Vietnam | War and Peace

After five days in Laos visiting CIA Secret War sites, we headed overland from Sam Nuea to Hanoi.

I have always been interested in the war in Vietnam. I had taken a an ROTC course on the Vietnam War while studying at the University of California and my father had spent three years there from 1965 to 1968. I did not know why he was there and what role he played as a US State Department official stationed first in the Delta town of Can Tho and then in the northern city of Danang. He was there when the Tet Offensive took place in January 1968. I was hoping to learn a little more about his life in Vietnam, and also see for myself why so many friends had talked so glowingly about it.

I was traveling with Al Willner who had visited Vietnam and the region on several occasions when he was stationed in the area during his US military career. Nabra, my daughter, was also with us and we would be joined by Army colleagues of Al's in a couple of days.

At the Socialist Republic of Vietnam border with Laos | Ban Na Meo

So, this border crossing has to be one of the more bizarre borders I have crossed - and I have crossed some unusual borders at unusual times during my career as an photojournalist. After having our passports stamped in Laos, we walked some 35o yards to the border station in Vietnam. Al was snapping pictures and at first I was a bit concerned that some official would detain us for taking photos - one of the things I've learned in my career (particularly in the Middle East) you do not take pictures anywhere near a border and definitely not in front of a border station in a Communist country. Since there appeared to be nobody about, I chanced a quick selfie of us.

Well, I had little to fear because basically there appeared to be nobody around. We went up to what we thought was the office and it was empty, so we wandered around the building trying to find someone to let us into Vietnam. Some guard indicated we should go back to the first office and wait. After some time, an officer appeared. He did not appear in a very good mood and after scrutinizing our paper visas and Nabra's electronic visa and looking back and forth from the computer to the passports he eventually stamped the papers and motioned us to proceed to customs. Those officers were lounging around and smiling and we soon were walking to the last checkpoint and to our waiting transport.

Day One | Scenes on the road to Hanoi

The road to Hanoi | Nabra counts in Vietnamese

The drive was slow going. The Hyundai Sante Fe's air conditioning hardly worked and poor Al and Nabra had no vents in the back seat. As we would learn driving in Vietnam takes time. We would end up spending lots of time in our hired vehicle when we toured the southern portion of the country.

After a very long day, we arrived at sunset in Hanoi. After checking into our Old Quarter hotel where there were tons of tourist - a striking contrast to Laos where maybe we saw a dozen foreigners, we headed out for dinner.

Hanoi |

Day Two | A cultural day in Hanoi