Well, its high time that I jot down a few words on this Easter afternoon in Hue. The quiet serenity of the hotel, located at the confluence of the Perfume and Nhu R Rivers, is a welcome respite from the hustle & bustle of the busy streets. Directly across the Perfume River is the well-known Citadel, which was taken and held by NVA troops during the 1968 Tet Offensive. In fact, during Tet, the entire city of Hue was under siege. I like to stop at a little restaurant across the river that was started in 1965 by a deaf mute. He and his family/staff greeted me Friday with friendly smiles and handshakes. After three years of patronization, they have come to know me.
Yesterday I was invited by Nhon (formerly of Hearts for Hue) and her friend, Nu, to spend the day exploring majestic Bach Ma National Park. So, they snagged me from the hotel, tossed a helmet on my head, and whisked me away on the back of Nhon's little motorbike. After 1.5 hours of zipping in and out of traffic, we arrived at Bach Ma's entry center. It's set up sort of like this. Each person pays a standard entry fee of 60,000 VND....don't panic, as that's a mere $2.65. Then comes transportation into the park to the high elevations. A van costs 850,000 VND ($37.50), which is divided among the passengers. I think that we ended up with nine folks, so the cost was minimal. The narrow, winding path meanders upward, flirting with sheer drops. The scenery is rugged, remote, seemingly unspoiled, and breathtaking. About 25 minutes of hairpin turns brought us to a point from which the remainder is on foot. Since our van "group" will descend together, there must be coordination of plans. Anyway, we struck off down a jungle trail towards a mountain summit harboring an interesting history.
 |
| Nhon & Nu |
Finally, a long ascent of steps brought us to very neat old buildings that had been built by the French during their occupation years. During the "American War", U. S. troops maintained a base on this lofty perch, as well. When one stands atop, it's not difficult to understand why the spot was of immense strategic importance. The 360-degree view is positively amazing.
 |
| Summit Tower |
Following Nhon's and Nu's lead, I worked my way onto the roof of the summit tower, which allowed the best views. Wow! A blanket of thick, dense jungle covers the expanse of surrounding mountains. Excellent views of the South China Sea (Eastern Sea is the actually the preferred term in Vietnam) and Highway 1 are afforded. We must have stayed on the roof for over an hour, admiring the view.
 |
| View From Summit |
 |
| View From Summit |
 |
| From Summit-Winding Road |
 |
| Neil-Summit Tower Roof |
 |
| Nhon & Nu-Summit Tower Roof |
Departing the summit tower, the three of us struck off into the jungle to explore more of the surrounding area. To tell you the truth, these narrow paths snaking through the mountainsides were intense reminders of my months in the field during the war. The look. The smell. The feel. At one point, we came across an entry to a tunnel complex dug and built by NVA troops during the American War. Reminders were everywhere. During the numerous stream crossings, I always thought of how we would have emptied our canteens of "sewage" water in favor of that of the clear, fast-moving stream. The jungle paths were quite steep, so we were either ascending or descending. The first two waterfalls encountered were were peaceful and pleasing. The third, however, was a thundering giant cascading 300 meters (just under 1,000') to the forest floor....spectacular. Settling in at a nice perch on the fall's lip, we enjoyed the view for about 45 minutes.
I should note that both Nhon and Nu managed to acquire leeches, but I remained unscathed. In my view, it's all about sox appeal. Like me, they both wore low shoes. However, whereas I wore crew-length socks, they used the no-see variety. So, it was simple for the leeches to access the tender flesh of their feet and set to sucking blood. They were sort of freaked out until I explained that my guys lived with leeches daily during the war. They would access body parts during the day, as we "humped the bush". You would feel them crawling on your flesh and then inevitably biting. But, you're moving as a unit and cannot tend to leech removal until such time avails itself. Then at night, while you're lying beside your freshly-dug foxhole, the slithery creatures find their easy prey. So, I know leeches inside and out. Oh, that reminds me. Once we had to call in a dust-off chopper because a leech had worked his way inside a guy's...well, you know. The little fellow had certainly found a warm, moist spot for a blood buffet. I never did ask the fellow soldier how the leech was removed, but several possible techniques came to mind.
 |
| Nu & Nhon-On the Trail |
The hours of up and down hiking was a much-needed workout, serving to buoy both body and spirit. I served as "point man" throughout the day. I'm always content in the wilderness, even though unpleasant '68 jungle memories continued to nibble away at me. I would return to the quiet beauty of Bach Ma in a heartbeat.
Along the winding road that leads to the summit, there is a restaurant and resort building, both built long ago by the French. The restaurant is operational, but the resort building is still in the restoration stage. However, I poked around a bit, noting that several rooms had been renovated with beds made and ready for guests. It was later learned that, indeed, those rooms are available for occupancy with an advance reservation. Staying in an old French building surrounded by pristine jungle...now that perks this boy's interest. There's a good chance that you'll find me overnighting there next year. The jungle trails, summit tower, and more are all accessible by foot from the old resort. Maybe hike to the 300-meter falls with a packed lunch? Inspiring. Wait? How about overnighting at the falls? One night at the falls and one at the old resort...I'm on idea overload.
 |
| Nhon & Nu-Old French Resort |
A non-stop, forced hike, led by yours truly, brought us to the road. At 1530 hrs, we began the van descent to the visitor center and, after a short rest, set off on the motorbikes for Hue. Around 1700, I was dropped at the hotel and waved goodbye to my hiking friends. Last night's dinner was a plate of fried rice with a Huda at a nearby place catering to"locals". Shortly thereafter, sleep lured me into its grasp earlier than than has been customary.
Tomorrow Khanh will pick me up at 0800, signaling the start of three busy days in the Hue area. We'll be visiting several folks, all near and dear to my heart, that we have helped in prior years. A trip to see the boat people is also on the slate, as well as visiting a school. Today I will purchase treats for the children. It'll be good to get back to the main reason for my being in Vietnam.
Ok, that's it for now. I need to get out and walk for a couple hours to keep this body tuned up!
Neil
