VIETNAM 2009 : SERIES 2
PROGRAM 8
SEGMENT 1
Tom Padula visits the Imperial Citadel of Hue' driven there on a Cyclo. The splendor of this tourist venue is being restored. Tom reflects on the Emperor's silent invitation to appreciate his vision for a peaceful and prosperous Vietnam.
SEGMENT 2
Views of the Royal Museum of Hue'. Lacquer objects display, porcelain vases and dishes, bronze statues, ancient costumes are shown inside the various rooms and reception areas in the Citadel's buildings. In the spacious grounds there are welcome areas with stone, bronze and local vegetation, flowers and ponds... a moving experience for Tom who missed out on a Vietnam tour of duty during the tragic war years of the 1960's and 1970's.
SEGMENT 3
Returning to Hotel via a cyclo tour around the Royal Citadel's avenues, open spaces and streets. This is followed with a Night out on the Town and our breakfast in our luxurious Hotel.
VIETNAM 2009 : SERIES 2
PROGRAM 9
SEGMENT 1
We leave Hue' on our Bus for Danang in Central Vietnam. Here the Americans held some of the highest points and also had their main Bases because of this Region's strategic location. As we drove, evidence of logging, sandal factories, trees for paper making exports, tourist vantage points, roadworks, new houses, modern street scapes gave us the impression that Vietnam was on the move, enjoying a renaissance of its territorial uses.
SEGMENT 2
The distance from Hue' to Hoi An is around 130kms. There were three stops: one of them overlooking the beach, the other on the mountain top and in Danang itself. One of our key moments was looking on a very long row of trucks carrying paper tree logs. Kahn oe Charlie told us that the load was headed for China and Taiwan.
SEGMENT 3
Views from our Tour Bus of the coastal areas and the deep ascent towards the Mountain Top shows the variety of landscapes of Vietnam, with particular appreciation of the vegetation and the changing climate conditions fro the North towards the South. This might explain the differences in living conditions in various parts of this emerging economy.
VIETNAM 2009 : SERIES 2
PROGRAM 10
SEGMENT 1
On the road ascent to the mountain top before Danang, our bus stopped briefly to view the magnificent panorama overlooking the bay with its attractive beach setting. A great place to spend a few weeks by the seaside; but here we were, going to the very top of the mountain where the American soldiers had the vantage point from their turrets. We reached this War Post with the welcoming smiles of tourist traders. We bought water, coffee, a chocolate bar and were able to visit the nearby personal facilities. Our memory will be the photo shoot and our conversation as a group of this, our Tour of Duty!
SEGMENT 2
Descending towards Danang, the views along the road begin to change. A more modern Vietnam begins to unfold in front of our eyes... wide asphalted roads, building works, new bridges. We also saw first hand the results of a cyclone visit to the area a few days before: big boats and even a ship removed from the sea, trees uprooted and general cleaning works in the process of being carried out. What was however striking was the view of so little traffic on this beautiful made highway... Kahn said: this road has just been finished! The new vibrant Vietnam in the making!
SEGMENT 3
Driving over the newly built, very impressive modern bridge, the Danang area seemed to be a huge construction site: new houses creating new residential areas with wide tree lined avenues appeared in front and on the side of our bus seats. This was the future of Vietnam being built and creating another of the Asian economic tigers. It'll be interesting to see how these developments will change the people of Vietnam! It certainly demonstrates hope for a radiant future for this for too long troubled Nation!
VIETNAM 2009 : SERIES 2
PROGRAM 11
SEGMENT 1
Marble turned into beautiful pieces to decorate homes, gardens and public places were on display for us to see. A good choice of venue to have a traveling break, see a marble showroom and outdoor display area. Very tempting to buy a piece or two! We did!
SEGMENT 2
We leave the marble village and back on the bus towards Hoi An. We arrive at our hotel and we all go walking about the town. We have lunch in a restaurant close to the local river banks. Tom and Nella Padula catch a Cyclo back to the Hotel. A new experience to be carried about by another human being working for his daily income.
SEGMENT 3
Gioan Cooking Class in Hoi An deserves a special mention and thank you. It was a most enjoyable experience. I took away a great memory of this event, wrote a poem and filmed a practical Vietnamese menu preparation to share with my viewers on TomPadulaTV.com
VIETNAM 2009 : SERIES 2
PROGRAM 12
SEGMENT 1
Teacher Anh of the Gioan Cooking Class entertains our group with a very practical and useful approach for the preparation, cooking and tasting outcomes from her lesson. Anh's vibrant personality and humorous presentation led to a very relaxed and informative Vietnamese cooking experience. What we learnt there would prove very useful on our return home.
SEGMENT 2
We continue with the Vietnamese cooking class in Hoi An at the Gioan Family School of Vietnamese Cooking. I interviewed Anh briefly. She invited my viewers from Melbourne and the rest of the world on YouTube on TomPadulaTV.com. A very happy ending of our experience with Anh's lesson finished with a photo of Nella and myself with this 'simpatica persona'.
SEGMENT 3
The morning after the Vietnamese Cooking Class began on a very positive note for me. Some writing and filming, breakfast around the pool area of our hotel and an exciting walk around the town of Hoi An. The very colorful lifestyle of the inhabitants of this renowned tourist destination town showed us the interesting Culture and Lifestyle of traditional Vietnam. In my mind, I needed to distance my psyche about the Vietnam War or as they call it, the American War. Please, no more wars... Peace is what we need in the world. Tourism, trade, exchanges of goods and services, appreciation for the language and culture of each nation, whether rich or poor, are the new aims for Life on Earth in the 21st Century and beyond! What a dreamer, I am in Hoi An! Vive la liberte'!
VIETNAM 2009 : SERIES 2
PROGRAM 13
SEGMENT 1
What a lovely walk around Hoi An with Tony Sica! The street scape, the colorful shop windows and local vendors, other tourists enjoying this now renowned Vietnam destination thanks to Polish Architect Kazimierz Kwaitkowsky (1944-1997). This recognized philanthropist began to redeem Vietnam soon after the War with his foresight and generosity. By helping out one town to change over time and become a jewel in the itinerary of tourists, he encouraged the world to pay a visit to this war ravaged Nation. Hoi An is also known for its suits and dresses manufacturing, lacquer works and local artisanship products showcasing the rich cultural tradition of Vietnam.
SEGMENT 2
From the clothing shop where Nella and Antonietta made their purchases, Tony and I joined them and we all proceeded to have a drink in a local cafe'. After this pleasant interlude, we stopped at a very attractive lacquerware shop. It was an amazing experience for me because I realized that these artifacts were indeed a part of the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam. The arts and craftsmanship are generally good indicators of the level of civilization that is present within the psyche of a people. The gentle nature and careful approach of workmanship by individuals and artists reflect the great appreciation of one's own country. I am particularly aware of this fact since I was born and lived my childhood in Italy. The night was soon upon us as we walked around Hoi An. A lovely way to end a beautiful day.
SEGMENT 3
We did buy quite a few lacquerware dishes for display at home. I also remember of Hoi An two young workers keen to help their families: a very young drummer boy and another selling novelty items. An early breakfast at the hotel before the bus leaves for Danang Airport to fly to Ho Chin Minh City, formerly and now also known as Saigon!
VIETNAM 2009 : SERIES 2
PROGRAM 14
SEGMENT 1
Arrival at Saigon International Airport and on the bus towards our Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. An interesting reflection that as we travelled South, Vietnam became more modernized and Saigon looked more like a Western City. The bus trip showed more cars but motorcycles were still the dominant mode of transport.
SEGMENT 2
We felt more like locals when walking around Saigon, enjoying our Vietnamese lunch, visiting shops and the local big market. We indulged in more buying. This is where I bought a black Happy Buddha souvenir to the delight of the stall holder. He gave me and the others a bigger discount because he recognized the Happy Buddha in my demeanor. A number of cyclos were waiting for us to take us back to the Hotel. The organized cyclo tour of Saigon was a really fun activity to do. Poor drivers!
SEGMENT 3
This segment completes the Second Series of my Vietnam travels with a visit to the American War Museum in Saigon. A war that continued after the French left this colonial outpost. We in Australia and the rest of the world media call it the Vietnam War. A telling difference in naming rights that epitomizes the advent of so many Hot Spot Wars around the Globe. After the Second World War conflict, the Nuclear experience created a Cold War atmosphere between the Superpowers of USA and The USSR. A visit to this Museum was the right of passage... I came out of it even more convinced of the great harm done to humanity if we don't all respect each other as humans. The United Nations becomes an imperative forum for the resolution of all international disputes and conflicts. No Nation should be excluded from dialogue in this World Assembly. Rather than Wars, let's have more Harmony topics to discuss and resolve! Vive la Fraternite'!
Written by Tom Padula
(c) February 2013
