Travelogue
The Heavenly Lady Pagoda and the Citadel of Huế - 24 June 2023
Thien My Pagoda is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the ancient imperial city of Huế. The pagoda is older than any of the tombs I visited and holds a more poignant place in the contemporary history of Vietnam. The pagoda which means “Heavenly Lady” in Vietnamese, is situated on hill on the outskirts of Huế overlooking the Perfume River. Originally built in 1601, several of the Nguyen kings added to and restored the pagoda over time. The pagoda can be reached easily from the city by bicycle if you cross the river from the main hotel area and ride along past the Citadel until you come to the railway bridge. Carry on down that road until you reach the pagoda. Entrance is free. The pagoda’s seven-storey octagonal tower, built in 1884, is easily the most distinguishable feature of the complex. Behind is the Dai Hung shrine, the main-hall. As well as bronze cast statues, it shelters some precious antiques: the bronze gong cast in 1677, the wooden gilded board with Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu's inscriptions (1714). On opposite sides of the pagoda are a room for the bonzes (religious teachers) and a guest-room for visitors. Monks dressed in grey robes are seen going about their daily business, one could be seen walking his motorcycle through the bonsai trees behind the main complex. The temple also houses the A50 Austin motor vehicle in which Thich Quang Duc was driven to his self-immolation in Saigon in 1963 against the Diem regime. The car, a rusted blue, is
Huế – Travels on the Perfume River - 27 May 2023
The usual tourist trail along the length of Vietnam takes in Hoi An and then Huế if going south to north. Most visitors with time go by road or rail while others, on tighter schedules, fly. My first trip to the country saw me travel the 1700kms by land from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi (Ha Noi) by bus and by train. Hoi An to Huế is just 120kms but
The Royal Tombs of Huế in the Heartbeat of Vietnam - 23 April 2023
Vietnam is a country with a fascinating history boasting a host of attractions. Midway along the country’s distinctive s-bend coastline is the former imperial capital of Hue where you get both history and wonderful sights. A few years ago, I made my first visit there and found it a welcome stop on the journey through Vietnam away from the hustle
João Saldanha - Football and Politics in Brazil - 25 March 2023
Brazil won the World Cup in 1970 with a team that is widely regarded as the best side ever to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy. The national team in 1970 had two managers: João Saldanha followed by Mário Zagallo, the latter a protégé of the former, both of whom enjoyed a long association with Botafogo FC. Saldanha had been a player, coach, sporting
Kratie on the Mekong - 21 January 2023
I recently took a bus from Phnom Penh to the provincial town of Kratie or Krong Kracheh, northeast of the Cambodian capital on the banks of the Mekong River, a journey of about 250kms by road. Cambodia is one of the few countries I’ve travelled in where road travel is often easier, faster, and more comfortable on dirt roads than on sealed ones
Italy in Mexico, World Cup 1970 - 10 December 2022
The Italians arrived in Mexico in 1970 as European champions having eventually beaten Yugoslavia 2-0 on home soil two years earlier, and after winning the semi-final against the Soviet Union by the toss of a coin. Their playing ranks included two of the best attacking midfield players in Europe in Sandro Mazzola and Gianni Rivera, rivals from
Working in a Gold Mine in a Desert - 21 August 2022
I once worked in a gold mine in the middle of an Australian desert. To get there I flew to Adelaide from overseas with the intention of hitchhiking to Kalgoorlie, a mining town in Western Australia and base for many of the operators working in the mines that drive much of that state’s economy. I had done lots of hitchhiking before all around the
Kalgoorlie - Didyabringabeer - 29 June 2022
Once upon a time way out west, I went to Kalgoorlie by bus to work. Later I went back by rail for a visit. The town of about 30,000 is an isolated stop on the line across Western Australia where one stretch of railway runs completely straight for 478km – the longest straight stretch of rail line anywhere in the world. Kal’ to the locals, is over
Port Arthur and the Vandemonians of Tasmania - 28 May 2022
Tasmania was once called Van Diemen’s Land and is the world’s 26th largest island and Australia’s least populated state. From 1803 Britain settled the island as a penal colony, and almost wiped out the indigenous population in the process. Today Tasmania, or “Tassie” to use the colloquialism, is the most Anglophile Australian state, also having
