2026年1月28日～2月2日
残念ながら、法的な問題が発生する可能性を考慮し、 掲載を取りやめとしました。 是非、現地の博物館で実物をご覧いただきたく。		1月28日 　関空を10:00に発ち、タンソンニャット国際空港に13時過ぎに着。時差は2時間です。空港でガイドさんを探すもいない・・。どうしよう、そういえば数日前にベトナムから着信があったから、きっとそれに違いない。かけてみると、爽やかな声で、”Ichiro、いまどこ？”（※英語です）。 　最初に連れて行っていただいたのは、戦争証跡博物館。筆舌にし難い惨状の証拠写真が次から次へと。幾多の物語を知りましたが、敢えて内容は語りません。この写真が全てを物語っています。枯葉剤による徹底した破壊。言葉がありません。
January 28 I left Kansai International Airport at 10:00 a.m. and arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport shortly after 1 p.m. There is a two‑hour time difference. I looked around the airport for my guide, but he was nowhere to be found… What should I do? Then I remembered that I had a missed call from Vietnam a few days ago—that must have been him. I dialed the number, and a bright, refreshing voice answered: “Ichiro, where are you now?” The first place he took me to was the War Remnants Museum. One devastating photograph after another—evidence of unimaginable suffering.I learned many stories there, but I will not speak of them here. These photographs say more than words ever could. The merciless destruction caused by Agent Orange… I had no words.
日本人街 　ホテルは、ガイドさんが”ここがいいよ”と教えてくれていたのを断って、楽天トラベルの写真で選択したところ、日本人街そばのロケーション。おかげで食べるものには困らなかったけれど、肝心の日本人街って、あまりよろしくない雰囲気。ガイドさん曰く、”Ichiroはそういうのに興味があってそのホテルを選んだのかと思いました。”・・・、いえ、決してそんな意図はありません。私は鳥や蝶を見に来たのであって、人間の蝶を見に来たのではありません。
Japanese District I chose my hotel based on the photos on Rakuten Travel, instead of staying at the place my guide had recommended, saying, “This one would be good.” As it turned out, the location was right next to the Japanese District. Thanks to that, I had no trouble finding places to eat. But the Japanese District itself… well, the atmosphere wasn’t exactly pleasant. My guide said, “Ichiro, I thought you chose that hotel because you were interested in that kind of place.” …No. Absolutely not. I came here to see birds and butterflies— not the human kind of butterflies.
		レッドブル 　日本人街のそばのカツ丼屋で早々に食事を済ませ、そそくさとホテルの自室へ。冷蔵庫を見ると、何やら見慣れた文字が。でも日本のそれとは違って、缶がビールっぽい。お味は大して変わらなかったような・・。今日は朝早くからの移動で疲れたので、1缶戴いて早く寝よう。
Red Bull After a quick katsudon near the Japanese District, I slipped back to my hotel room as fast as I could. When I opened the refrigerator, I noticed something familiar on the can— yet it looked different from the Red Bull we have in Japan. The can was shaped more like a beer can. As for the taste… I don’t think it was much different. I had been traveling since early morning and was exhausted, so I decided to have one can and call it a night.
1月29日 　ビジネスマンの悲しい性か、2時間の時差なんてあって無いようなもの、毎朝6時過ぎにはおメメが開く私は、コチラでは4時に目が開く。まあ、朝は暑くなさそうだから、ウォーターフロントにでも散歩に行きますか。ホテルを出て、地図を頼りにサイゴン川のほとりまで。広い道路を横切らないとウォーターフロントには行けない。向こう側に渡れる箇所をウロウロ探していると、メトロ駅への地下通路を見つけ、無事に川岸に辿り着くことができました。
January 29 Perhaps it’s the fate of a businessperson, but a two‑hour time difference hardly means anything to me. I normally wake up a little after six in the morning— which means that here, my eyes open at four. Well, at least the mornings aren’t hot. So I decided to take a walk down to the waterfront. Using the map as my guide, I left the hotel and headed toward the Saigon River. To reach the waterfront, I had to cross a wide road, so I wandered around looking for a place where I could get to the other side. Eventually, I found an underpass leading to a metro station, and thanks to that, I made it safely to the riverside.
		サイゴン川 　もの凄い勢いで拡大するホーチミン市。最近は1700万に届く勢いとの事。3年前に出版されたガイドブックには1000万弱と書かれていたので、ウソみたいなスピード。確かに郊外には宇宙空港みたいな新空港も建設中だし、アジアの大都市の活気はすさまじい。今回の旅の目的の一つは、この活気を味わう事。東京や大阪といった大都会であれば、活気賑わう街もあるけれど、アジアのそれは一味違う。おそらく”恐ろしくやかましい”、そう、”喧騒”という単語がぴったし。
Saigon River Ho Chi Minh City is expanding at an astonishing pace. I’ve heard that the population is now nearing seventeen million. It’s hard to believe, considering that a guidebook published only three years ago listed the population as just under ten million. The speed of growth feels almost unreal. It’s no wonder—on the outskirts of the city, a brand‑new airport, one that looks almost like a spaceport, is already under construction. The energy of a major Asian metropolis is truly overwhelming. One of my goals on this trip was to experience that energy firsthand. In cities like Tokyo or Osaka, of course there are lively, bustling districts. But the atmosphere in Asia has a different quality altogether. Perhaps the right word is “deafeningly loud.” Yes—“cacophony” might be the most fitting expression.
交通事情 　日本と異なり、スクーターの嵐。またその運転マナーがすごい。とても日本の運転スキルでは、この国の運転はムリです。何であの運転で接触事故が頻発しないのか、とても不思議。センターラインなんてあって無いようなもの。あのすさまじい交通量の道、しかも信号が無いのに、みなさん絶妙のアイコンタクト？を交わしながら横断する・・。私にはとても無理なので、来た道を素直に引き返し、メトロの地下道を通って道路の向こうにあるホテルに戻りました。
Traffic Conditions Unlike in Japan, Ho Chi Minh City is a storm of scooters. And the way people ride them is astonishing. With the driving skills we have in Japan, there is simply no way we could navigate traffic in this country. It’s truly a mystery how collisions don’t happen constantly with driving like that. The center line might as well not exist. And despite the overwhelming volume of traffic—and the lack of traffic lights— people somehow manage to cross the street by exchanging the most subtle eye contact imaginable. There was no way I could do the same. So I decided to retrace my steps, take the underpass to the metro station again, and safely return to the hotel on the other side of the road.
		ホテルそば 　まあ、、このくらいの交通量なら私でも渡れます。
Near the Hotel Well… with this amount of traffic, even I can manage to cross the street.
メコンデルタ 　ホテルへ帰って朝食を頂き、ガイドさんの車でメコンデルタへ。そう、なぜかここに来たかったのです、ワタシ。特別な観光など望んでいません。ただ、メコン川の茶色い水の上に浮いてみたいと、突然そう思いました。わかるかな？この気持ち・・。私にも何故だかわからないのですが、あるとき書店で手を延ばした先にあったのは、「地球の歩き方、ベトナム」。きっとメコン川に呼ばれたのでしょう。 　現地の人はとても親切。英語を話せない方も多いのかもしれないけれど、私が謝意を告げると、伏し目がちに二コリ。日本人が忘れかけているものがそこにはしっかり見て取れたように思います。
Mekong Delta After returning to the hotel and having breakfast, my guide picked me up and we headed for the Mekong Delta. For some reason, I had always wanted to come here. I wasn’t looking for any special sightseeing. I simply wanted to float on the brown waters of the Mekong River. The feeling came to me suddenly— and I still wonder if you can understand what I mean. I myself don’t really know why. One day, at a bookstore, my hand just happened to reach for a copy of “Globe-Trotter Travel Guide: Vietnam.” Perhaps the Mekong River was calling me. The people there were incredibly kind. Many may not speak English, but when I expressed my gratitude, they smiled gently with their eyes lowered. I felt I was witnessing something that we Japanese may be slowly forgetting.
		ポップライス 　メコンデルタに浮かぶ島に渡り、いかつい顔のメインディッシュ他、凄い量の食事を楽しんだ後は、別の島に渡って島内めぐり。ポップライス工房へ案内いただいた。最初、ポップライスが何かわからなかったワタシ。できたものを見て、ポン菓子だ！そばに併設されている売店で購入したそれは、まさに”雷おこし”。何の違和感もございませんです。
Pop Rice After crossing over to one of the islands in the Mekong Delta, we enjoyed an astonishing amount of food— including a rather fierce‑looking main dish. Then we took a boat to another island for a little tour, where we visited a pop‑rice workshop. At first, I had no idea what “pop rice” was. But when I saw the finished product, I immediately recognized it— it was pon‑gashi! I picked some up at the small shop next to the workshop, and it turned out to be exactly like kaminari‑okoshi. Not the slightest sense of unfamiliarity.
フィッシュファーム 　ポン菓子工房の後は、バギーで島内観光。そこここに見える水上施設は魚養殖場。先ほど昼食で戴いたあのピラニアみたいな顔の魚も、ここで養殖しているのかな？
Fish Farm After the pop‑rice workshop, we continued our island tour by buggy. Here and there, I could see floating structures on the water—fish farms. I couldn’t help wondering if that fierce‑looking fish we had for lunch, the one that reminded me of a piranha, was being raised right here.
		ココナッツジュース 　メコン川水上散策のフィナーレは、船頭さんが提供してくれたココナッツジュース。ココナッツジュースは久しぶり。イスラムヘーレス以来かな？モーレア島以来かな？それともコタキナバル？こうして振り返ってみると、私はトロピカルな水の園が好きなのかもね。
Coconut Juice The finale of my Mekong River boat ride was a fresh coconut juice offered by the boatman. It had been a long time since I last had coconut juice. Was it in Isla Mujeres? Or on Moorea? Or perhaps in Kota Kinabalu? Looking back, I suppose I’ve always been drawn to these tropical waterscapes.
永長寺の仏像 　https://architecture-tour.com/world/vietnam/vinh-trang-temple/ 　日本人の感覚では、”お寺”に分類するには抵抗がある寺院ですが、寺院内にいらっしゃった僧侶は違和感がありませんでした。
The Buddha Statues of Vĩnh Tràng Pagoda https://architecture-tour.com/world/vietnam/vinh-trang-temple/ For someone with a Japanese sensibility, this place doesn’t quite fit the image of what we would usually call a “temple.” And yet, the monks who resided there felt completely natural— not the slightest sense of inconsistency.
		1月30日　ホテル前の休憩所 　宿泊に使用したホテルは、備品は良かったものの壁が薄いのか隣の部屋のシャワー音や水洗トイレの音が良く通り、そのたびに目が覚める事を繰り返していました。まるで○oパレスみたい。スタッフの皆さんは良かったですよ。宿泊客はほぼ東洋人。日本語もそこかしこで聞こえていました。
January 30 — Rest Area in Front of the Hotel The hotel I stayed at had good amenities, but the walls might be thin that I kept waking up whenever I heard the shower or toilet flush from the room next door. It felt almost like living in a SOME apartment. Still, the staff were wonderful. Most of the guests were from East Asia, and I often heard Japanese being spoken all around me.
ジャングルロッジ横の舟渡し 　今日はジャングル散策。念願のジャングル散策。今回の旅のメインディッシュのジャングル散策。3時間半の（ガイドさんの）ドライブのあと、本日お泊り予定のロッジで昼食を食べてそそくさと船着き場へ。船で渡った先はジャングルっぽくない数々のファシリティが。気を取り直してガイドさんとの自転車ハイクに出発。タフガイなガイドさんは涼しい顔で自転車を漕いでいくが、ワタシ、最近自転車に乗ってないのです。必死で漕いで、漕いで、お尻が痛い。
Ferry Beside the Jungle Lodge Today was the long‑awaited jungle trek— the jungle trek I had been dreaming of, the main dish of this entire trip. After a three‑and‑a‑half‑hour drive (thanks to my guide), I had lunch at the lodge where I would be staying that night, and then hurried straight to the boat landing. But on the other side of the river, instead of dense jungle, I found a number of facilities that didn’t feel jungle‑like. But I brushed it off and hopped on a cycling tour with my guide— flexibility is basically my superpower. (I know, impressive, right?) My tough, unflappable guide pedaled with ease, but I… well, I haven’t ridden a bicycle in quite some time. I pedaled and pedaled with everything I had, and soon enough, my poor butt was loudly filing a complaint of its own.
		巨木のスポット 　絞め殺しの木と絞め殺されずに無事に巨木になった木。先行は団体さんなので、少し間を開けてルートを辿ります。
The Giant Tree Spot There stood a strangler fig— and beside it, a tree that had survived its grasp and grown into a magnificent giant. A tour group had gone ahead of us, so we kept a little distance and followed the trail at a quieter pace.
		熱帯雨林です。夕刻が近く、暑さは気になりません。所々で鳥が騒ぎ、蝶やトンボは乾季にもかかわらずそこここにひらひら、ひらひら。虫には興味がない様子のガイドさん、風のように自転車を漕いで行きます。 　コチラにきてからずっとマスクを外していますが、鼻水が出ない。まあ、杉花粉は飛んではいないでしょうけれど。私には天国です。
The tropical rainforest was calm. With evening approaching, the heat no longer bothered me. Birds called out here and there, and despite the dry season, butterflies and dragonflies fluttered everywhere— softly, lightly, as if suspended in the warm air. My guide, who seemed to have little interest in insects, pedaled ahead like the wind, while I followed behind, taking in every small sign of life. Since arriving here, I’ve hardly worn a mask, yet my nose hasn’t run once. Well, cedar pollen certainly isn’t flying here. For me, this place feels like heaven.
		お泊りのロッジ 　広くて、オシャレで、食事のおいしいロッジです。特に生野菜がシャリシャリで抜群。青虫の私には最適のロッジでした。←はXXXアップルとXXXグレープ。これはガイドの奥さんからの差し入れとの事ですが、これがまたおいしんだわ。おいしいおいしいと頬張っていると、ガイドさんが喜んで次々に皮を剥いてくれる。「ワタシ、63歳なんです。もうそろそろ食が細り始める頃なので、そんなに食べれません」と、説明してもガイドさんは聞き入れてくれません。
The Lodge Where I Stayed It was a spacious, stylish lodge with wonderful meals. The fresh vegetables, in particular, were crisp and delicious— perfect for someone like me, practically a caterpillar when it comes to greens. The plate in the photo is XXX apple and XXX grape, a gift from my guide’s wife, I was told. And they were unbelievably good. As I kept saying how delicious they were, my guide—delighted—began peeling one after another for me. I tried to explain, “I’m 63 years old. My appetite isn’t what it used to be, so I can’t eat that much anymore.” But he simply wouldn’t listen.
		1月31日　ホーチミンにお帰りの日 　昨夜は眠気に負けてジャングルナイトツアーはキャンセル。ガイドさんが一人でお出かけされました。翌日の午前は待ちに待った鳥探索ツアー。最初に訪れた観察舎はジャングルの中。トロピカルな小鳥に加えて、コルリがいました。こんなところで冬越ししているのね。給餌箱では、カラフルなウッドペッカーとリスの餌の取り合いを楽しめました。次に訪れたところはブッシュ。野生のセイロンヤケイの素晴らしい肉付き（いえ、色合い）を堪能しました。
January 31 — The Day I Returned to Ho Chi Minh City I was too sleepy last night, so I gave up on the jungle night tour. My guide went out on his own instead. The following morning was the long‑awaited bird‑watching tour. The first hide we visited was deep in the jungle, where I saw not only tropical songbirds but also a Siberian Blue Robin. So this is where they spend the winter. At the feeding box, I enjoyed watching a colorful woodpecker and a squirrel competing for food. The next place we visited was a patch of bushland, where I was delighted to observe a wild Sri Lanka Junglefowl— notable for its magnificent build (or rather, its magnificent colors).
		2月1日　クチ・トンネルへの旅 　今日は最終日。ベトナム戦争の激戦地となったクチトンネルへの小旅行。まず最初に戦場のジオラマを見学し、戦場跡へ。ベトナムの人が超大国のアメリカと如何に戦い、そして勝利したかを学びました。弾薬の遣い回しや即席草履の製作、多階層トンネルによる水攻め・火責めへの対応。多くを持てる者の傲慢に、持たざる者の覚悟が勝りました。感動以外の何物でもありません。
February 1 — A Journey to the Củ Chi Tunnels Today was my final day in Vietnam, and I took a short trip to the Củ Chi Tunnels, one of the major battlefields of the Vietnam War. I first visited a diorama of the battleground, and then walked through the actual site itself. There, I learned how the Vietnamese people fought —and ultimately prevailed— against the overwhelming power of the United States. They reused ammunition in ingenious ways, crafted improvised sandals, and built multi‑layered tunnels that allowed them to withstand both flooding and fire. In the end, the resolve of those with little surpassed the arrogance of those with much. It was nothing short of profoundly moving.
		サイゴン旧市街 　今回の旅の最後の訪問地として選んだのがサイゴンの旧市街。訪れてみたい地ではあったものの、ここもものすごい交通事情。訪れた時はまだ陽があったのでまだましで、暗くなるとものすごい観光客が押し寄せるとか。道路を渡るすべを持たない私を、体を張って庇いながら、時には手を引きながら案内してくれたガイドさんには、感謝しかありません。 　最後の夕食はその名も”プロパガンダレストラン”。なかなかイケてるネーミングです。
Saigon Old Town For the final stop of my trip, I chose to visit the old quarter of Saigon. It was a place I had always wanted to see, but—as expected—the traffic was overwhelming. When I arrived, the sun was still out, so it wasn’t too bad, but I’ve heard that once night falls, the area floods with tourists. I’m truly grateful to my guide, who shielded me with his own body and sometimes even took my hand to help me cross the streets— something I could never have managed on my own. Our last dinner together was at a place called “Propaganda Restaurant.” Quite an impressive name, I must say.
空港で飛行機を待つ 　翌日0時5分発の便に乗るために、少し早めに空港に送っていただきました。ガイドさんとのお別れは強いてごく軽いものにしました。涙が出ちゃいますからね。 　「必要な刻に、ふさわしい場所で、逢うべくして逢う人と出逢うこと」ができた今回の旅。私もまだまだ頑張らなくちゃ・・そんな気持ちにさせてくれたとても有意義な旅となりました。
Waiting for My Flight at the Airport I was taken to the airport a little early to catch my flight departing at 12:05 a.m. the next day. When it came time to say goodbye to my guide, I kept it deliberately light— otherwise, I knew I would end up in tears. This journey allowed me to experience “meeting the person you were meant to meet, at the right place and at the right moment.” It was a deeply meaningful trip, one that made me feel that I, too, must keep moving forward.