Underwoods' junket on a junk benefits St. Paul's
By Cele Hahn (May 12, 2006)

Dean and Nancy Underwood are leading an Indochina trip to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Travelers will depart from León on November 24 and return on December 14, 2006. The cost of the trip is US $4,380 (single supplement, US $900).

"This is a great itinerary," according to Dean Underwood. "We've worked very hard to make sure this trip covers as many wonderful adventures as possible yet is comfortable for all and reasonably priced."

Nancy Underwood adds that it will be especially fun to cruise Halong Bay in a junk. "Of course," she said, "there will be many markets, museums, the Luang Prabang waterfalls, and the place most of us have dreamed of-Angkor Wat."

For a complete itinerary, you can stop at El Pegaso and ask for Robin, the Underwoods' daughter; call the Underwoods at 152-5497 or email nan@unisono.net.mx  or robin@unisono.net.mx 

Here are some of the trip highlights.

The first stop is Ho Chi Minh City, where the group will visit China Town and its Binh Tay Market and the Thien Hau pagoda. There will also be a boat trip down the Mekong River to visit a farmer's house and garden and see a bee-raising farm and a coconut candy business. The tour then takes in a Cao Dai Temple, home to a popular, syncretistic religion in the South of Vietnam. Travelers will also visit the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum, a cathedral and the Ben Thanh market and walk Dong Khoi Street for shopping.

Then, it's on to Danang and the ancient town of Hoi An. The group will discover the historic town that was a prosperous seaport city in the 16th and 18th centuries, the colorful local market, the Fukien Assembly Hall, a 400-year-old Japanese bridge and also meet local residents who raise silkworms.

In Hue, the intrepid travelers will enjoy a boat trip to the Thien Mu Pagoda and Tu Duc and Khai Dinh tombs. There will be a chance to shop at the Dong ba Market before moving on to Hanoi. At Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding beauty, the group will see more than 3,000 limestone islets rising from the clear emerald water and beautiful grottoes, then board a junk for a four-hour cruise.

In Hanoi we'll visit Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and his former residence, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature. For more entertainment there's a water puppet show, a unique art form in Vietnam.

And there's still more: A chance to rest or swim in the natural pools near Luang Prabang, where we'll see the 35-kilometer Kuang Si waterfall, and pay a visit to Angkor Wat temple and a floating village.

The travelers will visit many other small villages, markets, museums, palaces, parks and temples. 

The Underwoods promise the group will have a good time. "After all," Dean said, "it's the Grand Indochina Tour. And we've priced it so many people can join us."

"It's also a fundraiser for St. Paul's Church in San Miguel," Nancy added. "After our costs-and the major cost of this trip is airfare-the balance goes to St. Paul's."

Highlights of the Indochina tour


Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the delta of the Mekong River. Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown area, called Cho Lon, is one of the oldest parts of the city, and a visit can easily take an afternoon or entire day. "Cho Lon" means "big market," and one of the best places to begin a visit to Chinatown is at the Binh Tay Market.

The Thien Hau Pagoda, one of the most important in the city, is richly ornamented and honors Buddha as well as the Chinese deity Thien Hau, the goddess of the sea and patron of sailors.

For a different view of the rich religious culture of Vietnam the tour will visit a Cao Dai temple. The third largest religion in Vietnam, Caodaism, combines elements from many of the world's main religions.

Dunang, which borders the South China Sea, is considered to be one of Indochina's five major cities. It was home to a major US air base during the Vietnam War.

Hoi An, 30 kilometers away, is a World Heritage site and an exceptionally well-preserved example of a southeast Asian trading port from the 15th through the 19th centuries. 

The Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue, in central Vietnam, is also a monastery. The seven-story octagonal pagoda exhibits the famous Austin motorcar that transported the monk Thick Quang Duc to Saigon, where he immolated himself in protest against the policies of President Ngo Dinh Diem.

Halong Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1,600 islands and islets that form a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by human presence. This World Heritage site's outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest. 

Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum in Hanoi is one of the most important and visited sites in Vietnam. Most of the year the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh is on view in a glass coffin.

The Temple of Literature in Hanoi (Van Mieu ), dedicated to Confucius, was founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong. In 1076, Vietnam's first university was established here to educate Vietnam's administrative and warrior classes.

The Kuang Si waterfall, near 29 kilometers from Luang Prabang, Laos, flows over a high limestone cliff through bamboo forests and tall jungle. After the initial falls, the water meanders down the valley, forming soft-bottomed pools and terraces.