Aug 31 1600 Vietnam Time - Recap of Last Couple Days

It has been a continuing whirlwind of activity, that's for sure. Here's a quick summary of the last couple days.

On Monday I traveled via van from Hue to a hotel in DaNang, about a 2.5-hour drive. The day was spent with Thong (Damn Guide) and his family. Thong and I drove via motorbike to Mr. Mann's jewelry store to exchange USD for Vietnamese dong. Then it off to the bus station to check out transportation possibilities  from DaNang to Dong Ha/Nhi Ha for Saturday. Having no luck there, we made our way back to my hotel through the sea of cars & motorbikes. 

Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM,  Thong and I grabbed a taxi to the train station for a 9:17 to Nha Trang. Prior to boarding, we attempted to purchase return tickets for Thursday, but there were no seats available. Rats! However, we did manage to secure bus tickets for an 8 AM back to DaNang. The train trip took 11 hours and the bus ride will be about the same.

It was tough getting decent photos from the fast-moving train, but I managed to grab a couple. Much of the route followed National Hwy. 1, an important U. S. artery during the war.

 National Highway 1

 
 National Highway 1
                                                   

 Cham Towers 11th Century BC

The sole reason for going to Nha Trang is to visit Col. Tha, with whom my unit fought a nightmarish battle May 6, 1968. Once enemies, we met March 25, 2015 and, via the interpretive skills of Thong, discussed various aspects of the battle. The losses were heavy on both sides.

 

 May 6, 1968 Nhi Ha
 

I intend to visit Col. Tha today and will, once again, shake hands with my former enemy.  The colonel, who joined the army in the 1950's during the French Indochina War (1946-1954), is now 95 years of age. That war ended when Viet Minh forces destroyed the French army at Dien Bien Phu May 7, 1954.




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