Thinking of flying Vietnamese Airlines?

I flew from Can Tho to Con Dao, no problems, so I wasn’t prepared for my next ordeal.

People watching on Con Son Beach

The local beach may have had a line of boats along the pier, but that didn’t lessen its appeal. It was long and wide with white sand and the ocean was refreshing.

There were few swimmers but during the afternoon, I couldn’t help notice the photographers.

A day on Con Dao’s azure ocean

We were headed to a sheltered bay for snorkelling on one of Con Dao’s many reefs. I had a perfect view of the lush covered hills as we left Con Son. The boat bounded over waves once we approached a craggy stack and I’d wished I’d taken Dive! Dive! Dive’s offer of a seasick tablet.

Con Dao’s Museum

I’m not one for museums but decided to visit this one on the edge of Con Son, a ten minute walk away.

The museum was mainly about the incarceration and torture of the Vietnamese at the hands of the French colonial rulers followed by the U.S.A.’s puppet regime. I’d read a novel about a prisoner in the tiger cages but I don’t think the story was set in Vietnam. Still, I was curious to learn just what they looked like.

Me, a bicycle and Ong Dung Beach

It was an uphill battle all the way to Ong Dung Beach and I ended up dismounting my bike and walking. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise because, growing overly hot from the repressive heat, I stopped along the route under a shady patch to cool down.

Hang Duong Cemetery

As I walked the tree-lined entrance to Hang Doung Cemetery, a heaviness pressed down on me. The site was lovingly maintained and the silence broken only by birds chirping, a rooster’s crow, an occasional dog barking or the wind through the trees.

Over temple grounds

 

I walked from Con Son heading towards the cemetery past cows grazing by the side of the road, papaya trees and even a field or corn. Before I arrived at the cemetery’s entrance, I was distracted by a temple.

Prisons of Con Son

I strolled the back streets on the first afternoon I arrived to discover this peaceful haven had a dark past. The island had been used as a prison for those who opposed French colonial rule; followed by the Vietnamese government against their own dissidents; and lastly by the U.S.

A small haven on the Con Dao Islands

Con Son on the main island, had instant appeal. Tree lined streets shaded French style bungalows where only the occasional sound of traffic was heard.