Chan May, Vietnam

Chan May, Vietnam. That’s where we didn’t go. We were supposed to go there, but it seems that lately we do not go were we are supposed to go more often then we do go where we are supposed to, go. Captain Dog, or is it Dag, decided it was too windy and rough to use that harbor so we went to Da Nang. Instead. It must not be very far away as we still saw the sights we had signed up for. I guess it was closer. However, now they could not go to Hue and the Perfume River. It was a long trip but was supposed to have far more to see.

The sea had been very rough the night before and it was very windy. Maybe 40 miles an hour. It was very cloudy and overcast. The highest the temperature got was about 64 degrees.

Da Nang was a lot of nothing. The large majority of buildings were torn down. Mile after mile of rubble and of course the commie guide would not tell you why.

We went to a museum with artifacts from an ancient civilization, the Cham people, from thousands of years ago. The museum was open air and not in very good shape.

From there we took one passenger bicycle rickshaws about a mile to the Han Market. These Pedi cabs were all lined up in a row waiting for us to climb aboard. It was amazing how they all fought with each other over who would not take me. I couldn’t understand why. I bathe. I brushed my teeth. I am very pretty. None of them spoke much English but I got this really ugly guy who did have a nice tooth, but only just the one. He did have a few words of English. When I complained about being way behind everyone else he uttered, “you big.” Even though it was cold and windy he was sweating a lot.

The Han market wasn’t much either. They tried to drag us through a three or four story store where they were showing us how they made clothes and pictures out of embroidery. Bobbi says they were beautiful. I couldn’t tell you because it was boring me and I took off down the street. They had mostly small stores up and down the street and around a corner and one very large one. They sold look alike watches and many other various kinds of junk. This was not a tourist area. Mostly they sold all kinds of foods and an awful lot of flowers.

Next we got back on the bus and went to China Beach. This had been a Huge US Marine base during the Vietnam war. It had even been a series on TV. Now it was a very up scale resort by Vietnam standards. The beach was very nice with white sand. It was very wavy and cold this day. Thank goodness they also had very nice clean washrooms with separate fully enclosed rooms with almost American toilets. I did not see any urinals. There was even very soft toilet tissue. I made good use of this facility. Later Bobbi told me she had passed by the men’s room and the door was open. She said she clearly saw urinals. I guess I was in the ladies. Close enough. It worked for me.

After an included soft drink or beer and a half hour rest stop we were back on the bus for the ride back to the ship. On the way we stopped at a factory in Marble Mountain Village where they made marble figures. The marble and the work was really very good. They had anything from tiny little turtles to giant one ton lions and almost anything you can think of. Bobbi found a 500 pound elephant she liked. Thank goodness she could not lift a 500 pound elephant. On the way we also stopped at the Marble Mountain to take pictures.

There was not a lot of traffic in this town. What there was, was mostly motor bikes and bicycles. Very few cars and trucks. Our guide spoke mostly not understandable English. She of course told us how wonderful the government was there. They are going to build new houses they are going to give to the poor people. They have billions of dollars that have been donated buy the Vietnamese people for these houses. They take wonderful care of the homeless and war widows. Yeah, right. And if you believe this doo doo I have a bridge I’d like to sell you.

Ladies Room Sherm Out
(Posted on behalf of Sherman Rootberg)