Hai Van Pass and DaNang

Thursday, March 13th- Today we say good-bye to Hue and return south to DaNang. We will be spending the next 2 days having a little "R&R" at the Furama Resort at China Beach. We are looking forward to relaxing after so many busy days of site visits and bus travel. Our route today will take us down Highway 1 and over the Hai Van Pass. Those of us with the Purple Team have already traveled this route going north to Hue. On that trip, the pass was covered in heavy fog. We hope that today the pass will be clear and we will be able to see the view from the top.

As we travel south, we are passing through the area of Phu Bai where Ed served during his last tour of duty in Vietnam. Although the base on which he served is gone, the roads and bridges become familiar, as he watches the landscape go by.

Finally, Ed sees a site he has long talked about, the mountain where the Seabees worked a rock quarry during his tour in 1969. From the road, we can see a rock quarry that is still being worked today. Is this the same quarry? Or a new spot that has been developed since the war? These questions cannot be answered today. A little farther up the highway, we stop at a scenic view to take pictures. Now Ed is very excited. "This is the spot", he says. "I have a picture of myself standing in this exact spot in 1969."

Ed and Harvest 2003

Our next stop on the way south is at Lang Co, a small town on the South China Sea. A wonderful seafood lunch has been prepared for us in this scenic spot. Before we eat, everyone heads towards the beach.

The Purple Team sits down together for lunch. We are happy and relaxed. The day is warm, the beach is beautiful and the food is good. We have shrimp, fish, green mussels, and squid. As we eat, two little black dogs come to our table. They look just like our Missy at home. They are very shy and well-mannered. As we peel our shimp, we give them the shrimp heads to eat. They take them carefully and enjoy their lunch, too.

Back to the bus

As we leave Lang Co, we start to climb the Hai Van Pass. We are happy to see that there are no low clouds today and we will be able to enjoy the views. The coastline becomes smaller and smaller as we climb. The vegetation on the Hai Van Pass is lush and dense. The road crosses over many mountain streams as they make their way down the highest point in Vietnam. The water pressure from these streams is powerful. We pass many people washing their vehicles in the faucets and hoses that line the highway.

We arrive at the top of the Hai Van Pass. Below, the road that we have just travelled snakes off into the distance. The coastline, where we had lunch, is far below us.

As we get off the bus, we are warned to stay on the marked paths. There is a great deal of unexploded ordinance in the area. We have time to explore the old French bunkers that populate the top of the Hai Van Pass.

As we descend the pass and enter DaNang, we are again on the coast. We pass fishing nets and basket boats. We make a quick stop at Red Beach, where the first Marines came ashore in 1965. The Seabee Batallion, MCB-1 also served in the area. I stay on the bus. On the beach, a man approaches Ed and points to his Seabee hat, saying "I know Seabees". He takes Ed to the foundation of a building and shows him the name, "Ortiz" that was written in wet cement many years ago. Could this be our friend, Robert Ortiz, who served with MCB-1? We will ask him when we return from our trip.

We cross the river into DaNang. In the distance, we can see the skyline of the city. We stop in DaNang at the bank to access the ATM for those in need of additional cash. I snap a picture of the colorful dress shop across the street from the bank.

As we drive through DaNang, I think of how this city might have looked when Dad was here. During his tours in Vietnam, he was stationed at Marble Mountain, just outside of DaNang. In one of my favorite pictures of Dad, he is standing on China Beach in his flight suit. The picture was sent to me by someone who served with Dad during his last tour. Tonight, we will be guests at a memorial service on this same beach.

As we drive towards the Furama Resort, we pass the 6 mountains that make up the region refered to as Marble Mountain. From deep within these mountains, lie the marble grottos. Our plan, once we have checked into the hotel, is to shop for marble at the local stores. I want to bring home gifts for my children made from the marble from the area where their grandfather served.

Happily, we are soon arrive at the Furama Resort. This 5-star hotel is right on China Beach. We will spend 2 days here, enjoying all the amenities. We check into our room on the second floor overlooking the lagoon pool. The room is very elegant with a king-size bed, balcony, and walk-in shower in the marble bathroom. Connie, Gayle and I leave Ed to his own devices while we go shopping for marble.