Aug/Sept: Heritage Lemon Tea, Cumberland.

Cumberland offers a variety of accommodations:

1. BED & BREAKFAST: 2593 Derwent Ave., Cumberland, BC [year round].

2. THE CATS PYJAMAS - 336-8884 2695 Windermere Ave., Cumberland, BC. This is a large heritage home with a cozy fireplace and a welcoming view of Beaufort Range. Your Hosts: Lucy & Andreas Conradi.

3. THE WAVERLEY HOTEL - 336-8322 2692 Dunsmuir Ave., Cumberland, BC. Bright airy rooms or one bedroom suites with phones and television. Located on B.C. Transit route for added convenience. Your Hosts: Harvey & Shannon Brown.

4. CUMBERLAND LAKE PARK CAMPGROUND is a 57-acre recreational park, located on beautiful glacier-fed Comox Lake only 3 km west of Village of Cumberland. Come and enjoy this family-oriented campground in heart of Comox Valley. This offers excellent summer beach, campsite and boat launch facilities.

In 1853 J.W. Mackay found coal in Comox Valley and years later this was confirmed by Commander Robert Brown, who described a ‘rich coal field in Comox Valley’, in 1864. He, along with other prospectors, organised ‘Union Company’, from which early settlement derived its’ name, Union.

Many unsuccessful attempts were made to mine area, until finally, in 1883, Robert Dunsmuir & Sons acquired all shares in local coal operations. Dunsmuir invested half a million dollars in developing mines and improving wharf in Union Bay. Under direction of Dunsmuir's son, James, in 1892, a new town site was developed east of Union.

The village was named after Cumberland County in England and its streets, after places within that county. Cumberland incorporated in 1898 with coal mining succeeding for years, until production of oil in Leduc, Alberta in 1947, which marked beginning of end for Cumberland coal industry. By 1966 last mine, Tsable River Mine, closed and Cumberland transformed into a quiet peaceful village.

For a tour of a model coalmine, stop by Cumberland Museum and Archives. Downstairs is a replica of old coal mine, which was constructed a few years ago by retired miners...this gives visitors a very good idea of feel of a coal mine. As you start down stairs you will see a model dressed as a Draegerman, a miner who went down to rescue during cave-ins, explosions, or other disasters. Working in groups of six, each carried 30 pounds of gear and had to be prepared to stay below for up to three days, searching for and assisting trapped or injured colleagues.

The word ‘Draegerman’ came from Draeger Company in Germany that made safety equipment carried by ‘Draegermen’.

With your first view of mine you will see coal cart, which can hold one ton of coal. Five of these were pulled up to lift by one mule. From there, coal was hoisted to surface for processing and shipment.

The museum displays many of original maps of underground working of coal mines.

Learn story of labour leader organiser Ginger Goodwin, watch video presentation about Cumberland’s Chinatown and take a look at last surviving building, Jumbo’s Cabin, situated on Lake Road. It has been home to a county jail, office of paymaster for Union Colliery Co [1869-1883], and was home of Hor Sue Mah, Chinatown’s last resident.

Don’t forget your camera as Cumberland’s scenic beauty offers unparalleled photo opportunities for camera buff.

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Also packing beaches were assorted food vendors selling everything from cold drinks to fresh lobster. Beach chairs and large umbrellas were also available for rent there.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end so when we finished that cable laying job I had no reason to hang out in lovely Vung Tau anymore so we packed our bags and headed back north to Ho Chi Minh City.

American War Crimes Museum (now name has been changed to Remnants of War Museum)

When I heard about there was a museum in Ho Chi Min called American War Crimes Museum, of course I had to go to see what it was all about. Well, as you can all imagine just by reading name of place I think you already have a pretty good idea as to what to expect there.

Inside this museum you will find all kinds of items dating back from Vietnam war. Most of items, if not all, were of American manufacture. Outside of museum were such large items as tanks, anti-aircraft guns, helicopters and even one or two old American aircraft.

There were also numerous smaller items such as a large variety or old USA ammunition, plane wreckage (from shot down American airplanes) and downed helicopter parts.

Inside museum there were many items which included small arms such as guns of all sizes and calibers, knifes, ammunition and a variety of other artifacts. All USA made of course.

The most disturbing items in this museum, at least for me, were numerous photographs which were hanging on walls throughout. When you see photo’s of American soldiers smiling and holding up their trophy’s (being a couple of cut off heads of dead Vietnamese soldiers) that’s enough to turn anyone right off. Of course, that’s reality of war and I’m sure this kind of shit was done on both sides and probably even considered normal at time, but, it’s not kind of thing I needed to be reminded of at moment. I’d much rather be sitting in some bar with a couple sexy Vietnamese ladies on either side of me whispering sweet nothings in my ears!

I’d seen enough so decided to try and look for this street which was selling antiques which a friend of mines had told me about. “Not only were there some great antiques for sale there”, he had told me, “but there’s also American war items which were left after war for sale there”. When Yanks suddenly pulled out of Nam in 1975, apparently they left behind entire warehouses full of new and used military goods. My friend had actually bought a brand new Helicopter Pilots helmet (still wrapped in its original plastic)!

I didn’t actually see his supposed Helicopter Pilots helmet or know if he was kidding me or not but I definitely wanted to go find this place. When I arrived there I did see a hell of a lot of antiques for sale, including US military stuff.

I could handle being offered assorted collection of old brass and stainless steel USA Zippo cigarette lighters but what was a bit disturbing to me were numerous USA soldiers dog tags they were peddling. Why in hell would I want to purchase an old dog tag? Especially if they were real.. and were taken off of dead US soldiers. Hell, some of them even appeared to still have blood stains of them so I had to tell them ‘thanks but no thanks’ to that offer.

No, at street I was on I definitely didn’t see them selling anything as good as a Helicopter Pilots helmet so now I’m wondering whether my friend was pulling my leg or not.

The following day as we flew out of Vietnam I just had to think once again how happy any soldier would have been to see that site and know he’d survived jungle, VC and most of all his commanding officer screaming in his ear everyday. LOL

Would I go back to Vietnam? Heck yes. I had a great time there and I’d recommend if for anyone who needs an adventurous place to go in Asia.

Tony Wells is an American who’s first Asian eye-opening experience was in 1982 when he went there to work as a Commercial Oilfield Deep Sea Diver. He’s currently writing a book about his life’s story as the only Black American Commercial Diver in SEA and all other his wild and crazy experiences in Asia.