Nha Trang

In Nha Trang we started our explorations with a short cab ride to the Champa temples of Ponagar.  Although there used to be many temples here, only 4 remain.  They are still used by local worshippers, but the site has largely turned into a tourist attraction with dance performances and souvenir vendors.  Nevertheless, they are worth the trip.  The grounds are very well maintained and the temples have been restored and are decorated inside.

After the temples we decided to walk back into town, about a 45 minute walk over 2 bridges and through Xom Bong island.  The road through the island is completely developed and looks like the rest of the city.  I think I was expecting something different and a bit more scenic, since it's such a small island on the river with only one road (pictures 14 & 15).

Back in town, we passed the Victory Monument depicting a soldier holding doves surrounded by children.

Quy Nhon

From Quang Ngai we took another train ride to Quy Nhon, a slightly larger city on the shore.  We spent two nights here, enjoying cheap beer and a laid back vibe.  The coolest thing in Quy Nhon are two Champa towers in a park downtown.  There used to also be an abandoned American tank on the beach, but the Vietnamese government finally dug it up and destroyed it a few years back.

Picture 1: Cool building.
Picture 2: Roadside gas station.
Picture 3: Caryl enjoying the communist propaganda (I have no idea what the poster actually says).
Pictures 4 & 5: It's amazing how much can be transported by motor bike...
Pictures 6-9: Champa Towers!
Pictures 10-18: Walking by the riverfront.
Picture 19: These girls asked to get a picture with us by the ocean - I, in turn, asked them to pose with Caryl.  They were very sweet.
Pictures 20 & 21: More boats.
Picture 22: War memorial.
Pictures 23-26: Quy Nhon beach front.
Picture 27: Another yummy roadside dinner.

Son My Memorial, Quang Ngai

The Son My Memorial is a memorial for the victims of the My Lai Massacre, where US soldiers killed 504 unarmed civilians during the Vietnam War on March 16, 1968.  The victims included men, women, children, and infants; some of the women were gang-raped and their bodies were mutilated.

Although 26 soldiers were charged with criminal offenses, only the platoon leader, Lieutenant William Calley, Jr., was convicted.  He was originally given a life sentence, but ended up only serving 3.5 years of house arrest.

The walkways around the memorial are made to reflect what the town roads would have looked like the day of the massacre - villager and American soldier footprints, bike tire tracks, and small shell impact craters give a sense of the horror and mayhem that took place that day.

The museum on the memorial grounds was also very moving - it showed the destruction of the village and included photos taken by an American photographer of dead and dying villagers.  The story of Office Thompson is also on exhibit - he was an American officer who arrived during the massacre and managed to save some of the villagers.  He instructed his men to open fire on American soldiers if they tried to intervene and kill the innocent children.

The My Lai massacre was captured on camera by Ronald Haeberle, an army photographer.  He took pictures with both the army camera as well as with his own color camera.  He sold his personal photos to the media.