DIEN BIEN PHU

Welcome to Dien Bien Phu. Where the French got their creamy little asses handed to them in 1954. I'm sorry to take joy in that, but there is always a little bit of joy in revelling in one of France's many, many military failures. Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

"As a result of a series of blunders in the French decision making process, the French undertook to create an air-supplied base, at Dien Bien Phu, deep in the hills of Vietnam. Its purpose was to cut off Viet Minh supply lines into the neighboring French colony of Laos. Instead, the Viet Minh, under General Vo Nguyen Giap, were able to surround and besiege the French, who were ignorant of the Viet Minh's possession of heavy artillery and their ability to move such weapons to the mountain crests overlooking the French encampment. The Viet Minh occupied the highlands around Dien Bien Phu, and were able to fire down accurately onto French positions. Tenacious fighting on the ground ensued, reminiscent of the trench warfare of World War I. The French repeatedly repulsed Viet Minh assaults on their positions, occasionally air-dropping reinforcements. Ultimately, however, the Viet Minh overran the base and forced the French to surrender."

Anyway, I found it boring. There was absolutely nothing in the town, and I don't get off on military sites, old tanks and bunkers n' shit. Unlike my dad, who experienced a series of multiple "wargasms." We went as part of a school excursion with Jonah's University. The hotel was an oversized, underused, weirdo resort in the middle of nowhere with swan boats for paddling through the thoroughly toxic lake, billiard tables and ping-pong tables, and monkeys in cages which were apparently being prepared to be killed and cooked and eaten. We ate conventional vietnamese food which was all awful anyway.

Welcome to the fucking boonies of Viet Nam.

Our last night there all the college kids played Bierut with warn Ha Noi beer and I went to bed early. It turns out that Jonah's professor won the Beirut tournament.

This is what our young university minds go on semester abroad for it seems.

More interesting stuff to come.