A haphazard chronicle of my inevitable misadventures during a year in Vietnam and points east.

p.s. I'll be pitifully grateful if you send me email during my exile: TravelerKaty@hotmail.com

October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 February 2006 March 2006 May 2006

 
During our trip to Dam Sen Park Ninh and I also took a ride on the park's monorail, which could best be described as rickety. In fact, if I weren't such a generous person, I might call it a death trap. Those who have experience the Seattle Monorail may recall seeing massive pylons supporting a steel-reinforced concrete track along which the rail runs. One can feel confident that that structure isn't going anywhere. After the apocalypse I fully expect that monorail to be the last thing standing in Seattle.

The Dam Sen Monorail does not inspire that sort of confidence. To be honest, it inspires the fear that every bump, creak and groan will be its last, and that it's determined to take you down with it. Rather than a sturdy concrete-style operation the Vietnamese have gone with a flimsy metal version, which looks to be welded together with a blow dryer. The little track along with the electrical cord runs I swear is held on with twist-ties and chewing gum. Just looking at it from the ground you can imagine the headlines: Not Amused in Saigon -- Amusement Park Tragedy Leaves 10 Dead, 30 Maimed. Left alone, I would not have set foot on the Monorail of Inevitable Destruction, but Ninh seemed determined to give me this treat, so once again I was a victim of my own politeness.

Of course, you must know by now that I made it through alive, but my fingers are still a bit sore from clutching the bars of the train in the hope I could avoid breaking my neck when the thing made its final groan, tipped over and unceremoniously dropped us all to the ground.

© 2002 Katy Warren





posted by Katy at 7:39 PM