Quy Nhon to Hoi An

Today was a day that the mournful looking skies seemed to fit perfectly.  We were off to see another example of human atrocity, this time though it was an especially ugly version.  It was also to be a day of a long bus journey.  Listening to some of the group complain about that made me chuckle.....having spent the whole goddamn day on the bus the day before I wanted to hang myself at the prospect of another day on the bus.  Probably the karmic bicycle pedals coming round to smack me on the back of the head for coming off my bike.

The initial transfer wasn't too long, half hour or so, to a village that was destroyed during the Vietnam war.  I saw destroyed, I could also use words annihilated, massacred, decimated and if I had the ability to include words like revulsion, disgust, pity, sadness and anger then I would.  Oh.  I just did.

Somehow, the concept of one village being a poster child for American atrocities during the Vietnam War just didn't sit right with me, before we arrived.  How can you single one such village out?  Given some of the stuff we'd seen so far, it seemed somehow disrespectful;  but if there is one thing we've learned about the sorry history across Cambodia and Vietnam, there is no room for preconceived notions when you haven't got the full story.

In summary, a middlish ranking officer decided one day to take a couple of platoons of GIs over to this village that had been bugging them for a while.  The idea was to take out the pesky Viet Cong (VC) that masqueraded as villagers during the day then donned their "uniforms" and armed themselves to the teeth before attacking the American and South Vietnamese armies.

Couple of things to point out worth remembering - first, there WERE South Vietnamese soldiers involved in the war...it wasn't just an American war.  Im not trying to insinuate the Americans were blameless or weren't fanning flames, but there was a smouldering old fire burning away before they turned up.  Second, VC stands for Viet Cong a shortened form of Viet Nam Cong-San (Vietnamese Communist).  The Americans also called the VC "Charlie".  The North Vietnamese called themselves the Liberation Army of South Vietnam.  There were other names, but as usual the age old adage "one man's revolutionary is another man's terrorist" serves us just as well.

What can you say to that face?

So back to the story.  This officer had no authority to "take out" the village.  On that basis his grunts should have smelt a rat.....probably a couple of rats.  Certainly some of the air support were not up for this, but I get ahead of myself.  What transpired was this officer put together a plan to land his men near the village and kill literally everyone they found.  Without exception.  Without compunction.  Without mercy.  Nobody to be left alive, lessons for the VC to be learned.

As plans went, it went well.  Aside from the odd helicopter pilot that refused to allow his gunner to blow the shit out of the villagers (ended up saving lives and going on to become heroes to the Vietnamese) and one of the GIs that shot himself in the foot rather than carry out the atrocity, the Americans did precisely what they set out to do.

Walking the remains of the village, seeing the photos and evidence, the court martial proceedings in America and subsequent apologies, all I could think of was how a bunch of utterly ignorant, probably innocent souls had been dragged across the world and turned into murderous devils that could do something of this nature.  Surely the true criminals were the Chiefs of Staff, the President of the USA and Congress? I would lay my life on a bet that none of those GIs would have done this on the first day of the war.  I cannot begin to imagine how their morals and minds must have been tortured during their tour to bring them to commit such an atrocity.  Nobody is blameless and if the VC had been "playing fair" and not masquerading as villagers then arguably the grounds for this plan wouldn't have existed, but then that is no justification for what happened.


And what happened?  In the greater scheme of things, not a hell of a lot.  Many more people had been killed in single bombing raids.  The chemical weapons dumped causing generations of pain and suffering were far worse.  Yet this for me showed how the human spirit had been assailed and twisted by politicians using their men as pawns in a wider game.  If ever you wanted to see how reason and humanity could be lost....this was it.

Happy Ladies  .....they didn't have to cycle!

So then we had lunch.  Which was nice.  If a little weird.

The group now jumped back on their bikes and Julia joined Pam and I on the bus.  It was a short ride.....20km.....but through some beautiful countryside.  The sun was beginning to shine through again and with all the lush green paddy fields sprouting along the side of the road, we soon put thoughts of human spirit, atrocities and war crimes behind us.  Which I suppose tells us something else about the human mind!

One thing Julia and I learned was that we were with the sister of the "King of Hawaiian Shirt Fabric".  Indeed, Pam's brother, Lewis Orchard, was a player in the textile world.  This would not be of such great interest had it not been for the Saroian families on-going battles regarding my Hawaiian shirts.  Julia has taste and a good eye.....I like Hawaiian shirts.  Julia looks stylish and chic no matter what she wears......but would never wear Hawaiian shirts.  I would.  Say no more.

Some of the ladies on tour

Not some of the ladies on tour

Once we were all back on the bus, a seemingly interminable bus ride ensued.  It went on and on and before long 19 spines were groaning to be let off and out.

Julia helps Can with the bikes....much to his surprise and happiness

Some signs say so much!

Hoi An is a good "pay off" though for all that bussing around.  The new town (i.e. everything outside of the old town) could be just any other Vietnamese town.  However the old town was like Disneyland in Asia.  Everything from Chinese style buildings, to Japanese style bridges and back again to classic Vietnamese architecture.  That evening during the orientation tour Chi gave us, we looked around in happiness and wonder.  It wasn't that busy and it all seemed to beautifully kept.  Even the black mould on the walls looked painted on artistically.



Julia and I had been given a (wonderful) tip by a previous cyclee (Catherine) to visit a restaurant called Morning Glory.  The name is a vegetable out here, water spinach.  We've already discussed how Julia LOVES Morning Glory (I pause here for sniggers from the innuendo seeking crowd).  Now we know she and I also love this restaurant.  The food was amazing.  We had such a nice romantic meal here, on the balcony overlooking the street.

What a wonderful meal - thanks Catherine :)

Mr. Frog and I

All Chelsea Fans!

On the walk back home we bought a bottle of that high class Hanoi Vodka, some tonic and then stopped at a small cafe/bar where 40 or so young Vietnamese men were playing chinese chess and watching the Chelsea vs Man City game.  What a lovely way to round off the evening :)