Feb 25, 2004

My driver has had a persistent cough which has me worried. Last night my guide said he was getting the flu and would take some medicine. About 4AM I awaken with a sore throat. My guide and driver show up on schedule at 8AM. Tho is wearing a wool hat, mittens and overcoat to increase his body temperature to fight his fever. I'm sweating from a long walk after breakfast and am nervous to see his condition.

Cruising the Perfume River

How magical this river must have looked in the days of the emperor. He (all thirteen of them each in their turn) "owned" the river and everything else. We cruise on a dragon boat (dragon head on the bow and emblazoned on the sides.) Painting your boat like this would have been a major crime in the Emperor’s day.

Corn and other crops grow on river edge wherever jungle has been cleared. A lot of the river commerce is involved in dredging. Each very low boat has a team of (usually) women pumping some system of gears and pulleys with their hands and feet. The result is a pile of sand in the middle of the boat. When enough sand is dredged, the boaters motor over to a conveyor belt and upload the sand to a bigger pile. Trucks then convey the sand to wherever it is needed.

We pass under two bridges, one of which must have been on our route south from Dong Ha to Danang, January, 1970.

Anger

I ask Tho if he was bitter or angry after the U.S. troops left. He says yes, from 1975 to 1990. I tell him I also was angry for many years. He seems too subdued from fever to have more conversation. I hope we'll return to this topic later.

Temples

The morning is spent visiting temples of three of the Emperors; each is fairly lavish. I guess if you own everything you can do what you please. I have pictures of much of these days of travel, either taken by me or on postcards. You'll get to see them eventually.

Tho says we have one more temple to visit then I'll have time off for the afternoon. I tell him to skip the last temple and let's call it a day.

Tomorrow we're off to Phu Bai (Co. L and 8th RRT), Hai Van Pass and Danang. The next day we'll visit the combat bases to the south and west. You Marines out there in Internet land will hear more from me.

I take a dose of "Atussin" from local pharmacy which tastes so bad it must do something good plus vitamin-C then decide on a double treat: One hour massage (thought I was in hands of champion Russian female wrestler smacking me around) and a pizza (too salty combo of bacon and ham) then put myself to bed.

 

Feb 26, 2004

Hue Citadel

This 50 hectare quadrangle (1/5 square mile) was destroyed 25% in WWII then 65% in Tet 1968.

Full Employment?

The toll road between Hue and Danang has 5 employees at one stop:

Southbound - Worker 1 takes money from driver, exchanges it for a receipt with worker 2, then gives full receipt to driver

Both directions (about 25 yards further south) - Driver gives worker 3 one-half of receipt

Northbound - Workers 4 and 5 handle traffic from that direction.

Of curse this setup could also be a defense against corruption by segregating duties and avoid worker pocketing the cash.