When we booked the Ancient Crossroads trip pre-COVID, our itinerary had us visiting Mynamar. Connected to the Silk Road via sea routes to China and overland, Mynamar, known as Burma at the time, was noted for its prized etched beads. But political turmoil and a government coup intervened so Vietman replace Mynamar in the itinerary, a credible substitute as the Champa, an ancient people who occupied present day Vietnam had ties to a second south bound Silk Road in the 10th century.
So that’s how we ended up visiting Vietnam almost twenty years after our first visit. Although much has changed, much has stayed the same. People are still humble and kind; it rains alot, the food is excellent and plates are filled and refilled until you can’t eat another bite but today more people drive cars and the tourist infrastructure has definitely matured.
When we first visited Vietnam in the early 2000s, the country had only recently opened to tourism and there were few American visitors. We spent two weeks in the North, starting in Hanoi, then continuing north to Halong Bay, Sapa and the hill country bordering China. A mere 25 years after the end of the Vietnam war, our teenaged son who was studying American history at the time, asked how people would treat us. We found people to be hospitable and curious, telling us they liked Americans but not our government.
This trip we spent our time in the South, flying into DaNang, the former site of a US airbase and then traveling to the lovely town of Hoi An, with its UNESCO world hertige designated Old Quarter. People were still hospitable and curious, although Hoi An today is a popular international tourist destination and locals are unfazed by international visitors. The South definitely has a different vibe. Fifty years after the war, the South Vietnamese maintain that they are denied advancement opportunities, particularly if their grandfathers or fathers fought with the Americans.
Our time in Vietnam will be spent exploring Hoi An, experiencing the countryside by bicycle, observing local artisans practicing their crafts and visiting the ancient temple ruins of the Champa. Can’t wait to become reaquainted with this beautiful country and its people.
March, 2023