Back from 'Nam

We are back from our Vietnam vacay and I hesitate to write this since no ham radio was involved...so I'll keep it short.

Despite my efforts on parallel avenues long before the trip started, I was unable to get permission to operate from Vietnam - couldn't even get permission to bring a transceiver into the country. I have thanked the two Vietnamese hams who tried on my behalf. It seems impossible - I don't know how some DXpeditions have managed.

Our trip had no shortage of bad things happening: Typhoon Halong (while we were at sea) and Typhoon Fengshen hitting us just north of Danang. Also, my smartphone stopped working as did my debit card. Minor inconveniences compared to the storms, but still...

On the good side:

People in both Hanoi & Danang were super-friendly. Seriously, without exception, every single person we interacted with was friendly, courteous and anxious to show off their country to us.

If we sat down at in a city park, kids and adults approached us asking if they could practice their English. It was always fun to interact with them.

Mother & daughter practice their English with my wife

 

Danang is much more westernized and modern than Hanoi. Hanoi is reminiscent of Soviet socialistic decay; Danang is prosperous and dynamic. But Hanoi does have the distinction of having the very interesting "train street".

 

There are 25,000 VN dong to the dollar. A beer is 40 cents, immaculate and modern 3-star hotels are $12 a night. Dinner for two at a nice restaurant is $15

 

Many US and Aussie ex-pats live in Danang - interesting to get their perspective

Seeing the "Hanoi Hilton" allowed me to see for myself the subject of the many books I've read on the topic, by those who were there. Quite ominous, even today although much of the former prison's grounds are now a 25-floor hotel. 

Front gate, Hanoi Hilton

 

"Grab" is the southeast Asian equivalent of Uber. Hard to spend more than $1.25 to go anywhere in the large city of Danang.

The French influence was evident with bakeries, crepe shops and coq au vin readily available everywhere

And, of course, a bit of American influence, courtesy of the Colonel (and a cutie on a scooter):

It would have been fun to call CQ on 20m CW while there but there was so much to explore...the phrase "sensory overload" cannot be exaggerated with regard to Vietnam, so I really didn't have time to miss radio.

However...

I do have an upcoming trip (that will also be somewhat of an adventure) planned that will feature radio as a main component - and that radio will be a KX2. But the other component...that's what I'm trying to decide on now and it'll determine the entire character of the trip.

Details soon... 

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