OUR GUIDE, NGHIEP

On the right, with the elders

45 years old, born at My Lai, moved away from the area by his mother to the safer city of Dalat. Now, one of the younger Easy Riders, in his own words "He has married rice but also like noodle.....sometimes instant noodle." He laughs machine gun style at his own jokes like CJ in the unbeatable 'Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin'. He has 1 front tooth, speaks excellent english but unfortunatley supports Chelsea. He has superb first hand knowledge of this central area and the battle sites, and though a passionate supporter of his government offers a well-rounded appraisal of the turbulent years of his lifetime. His family was particularly scared of the South Korean troops fighting here more than any other and is obviously emotional at the number of untrained vietnamese soldiers whose graves dot the landscape. Most of his colleagues in the Easy Riders were from the South and their bikes have given them something to do as continuing to be teachers, doctors or police under the 'new' regime was impossible.

Excellent reconteur and proud communist and buddhist (how does that work?), he was especially interested in Ell's hungarian dad and we received looks of respect from the family elders at our leaving meal, Ell for being a fellow comrade and Western for a thoroughly professional display of rice wine drinking. Anyone around the table can propose a toast and they determine whether you drink 50% or drain the glass - mostly we drained the glass - "My head was beating like a song by The Clash" but I dug deep and stayed till the bitter end ( 5 litres) with the old boys saying "You are Number 1, You are Number 1" - I wouldn't disagree! Later, back at the hotel I tried to take my underpants off over my head.