was sure he would like the trip and America. Everyone hugged and cried then he went in. After that a panic beset the group. The question was “would he come back, after check-in, or not. Hoa said that no one discussed that with him. I said “Go ask”. She said we can not go in there. I said of course you can, I went in with Dylan just two weeks ago. Hoa said you can but we can not, you go talk to him. Fascinating isn’t it. I can go in and wander around and come back our with only a smile from the guards but they all know they can not. There is a railing around a 30 by 60 foot area just outside the entrance to the terminal and they can not go in. I went in and found him at check-in and asked if he would come back out when he was finished. He said he would. I went out and told them he would come back out. It seemed like a long time so I went in again and saw he was at the desk. I waited but he was there a long time. Finally he went towards the planes and by time I got around he was gone. I went out and said I did not know where he was but went back in to look. Actually he did not go to the planed but to more questioning. As it turns out single, young Vietnamese are a concern of the government when they travel since the government is afraid they will not come back. So having found him again we walk back out and everyone is excited. He spends about an hour and then goes back in. All is well and we get back on the bus. As we leave the airport a call arrives and he is having trouble with his carry on. We turn around and go back. His mother and I go into the terminal. She holds my hand implying we are together but it does not work. The guards allow me past and stop her. They ask her what she wants and she explains but it makes no difference. She is asked why I keep going in and out. She said her son is traveling to America for the first time and I am helping the family as he leaves. No matter, she stays out and I go in. I look all over but he is nowhere in Check-in. I try to go nearer the planes but can not get through customs. I go back out to report and they have received that he called and he is on his way. It was just a little harassment. Back on the bus everyone is a little upset at the harassment but everyone calms down and they are all happy and joking again.

Having all that behind us I next had an appointment to meet the Director of the World Foreign Language School.

I got back in plenty of time to meet him and have tea and chat. On the way to the coffee shop there was an accident. A motorcycle went down and the girl driving it was being held down by the cycle. Two men ran over and lifted it so she could get up. It is nice to see people help out like that. Except for the accident in Haiphong in 2003 I have not seen a really bad one. Though I am told there are many and that is why the helmet law.

It is fascinating and I will have the chance to meet others at the school and in business. The director was in Vietnam at the end of the war and spent time in a re-education camp. He has seen much history that others will never know about. He mentions that his Boy Scout training helped him to survive in the camp. He also mentioned that he has a certificate that he completed his re-education. I asked if he framed it and proudly displayed it. He looked at me and said “only to some people”. He mentioned a list that is kept and when anyone wants college or a business opportunity who ever is in power will look at the list and say yes or no. Some things change others do not. At least not yet.

We arrived at the school and met Mr Pham, the principal. I also met Sarah from Australia who has been here teaching for three months. She likes it a lot.

Next thing I knew I was evaluating students and helping to teach a class. I still do not know where this is going.

I have been trying to get a recording of the prayer that was being chanted in the restaurant in Can Tho and returned to a store where the lady had told me that she would have it today. I asked at the store but the lady was not in today and no one knew anything about it, The lady who was there asked if I spoke German and I said no. She asked if I spoke English and I said yes. She turned to a young man and spoke to him. He told me, in a very German accent that they did not have the recording but they would get the address of where I could find it. The young man is 14 and Speaks German, English, French and Vietnamese however he and his mother speak to one another in German since they spent so much time there and that is where he grew up.

I went to the Tax Store and bought a nice, not too expensive, camera. It would have been cheaper in a small shop but you never know what you will get there, The Chinese have no concern for copyrights or patents. I am told you can buy a Honda, made in China, very cheap however it is very poor quality. I had bought a low end Cannon camera a few years back and it lasted about a month and fell apart.

Buildings are going up ever where. I am told that in Hanoi to build a new building often requires an old building be restored and be incorporated in the new structer. In Saigon there is a hotel on the South end of Nguyen Hue that was built behind the old French building and is using the old building as part of the hotel.

We have a new tenant in the hotel. His name is Dick, short for Dirk. He was born in Holland and immigrated to Australia with his family in the 60’s. He is now retired and travels in SE Asia 9 months out of the year. He said he will probably settle down in Thailand. We have had a good time chatting at the hotel and across the street in the small café at the junction of two alleys.

As I came home yesterday I ran into Miss Dung. She was no longer angry, or so she said, although I did notice that as she spoke to some people she had little patients with them. I asked her if she just liked being angry. She got that small innocent smile that she has when she is caught. I like Miss Dung, pronounced Yung. She has had a very interesting and difficult life but has little complaint. She seems to accept it and do her best. When we are at a temple she will often go in and pray. She did this a lot when her mother was sick a few years ago. Her Father was Cambodian and her mother Vietnamese. She was born in 1962 and was 15 when the American War ended. This was a very bad time to be in Cambodia. Her Father died when she was young and her mother was VC but at the end of the war the new government did little to help the “heroes of the revolution” who were low in rank and in out of the way places. Miss Dung provided for her Mother and 3 older brothers and 3 older sisters. She paid her mothers medical bills when she was sick and buried her after she died. Her siblings claimed to not be financially able to help. She has given me insight into her very hard life but it has come in little bits and pieces. I know when I am about to get a little piece when she gets quiet and looks up at me in a very submissive look and starts by saying "I hope you not angry me". I remind her that we have known each other 7 years and I have never been angry with her. If she wrote an autobiography I would love to read it. We had lunch today and went to sit in the park. We also had dinner and sat in the lobby of the hotel and talked. Age came up and she said she is 40 now. I reminded her she was born in 1962 so she is….. and before I could say it she said 47. Then she got that innocent, submissive smile again. She does not smoke or drink and never swears or even use impolite language. She is part Sailor on liberty in a far away port and part little girl.

We were having breakfast when a lady came and started singing. The man at the restaurant kept trying to steer her away but she slipped out of his grasp and kept singing. Finally there was a loud pop noise and one of the men who was sitting on a motor bike had taken off his flip flop and smacked her rear with it. She looked at him surprised but kept smiling and finally took the restaurant mans direction and walked down the street. So much for the floor show.

After breakfast we went to Miss Dung’s house. She has had a different house every time I have seen her. She said she would be leaving this one in a few days. The rent is too high. She is paying a million Dong a month. This is about $60.00 USD. I would be happy with that. The house is 10 by 10 with an upstairs. I guess that is why it is so expensive.

I was inthe lobby trying to understand the accent marke in Vietnamese when a bright yellow motorcycle with a bright yellow box and DHL, in red, pulled up and it was my medicine that Susan had sent. It only took around 3 or 4 days.

The afternoon is spent wandering and using the bus. Except for a minor miss reading of the map which left me in the middle of nowhere all went well. The bus is fun but I have to wave it down at the stop because there are so few Westerners using it that the drived assume that a westerner standing at the stop is just there by accident. Each bus has a conductor. Some look like they are 15 years old.

We discussed many things including one man having moved into a new house and the previous tenant’s phone was still active. He tried to have it changed to his name for billing. There was a problem and they can not get it done. He now has free phone service. To have it changed he needs to go to the Ward, the District and the Phone company none of which seems really interested in fixing the problem. So the free service continues until someone gets around to fixing it. There are small things here that get the greatest attention and large things that seem as if no one wants to touch.

After the breakfast we were leaving when a man said he had room in his car for 3 more. He invited myself and 2 others to a ride home. We got to the car and it was the smallest car I have ever seen. We all piled in and off we went. There more interesting conversations.

I got to the breakfast get together by taking the bus. They were impressed that I had figured it out. It is not so bad just that I have some interesting experiences. At the bus stop I have to stand and wave to the bus to have it stop. So few Westerners use the bus that it is assumed that as I stand at the stop I must be waiting for a cab and just happen to be at a bus stop. When I get on the bus everyone looks at me and I feel as if they are wondering why I am here and not taking a cab. There is an assumption here that Westerners are all rich.

I have been helping the lady at the hotel with English and she has been helping me with Vietnamese. I am not sure that I could ever learn this language. I thought I might benefit if I wrote all the vowels and their marks and have her pronounce them and therefore know the sound. She has done this and in many I can not differentiate the sound.

The alley is a community. Everyone knows everyone else. They know who will drink too much tonight and be loud and who needs a little extra help. A little lady who was all bent over and carrying a large basket of incense came down the alley and as she passed each house someone came out offered her a seat and took some incense then paid her and helped her on down the alley till someone else came out and continued the process. A western man comes each night to the little restaurant across the street, sits and watches TV. He drinks half a dozen bottles of beer and leaves. He is very quiet. There is a place where I buy hoagies that are delicious. If the daughters sell me one it is 6,000 Dong. If the mother sells me one it is 8,000 Dong. The daughters see me more and I get the local price. The mother sees me less and I get the tourist price. A produce truck used to come to my Grandmothers house in Philadelphia when I was young, half a century ago. It happens here with everything. A cart comes with all manner of fruit, eggs, even rat traps. And speaking of rat traps. There is a concrete manhole cover at the intersection of the two alleys where the restaurant is. As we sit and sip our tea or Coke we watch a rat come up from a chipped place of the cover, pick up a little snack and disappear back down the hole. No one seems to pa any attention to it.

Back at the hotel I am having such a wonderful time with the lady who runs it. We work on my Vietnamese and her English. She is having a problem that Vietnamese have due to a lack of use of the sound th in their language. She tries and it seems so easy to me but she can not say Mother. It comes out Mudder. So we just try th th th th th and it makes her laugh when I make the sound but she can not do it. It is also interesting that most Vietnamese have no trouble with L at the beginning of a word but can not say it at the end. The same sound but at the beginning it is a clear L and at the end it just disappears. “Fill” becomes “few”, I will few it up. I am sure they all wonder that I can not get the accent marks or see how different between O with ^ or O with another mark. We also work on idioms. We are having a lot of fun with those. Some are interesting in that they have a diferent frame of reference. We discussed breaking the ice. We will think of ice on a pond or a window yet most here have never experienced cold weather let along ice. So their reference to ice is what you put in a drink or make in your refrigerator.

Two days ago, in Miss Dung’s neighbourhood we went to a temple and it was filled with bags of rice. I thought it was being used as a warehouse but said it would be handed out on Buddha’s birthday.

On my walk my walk there is a little boy in the doorway of a store with a long ribbon in each hand. He is dancing at a very fast pace. There is a group of boys playing marbles. Each boy has one marble and does not loose it. It must have something to do with points or bragging rights. A group children playing football in the park has kicked their ball into the lake. There is a sign saying “no swimming” A boy vaults the fence and splashes into the lake. He throws the ball out and the crowd cheers. There is also a sign that says “no fishing” but the 4 men fishing pay no attention. It is interesting that here the police have such power and little restriction yet no one seems to care about minor infractions.

Continuing my walk I sat in the park for a short time and a young lady came and talked to me. She wanted to practice her English. She spoke well and did not seem shy about it. Later she said she did feel a little shy using English which is so bad. Actually it was very good. If my Vietnamese were as good as her English I would be telling people how well I spoke it. A Vietnamese man stopped. He had been in since his birth and after the war did not suffer too much. He and I reminisced about what was the same and what was different.

It is 2:30 in the afternoon and the rain came early today. For a short time the rain came down so hard that it was blowing in the front of the travel agency and drops are falling on the computers. No one seems concerned.

A short time ago I stopped back at my hotel room. I pass Hoa’s house going in and out of the alley my hotel is in. Hoa has assumed the responsibility to care for me and make sure my weight does not fall anymore. She wants me to stay strong and insists I eat more. Her friends report on me, where I am and what I am up to. I returned and she showed up with a bowl of rice and friend chicken which is much lighter than anything from the Colonel. There is no coating. It is very good. There was also a bowl of shrimp soup. There is a lot of cilantro used here. There is a lot of use of greens that are thrown in at the last moment so they hardly cook and stay crisp and flavourful.

The lady at the hotel and I continue working on her English and my Vietnamese. We work on such interesting things as idioms and metaphors. Interesting that sometimes our thought processes seem so different.

For years I have noticed the tent at the North end of the park on Pham Ngo Lao. It is definitely a Circus tent but I did not know if it was being used or not. I went up and found it was open on Saturday and Sunday night so I asked Hoa if she would like to go. She asked her friend’s Daughter and off we went. We stopped and bought tickets so we would be up front. Then we went across the street to the market, which is now closed, and bought dinner. Though the market is closed there is a large area, under roof, in the front that becomes a restaurant in the evening. A number of vendors come, set up and cook. You can pick and choose from one vendor’s soup and another vendor’s main course. Hoa and I had the fish soup while her friend’s daughter had some pork and rice paper with friend onions. We had drinks and the meal was just over 4 dollars.

There was still tie after dinner, before the show started, so we stopped and Hoa’s friend’s daughter drove the bumping cars. Interesting her is that the bumping cars only bump by accident and not hard. Interesting also is that there are no sides or railing and the battery powered cars could easily go out into the crowd. When one is headed there one of the people supervising jumps up on the car and steers it back, She went on several rides and painted a small ceramic box. Many places have ceramics for children to paint. I did not see what Hoa paid for that.

The Circus was filled to about 10% capacity and just like there was very little applause. Most came when the crowd began clapping in unison. There was a dog act, a monkey act and an Elephant. There were jugglers and acrobats, some of them very good. Overall it was like a High School production. There was more than enough suspense and comedy to make all the children and Hoa laugh a lot. It was very good. It ended with a youth group doing some dancing, acrobatics and bicycle riding. All this was to the tune of and American about a sergeant Mac or Jack. It was loud and scratchy and had words that would not be used around children, one in particular. The act ended with the young people looking much like a Socialist poster. All with one arm out and up. I suppose it was pointing to the bright future.

The other day I was told that the French government had offered to restore any and all of the old French buildings with the only condition that they be maintained as is. The Vietnamese government declined the offer. Considering the number of old French buildings around the country I think that may have been a bad decision.

Back at the other end of the alley another alter is built. This is like the ones yesterday. Food is set out and prayers and money. A group of children are gathering. There are also bags of snacks prepared to be handed out. In the group of children are a few older and more rowdy young men. At times it looks as though they are intimidating the younger ones. Out on the main street there is a fire and someone is sending many things to the ancestors. There are prayers, money and an automobile.

Miss Dung has stopped by. She has a friend who is teaching without degree or experience and she has arranged for me to meet him at 9:00 PM. We go out to dinner and hang out till 8:30 and then go to the restaurant where we will meet Barry. Barry is a very interesting man. He is Australian and went to New Guinea where he ran a plantation for years. He Said it was the last frontier and a great place to be. Now he is in Vietnam teaching and has a lot of information And a contact who I will call and meet Thursday when I return from Dalat.

I have tickets to Dalat and will see Nga and Rich Tuesday and Wednesday. I may be out of touch for a few days.

Nearing Dalat there is a new Hydro Electric plant built but the water has not yet filled the lake that will be backed up.

Arriving in Dalat I am driven to my hotel where I find a message from Rich. I give him a call and he said he would get me at 6:00. I spend the day getting some really nice photos of the city. Up and down alleys and through the market. IN the very back is an area of chicken cages where live birds are kept and sold. A lady who is well dressed is selecting a chicken and I am waiting for a good photo. In an empty cage a rat is eating a plastic bag. The lady is uneasy and looking at me making a face. I look at the rat and shrug. She smiles and goes back to inspecting the chicken that the lady is displaying. This is a big market and has been added on to in the last few years. Large areas of fresh produce and other areas of fish, poultry, pork and beef. Surprisingly the market smells wonderful.

I am back at the hotel early and sit next door and have a coke in a small shop.

6:30 and I am talking to the assistant manager of the hotel when Rich arrives. At his home I meet Tom, a Vet and his wife Ngoc who are friends of Rich and Nga. Ngoc is holding Kyla, daughter of Rich and Nga and I am surprised how big she is getting. Nga is also there. We have a really nice dinner of Pumpkin soup, fried chicken, greens and a beautiful salad with Rich’s Blue Cheese Dressing. We have a lot of good conversation. Tom has been to my site and liked it. The house is being powered by a generator. All over Vietnam development and tourism are testing the electrical grid. We are interrupted by a loud bell. It sounds when power is restored and Rich can go shut the generator off. One of our topics of discussion was Vegi Bob. Bob came here and started importing vegetables. Now he has a farm in Dalat and sells to the better hotels in Saigon and Hanoi.

It got late and I returned to the hotel to update the site, and here we are.

The interest rate is up to 19.5% here on CDs of 6 months. Problem is that is on Dong invested. The Dong is very tightly controlled by the government here. It does not allow the dong to be traded internationally. Dong may not be taken out of the country except in very small amounts. The interest rate here for USD is 8%. Considerably less but still good, however, like the Dong you can not take USD out of the country. Someone I met who is a US Citizen tried to send his children $100USD for Christmas but was not allowed to send it. Some here also think the government should allow the Dong to float to a more compatible level. Some say it should trade against the USD at 22,000 Dong per USD. Also the bureaucracy here is massive, and minor officials, not knowing an answer, will simply say you can not do that. Enough Politics for now.

I was up late and did not get up till 8:00 this morning. I walked to the center of town and looked around. The travel bureau marked my map with several things I wanted to see were and I was off. First I found a man with a motorcycle and pointed out the college, he said ok and off we went the wrong way. This city is laid out funny so I thought nothing of it till we ended up at a church we visited in 2003. At that time my camera had stopped working and now was my chance to get some good shots. It is a large Catholic Church. The buildings are old French and beautiful. I went around and took many photos. Digital is the way to go. Snap, Snap, Snap. Standing in the garden I was lining up a shot of the church and one wing when all of a sudden Sisters came out of the Church. Then they were coming out all the doors and flowing through the garden like a river of Blue. It was so beautiful and I have a few good shots. They were all smiling and looking so beautiful. The church is almost all Pink.

As we had approached the Church I had noticed some old French buildings in a compound that were apparently empty and there was construction going on around them. Just as I was deciding weather to go back or not we arrived at the Church. After leaving I went across the street and found a break in the wall and went in. The buildings were very old and beautiful. Some were small and others were large. The smaller ones looked abandoned and ready for demolition. As I took photos I found that a larger building was a hotel and others were a hospital. I continued taking photos and met a few of the people there who were busy but stopped to say hello and ask what I was doing. When I told them I liked old French buildings there was a look that they could not understand that except for one lady who seemed happy.

Next stop was Ana Mandara. Fascinating. I wrote about this last time when I heard about it but did not get to see it. This time I made sure it was a top priority. Ana Mandara was started by the French as the second world war approached. Many French thought the Germans would win the war so they built mansions on a hill to the West of Dalat. The Germans lost the war and the French went back to France. The mansions sat empty for 30 years and now have been restored and are guest houses. They are beautiful and some are very ostentatious. There is a community pool and one of the homes is now a restaurant.

After Ana Mandara I wanted to see Crazy House again. 2 years it was under construction and no rooms were open. Now, as construction continues, the rooms are starting to be rented. The rates are between $35USD and $85USD. The building is free form concrete and flows around the property. There are mountains with caves for rooms and a chalet sort of building with more rooms. There is a restaurant and much gardens and water flowing here and there. The Crazy Lady, as she is known here, is the daughter of a Vietnamese woman and a Russian man. She is an artist and an architect, having received her degree in architecture from a university in Hong Kong. I think she is locally called the crazy lady because the building goes against everything Vietnamese. There is no conformity at all. I think she is also a romantic.

After Crazy House I wanted to look at the college. Arriving at the gate I am told I can not go on the campus because the students were studying. I walked around the parameter taking photos over and through the fence. Like most of the old buildings in Vietnam they may be maintained but seldom painted. I think it actually adds to the beauty of the building as the paint fades. Around the back I ran into a group of girls returning from some thing. They all smiled and waived. They all said hello and one asked my name. I said Henry and she said it was a cute name as they all started saying Henry, Henry,Henry. They were so sweet and happy.

Unfortunately the college has a bad reputation with businesses. One Saigon firm post for jobs and says “Dalat University Graduates need not apply”. Sadly the reputation comes from the school not wanting to pay much but requiring a degree. In a recent group of prospective English teachers only one had a degree and an American friend who met her could not carry on a conversation in English with her. The underpaid teachers also have a reputation for not teaching well in class and earning extra money by tutoring after hours. Those whose family can afford a tutor get a good education and those whose family can not afford a tutor are out in the cold.

The man with a motorbike, whom I hired wanted to show me the Railroad Station so I went and I am glad I did. It is another old French building and rather opulent for it’s time. There is an old steam engine and a not quite so old diesel. A young lady came out of the station with a red and a yellow flag and opened the coupler of the diesel then walked down the track. I went about taking photos and when I came back I could not see her so I do not know how far she went or why. In front of the station is a large and very nice garden. A lot of beautiful plantings but the grass is never cut and is quite tall. It is in most places here except for parks that use something with 4 inch long wide blades or another thing we see looks like bent grass on golf courses.

After the station we came back towards town and I asked him to stop at a large building on a hill by the East end of the lake. It is a French Hotel. A beautiful big old building and below it. By the lake are two chalet looking buildings that have rooms for $3.00USD per night.

I am a little surprised how many hotels that have rooms for $9.00, $5.00 and even $3.00 have rooms. The tour companies will not even try to get you these rooms since they own hotels. I was trying to think of a small tirade but it is late and dinner was filling so I will let it go.

I arrived back at the hotel about an hour and a half before rich came to pick me up so I sit next door and have a Coke in the small shop next door and soon I returned to the hotel and wrote most of this.

5:30 arrived and so did Rich. We went to pick up Tom and were off to a place they both like. It serves American food and is owned by an American. Rich asked if it would be OK with me. I said that considering I have a 6 hour bus ride tonight I think it would be advisable.

Tom had a pizza which he said was very good. I had Chicken Lemon Grass which was also very good. A wonderful dinner and good conversation. Rich had the lemon meringue pie but Tom and I were full. We walked it off coming most of the way back to the hotel. At one intersection we left Tom near his house and Rich and I took a cab.

A short rest and the van will be here to take me to the bus.

I stopped by the ATM and got some money to pay for the week at the hotel. The trip has been really great but a financial disaster. This tourist season has raised the cost of everything but even worse there is run away inflation. Food is up 70%. In the past a meal for 3 would rarely be over $6.00USD now a meal for 2 is $9.00 to $12.00. I was running out of money and Susan bailed me out by sending some. I will leave with nothing