Hanoi to Mai Chau: Madness to Magical

Today epitomised the vast contradictions to be found in Vietnam. The beauty of the mountainous landscape only 100 km to the west and the peace and stillness of a rural valley where we spent the night replaced the madness that is to be found in Hanoi.

We began at the Hanoi Hilton. No not a Hotel but the infamous prison where….now this poses quite and interesting issue. Latterly it took American airmen who had been shot down and held them there for the duration eg 1973. It also had been used by the French from about 1890 up until 1954. However, the museum seemed to focus more on the French treatment of prisoners and rather less on what happened to the Americans. When we put that to our guide, Duc, the response was somewhat ambiguous. The problem was that the films about the American pilots was so unbalanced and one sided as to present the past as a pretty story. The version had some similarities with the way people like David Irving and other of his type want to treat the history of the Holocaust. We treated them well, they had lots of food and so on seems to be the line. Thus the visit lost some of its power although the presentation of the way the French treated its opponents was very graphic and clear. No wonder they lost the support of local communities after 1860.

Just outside Ha Noi is the Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum. Few westerners, we were told by our guide, visit this museum. In fact, few people seem to visit it as it was opened especially for us. It was interesting in many ways but quite poorly maintained. Dust and aging signs do not encourage one to look for too long. Yet the story it tells is fascinating if, as one might expect one sided and devoid of any critical viewpoint. It does have a diorama, which illustrates very well the layout of the trail as it evolved and this shows that it was many trails and not one. However, all efforts are presented as either heroic (no doubt some were) or very successful (as indeed some were. There is little recognition anywhere, 'that mistakes were made and lessons learnt'. (sorry about that!) The problem for the Vietnamese is that there story has to be presented and no doubt learnt by all children as one of success.

After leaving the museum the drive to Mai Chau was a fascinating mixture of total chaos and then beauty. The road westwards was truly mad. At one point I looked out of the front windscreen to see a seething sea of cycles filling the road as motos manoeuvred around them frantically. Buses, lorries and small vans then headed towards anything that moved, Sometimes this involved bikes or motos driving on the wrong side of the road, in the gutter and oblivious to its dangers. Horns were honked often and loudly to tell others we were passing. One man, who had responded to one honk by accelerating forward, then slower down, took his mobile out of his pocket and began a call while we sat 10 feet behind him! The road is too narrow and drivers want to get on but no one seems to have realised that the traffic needs to be managed as far as one can tell.

Then it all changed as we headed into the hills. The climb into the mountains on a road leading to Laos was quite spectacular with fantastic views of the valleys and nearby hills, The climb as slow and long but we did see two cyclists creeping determinably up one very long steep climb as we stood looking over the edge at the farmlands below. The road has been hacked out of the side of hills and hangs precariously on the edge of am step drop. Just as we were beginning the climb I saw from the window an odd site. Why had the rough fields seemingly changed into an area of cultivation and manicured lawns. I looked again. We were no where near a town, so it could not possibly be a ...but indeed it was. A huge golf course wending its way around the valley. Later I found out it had 54 holes and a huge clubhouse all aimed to attract the local golfer. No! Aimed at the wealthy tourist who will be driven out of Hanoi and spend a day spending the sort of money ordinary people can only dream about. Somehow I am, not comfortable with this.

It was soon after this that we descended towards Mai Chau where we were to stay. Away from urban Ha Noi we are into rural communities and ethnic minorities, in this case the Thai and Moeng people. The village specialises in homestays so in that sense is somewhat artificial but I guess we got a flavour of their lives.

To get to the village the bus had to negotiate a real obstacle course along a narrow road. Local people were harvesting rice and there were piles of straw, rice bundles, carts and other materials strewn about so we could not pass easily. A small thresher was working as well, firing straw into a ditch and the workers looked at us as thought we were from outer space! Finally we abandoned the coach and walked to the village.

We were greeted by the great grandfather who offered tea. He admitted to being 85, having children and grand children and great grand children but didn't know how many! And for the night we were all to sleep on the floor in the great house with the rest of his family. Great fun and not a lot of sleep; dogs barking, c*** crowing and, of yes, the floor was hard! And we paid good money for this!!