A quick stop in Dien Bien Phu
Recently we’ve been speeding through Vietnam by bus, boat and bike. After Sa Pa we went to Điện Biên Phủ, the final battleground in the fight against the French colonists.
When we got there I wasn’t really feeling the place. We had dropped our stuff at the hotel and had to walk half an hour to get some food. Parts of the streets looked like repairs had started a decade ago but had just been abandoned.
After Google Maps took us down three wrong paths - complete dead ends - we arrived at the restaurant, which had its shutters half down. I forgot to mention we were walking through a miserable downpour so them being closed wasn’t really an option. I ducked under and shouted “Xin chào!”.
A young woman turned to me and said hello.
“Open?” I asked while miming eating noodles.
“Okay,” she nodded and we got some fantastic food.
A good meal can really change the complexion of a city. The flickering lights are now sparkling, the noise is now atmosphere.
Dien Bien seems like it has received some proper investment and expected tourists to follow but they didn’t in the expected numbers. To be fair we weren’t there in high season.
History is never never too far away in the city. Remnants of the French base, trenches, guns and tanks are scattered around making for a fun walk that feels like you’re discovering it all yourself – despite it all being well signposted.
Dien Bien Phu museum was very well curated and had me wanting to lay down my life for Ho Chi Minh.
