Travel Stories - Vietnam

"muong phang" ("dbp")

Hitchhking

I wave the bus goodbye and look around; along the (large) road are a few "Hmong" women with their merchandise in front of them on a piece of carpet. Lots of fruit and vegetables with some wooden houses and high mountains in the background. I walk up the road that I have to take where a pole stands with the vague letters “Muong Phang” – 20 kilometres. Oops, that’s much further away then I expected. Within 20 minutes I was picked up by a jeep and he brings me about 5 kilometres away. About 500 meters away, three cranes are busy heaping sand and I have to wait just like three men on a motorcycle. We have to wait for about 20 minutes and of course this is one of the reasons why there is no bus here and no one comes here. The view of the lake and surrounded is terribly beautiful. I start to walk and being picked up later by another (expensive) jeep. We are getting at a narrow asphalt zigzag road through a Vietnamese valley. Occasionally some houses but especially a lot of green; I see mountains, forest, a river and a little lake here and there. Buffaloes walk in the rice fields and here and there a stray dog. It's really a lot of driving and I really have no idea where these people are going. Then after a long ride I see "Muong Phang"; the car already stops at the first house and I also want to get off. The other three change places and ask me to close the door again. We drive through the small town, then a whole lot of open ground with here and there a wooden house and finally the parking lot where the headquarters should be.

"Hmong" with coins

First there is a stone staircase to a plateau where there is a small thatched hut. When I arrive, this appears to be the guard post of the headquarters that is situated a bit further. The trail slightly goes down and so conclude that the bunkers are not on top of the mountain - here a beautiful view over the rest of the valley - wooden houses, rice fields and a small road. Then suddenly a small stream with before and behind a group of "Hmong" people with merchandise. They attack me and I do not dare to take a photo. There have large silver coins, clothing and food items for sale but I’m not interested. I walk on and find my first real group of thatched huts part of the former Vietminh Headquarters. Of course they are replicas but I immediately conclude that my travel guide is not right; this gives a good idea of how Vietnamese General "Giap" and his soldiers lived here while the bombs fell coming from French artillery and planes. I also visit the communication huts and associated underground bunker. Between the cabins is a well laid out stone path and there are pieces of tree stump as a trash can - perfectly done.

"Giap's" own tunnel

The wooden covered shutters from the huts are all open. There is suddenly a large monument with a loop around it. I walk clockwise and come along the huts of the daily staff and the chief of staff of the Vietminh Army. At the back is the hut with the kitchen in it. Before that, a big cabin where the party met for meetings. Tents seem to have stood on a concrete foundation. There are two tunnels in the hill in the middle - one is pitch black and turns out to be the hiding place of the chief of staff and the other is illuminated and appears to go to the other side through the tunnel. It is a long tunnel, at least 100 to 200 meters with an open space in the middle with two tables. This was General Giap's place when danger threatened during the war. On the other side of the tunnel is a small thatched hut where he probably worked when everything was quite. Here are also work- and residential huts for the Chinese advisors as well as a shelter tunnel.

Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954):

In October 1953, the Chinese intelligence service in France received a copy of the French strategic plan for Indochina, the Plan-Navarre. The most important Chinese military advisor in Vietnam then handed it to Hồ Chí Minh personally. On the basis of this important source of information, the communists could make the decision to battle the French at Dien Biên Phủ. The French sent no less than 12 battalion soldiers to DBP for reinforcement at the beginning of 1954. Supreme Commander of IndoChina General Henri "Navarre" was afraid that the Vietminh would cross the border with Laos and attack "Luang Prabang" and wanted to guard the "Muong Thanh" valley top revend this. A perfect opportunity for the Vietminh to give the French a destructive defeat where they did not expect it.

"Cung Dau"

The village itself has no (motor) taxis unfortunately and I decide to walk and I am not yet 200 meters on the road or there is a scooter; I let him stop and ask if I can jump on the back. No idea what he will ask for money but I have to go back somehow and a lot of traffic is not here now I know. We drive a mile or 5 to 8 if the man stops and points to a house a bit away from the road. Does he want to eat right here? Of course I'm quite hungry and I watch my watch. It is half one and I can easily have a bite to eat, I decide to jump back and we are now driving over a very small mud path to a large house on stilts.

I walk up the ladder and I put my shoes off, meet the two “house” dogs and shake hands of a few people sitting inside on a big mat behind a small wooden table with food on it. I can sit behind one of the tables and just nod. It turns out to be a "Tai" family and to see that there are more guests because there are four tables covered. I look around and see a TV in a dark linen cupboard, in the corner a sort of curtain with a bed behind it and in the middle of the room (or better the room) a whole pile of bags with probably rice. On the other hand, I see a black pot standing on a fire - that must be the kitchen. Behind me is a very large curtain made of thick clothes – I think people are sleeping there. More people come in and they are about to start eating. A little small plastic bottle appears and a few small glasses. Everybody gets a glass (also me) and we cheers – here they say “heng”. It is certainly alcohol but have no idea what it is and what it is made of. Someone says "cung chau" and I write down the name quickly to ask the girl in the hostel later. Rice is in a green rice tray and I can take a piece off and place it in my bowl. I also use my sticks to pick up some other thing that I have no idea what it is. There is glutinous rice that is extracted from a bamboo, two kinds of fish in a sauce and a few vegetable saucers which I certainly do not like. Again, new people come in who immediately look up to me, then start to laugh. I imagine so positively and politely, and when an older man comes in I stand up, give him a hand and bow. I also sit cross-legged to keep my feet with me - until I get cramp and stretch my feet for a moment.

drunk

I look at the knots on the heads of the women who are wrapped up with a net and finished with a big silver button or coin. It seems to be a big family because more people are coming in - I'm counting 20 now! We go through my travel book and of course everyone wants to know where I come from, how old I am and how tall I am. There is even a scale (the one that the butcher uses) that points out 83 kilos - the heaviest of everybody. A small cat keeps me company because of course I do not understand anyone. The man who brought me here is drinking heavily and I don’t hope he will forget me. Suddenly he get’s up and gestures that we are going. We get a helmet and I thank the people for this hospitality.It is quite scary on the road because everywhere is mud and the asphalt is crumbled and beaten away. I am relieved when we reach the first crane trucks so that I know that it is still about 7 to 8 kilometers to the main road. Finally we are on the main road and I take money from my pocket. He makes it clear that he wants something extra and what can I say after what I got "free" today. I give it to him and save it on my shoulder as a thank you.

tips & advice (2014)

There are no buses to "Muong Thang" so if you want to go anyway (if you do not want to take a taxi) you first have to take the bus to "Na Nhan" (15 km north of DBP) in the bus direction "Son La". There will be enough busses here so you do not have to wait long. I paid 10,000 VND and did not have to pay anything backwards. The journey takes about half an hour.

You get off at a "death" intersection where there is a fairly large sign with "Truc An" on it (a hostel). There is also a pole with "Muong Phang" on it - 20 km - this is the closest village where the bunker is located. There are no motorcycle taxis at this crossroads. You first have to find 5 to 6 kilometers to the lake "Pa Khoang" where the hostel is located. Then it is still about 15 km over the 4 meter wide zigzag path to "Muong Phang". There you turn left and continue straight (you see on the left the exit to a larger road - no idea where it leads to) - about 2 to 3 km - if you see a parking lot on the right. Here is the museum.

Name: "Tham Quan di Tich So Chi Huy Chien Dich DBP" (Hk of General "Giap")

Address: Muong Phang (2 to 3 km to the north)

Price: 15,000 VND

Time: 07:30 - 11:30 and from 13:30 to 16:00

Content:

The bunker on which my travel guide spoke about may not be the correct name for this complex of cabins which was jointly the headquarters of Giap and his highest ranking staff and generals. It is a fairly large area with at least 10 to 20 thatched huts, but also shelter (bunkers) and concrete foundations where tents and buildings once stood. Of course they are replicas but you get a good idea, it must have been here at the time of the Franco war. It all looks very slick, which is a bit of a shame. The other sad thing is that the cabins are almost empty – no furnace. There are no attributes left behind, there are no weapons, no drawings, no photographs of that time and no information panels at all about this headquarters or about the battle that raged about 20 kilometers further. There are only signs who stayed in which cabin.

To my knowledge there is no place to stay in the village "Muong Phang" present. There is only the hostel "Truc An" but this is 15 km away from the museum. I have no idea how this hostel is or what it looks like - it has to be on the lake (Pa Khoang). If you are that far (if you do not have your own transport and you still have time) I would go back to DBP.

Name: Nha Nghi "Khanh Giang"

Address: So nah 2 Duong Lo from Hac - To 4 - P. Thanh Binh

Price: 500,000 VND for 3 nights (single)

Phone nr. : 0230 3 833 899/0915 067 648

Content:

This hostel is just behind the bus station but just far enough to have no "trouble". It is also close to the main road but in

a side street so you do not hear the "heavy" traffic passing by. It is clean and the lady of the house looks very smart. She has several rooms in her 3 high counting hostel; a single room and double where you can enjoy a 1.5 person bed each. In my very large room, with balcony and overlooking the street (large windows) was a large wardrobe, table, chairs, a refrigerator, large toilet shower, AC, kettle, drinking water (with tap), TV and there was WiFi available. As always clean towels, toilet roll, soap and shampoo. It was slightly more expensive than what I normally paid in Vietnam but then I also had a great room.

Spending time:

You can easily walk around the site for about 1.5 hours if you are interested (and this is without a lunch or something else in the neighborhood). In addition, I must note that after a few thatched cabins you’ve got the idea and you can easily skip a few. Inside, the cabins are the same and contain no more than bamboo beds, tables and chairs. The underground bunkers are also dark and all the same. You can of course (and this is highly recommended) to make a day out with a lunch but also a visit to a Tai family and the lake.

TIPS:

You should actually take a lunch package to the site of the headquarters of "Giap. Large stones have been placed everywhere that invite for lunch. If you bring enough food you can also invite people to eat with you.

What I would bring is rain clothing (umbrella and / or poncho) and perhaps a slightly warmer clothing than I had. It can sometimes become cold in the mountains especially when you are tired, the weather is bad and it is late. You can buy water everywhere and you can eat in the village. Maybe you can take a flashlight to look around in all the shelters.