We have done so many long bus trips they have become something we just deal with. Last nights was no different. We pulled into a restaurant in Dong Ha around 7am (11 hours after leaving) and were greeted by a polite tour guide offering services. The bus was continuing on to Hue but we, along with five other tourists, were sold on the tour. It turned out to be a good move although initially we were nervous to make another sleep deprived mistake. Mr Hoa (Tel: 0905425701) and the group piled into a car for a 3 hour tour around the DMZ, a cemetery, a museum and the Vinh Moc Tunnels.

Mr Hoa was a brilliant guide and the entire excursion cost us only $15 each. First stop was a military cemetery where North Vietnamese soldiers have been reburied. There were new flower wreaths in place marking the location of future graves for bodies found recently in the jungles around Dong Ha (this is ongoing). Most of the headstones state ‘Unknown Soldier’ as the North Vietnamese used paper ID in stead of dog-tags. Mr Hoa enthusiastically explained everything in great detail bouncing from one interesting point to the next. Some of the headstones marked as ‘unknown’ have information painted the back. Apparently distraught families occasionally turn to ‘psychics’ that, for a fee, will locate the burial place of a lost family member. The families then take it upon themselves to fill in the details on the headstones. Interesting, but I find the abuse of grieving families in this manner to be utterly disgusting (Mr Hoa agrees). 

Heading further North we slowed to take some snaps of the terrain and monuments as we crossed the Ben Hai River that runs the width of the country. This marked the border between North and South during the conflict. The entire area (the DMZ) was leveled by bombs, artillery, napalm and chemical agents. Thriving rice paddies, rubber plantations and townships have replaced almost all evidence of the destruction.

Our next stop was the Vinh Moc tunnel complex and it’s little
museum. The museum was tiny (one hall) but did offer a decent model of the tunnels and some interesting before and after photographs of the DMZ. We headed into entrance number 3 – the entrances have been reinforced but otherwise they are in their original state unlike the popular tunnels near Ho Chi Min city. The tunnels were an excellent excursion. Three levels at depths of 13m, 18m and 23m all linked  by a confusing network. The walls are all the original soft clay from which they were skillfully excavated in 18 months – so soft that you can scrape them with a fingernail. Mr Hoa guided us around the various areas – living quarters where 400+ people lived complete with maternity ‘room’ and meeting/cinema corridor for screening propaganda. Walking through the massive labyrinth was inspiring. These guys must have been very tough (and a little shorter than average westerners). After about 40 minutes underground our little troupe of 7 emerged. It was a brilliant tour and the ride back to town had everyone snoozing except for Udie (an Israeli guy), V and me (we were excited and high on red bull). Mr Hoa continued the commentary – he had joined the South Vietnamese Army when he he was 18 and fought alongside his father, brother and the yanks. After the war he was held for 3 years in a ‘re-education’ camp. He still has issues with the northerners today (his boss is one of them) but loves his job and it shows !       

Back in town Mr Hoa, true to his word, arranged a minibus to take us the rest of the way to Hue and find us reasonable accommodation. V and I chatted the trip away with the two Israeli guys (Guy and Udie). Still early we decided to make the most of the day and headed out into the old walled city of the emperor. Impressive city walls and dragon decorations along with the tallest flag pole in Vietnam and the remains of the palace made it an interesting and enjoyable afternoon. This is the kind of stuff we were looking for in Vietnam. What a great day!

[Pictures: V heading down inside the tunnels. A dragon in to old walled city of Hue]
    

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi