For 40 years, THAI had been flying to Saigon, or what is Ho Chi Minh City today, even during the thick of the war, but this flight was something else. It is a pleasant flight from Bangkok to Danang. The Boeing 737 cruises at 28,000 feet, follows the flat plains of Thailand and crosses a mountain range before arriving above Vietnam. Thorough puffs of white clouds the mighty Mekong makes it appearance below as it wends its ways southward, diving Vietnam from Cambodia.
Excitement begins to build.
Those who might remember Danang from the war years will be surprised to find few traces of war remain. Danang is sometime referred to by the French as Tourlane, meaning Paris of the East. Vietnamese to this day sit in open-air cafes and the best coffee one can find anywhere is served in these cafes. Traffic these days is mostly bicycles and some motor bikes. Pith helmets are standard for the men, and women, of all ages, ware cone-shaped hats.