If driving from Victoria time is about one and one-half hours to Nanaimo. From Nanaimo there are two routes to Cumberland: If you take scenic coast shore route on Highway 19 driving time will be about one hour and twenty-five minutes. Or you can further shorten driving time to Cumberland by taking new Inland Island Highway from Nanaimo to Courtenay, which is an hour’s drive. Cumberland is ten minutes west from Courtenay.

After a day of skiing or golfing nearby, or recreation activity of your choice, Cumberland is perfect retreat and has something for everyone..

Spend a day exploring countless unchartered walking trails - to an old mine or hike to lake for a picnic and swim. See final resting place of Asians who worked in coal mines, at Chinese and Japanese Cemeteries located on Union Road off Cumberland Road.

Take a walking tour of fascinating heritage buildings in Cumberland that date back to 1800s; browse through some of unique shops downtown, and then enjoy lunch at one of many great village cafes. Don’t miss antique shops for a real step back in time - travel almost any street to see heritage buildings and trees over a century old.

The Cumberland Recreation Institute offers a universal gym, sauna, whirlpool, squash courts, indoor climbing wall and a wide variety of scheduled programs for all ages.

Events in Cumberland:

Oct 31: Children’s Halloween Party at CRI, with prizes, hot dogs, juices [free].

Nov 30: Christmas Artisans and Crafts Faire at CRI.

December: Cumberland’s Christmas Lighting Contest, Sponsored by Cumberland Chamber of Commerce. Contest for Business & Residential.

December: Cumberland Santa Claus Parade: Santa Claus Parade starts at Village Park and ends at Cumberland Recreation Hall. Then you can have lunch and visit with Santa. This event happens within first two weeks of December.

1st Saturday in December: Cumberland Chamber of Commerce Arts & Crafts Faire

9 am - 4 pm CRI Hall, Cumberland. Door prizes, Concession, Free admission.

Dec 14: Children’s Christmas Party at CRI.

Feb/Mar: Early Empire Days Cinch at CRI.

April 17: Children’s Easter Party at CRI.

May 1: Baked Bean Dinner, at Cultural Centre.

May 10: Empire Days Cinch, at CRI.

May 17-19: Annual Empire Days; May Queen crowning, Soap Box Derby, dinner, dancing.

May 25: Cumberland-Port Alberni Cavalcade at CRI parking lot.

June 4: CUMBERLAND’S ANNUAL CAVALCADE - The Valley Link Highway Project. This event is sponsored by a committee made up of citizens from Comox Valley, Port Alberni and Cowichan Valley.

The Cavalcade is to promote concept that was recognised by political leaders from all over Vancouver Island to Link Cowichan Valley, Port Alberni and Comox Valley with a Highway. This event usually takes place at end of May.

June 20-21: Miner’s Day Memorial Celebration.

July 26: Classic Cruisers Car Parade - Cumberland/Courtenay.

July 27: Classic Cruisers Car Show at Village Park.

August: Waverly Hotel’s Golf Tournament at Sunnydale Golf Course Courtenay 336-8322

Aug 1-4: NADS Fastball Tourney at Village Park.

Being an American and growing up during Vietnam War era, I always wanted to see what post war Vietnam was like now a days. During Vietnam war I was to young to be drafted but I clearly remember all hype in USA over Vietnam and war. I can even remember my older brother actually joined in anti-war protests and burned his draft card.

As luck would have it, one of companies that I often free lance worked for secured a submarine cable laying project in Vietnam and asked me if I was interested to go there. Most definitely I wanted to go there.

As our plane touched down in now Ho Chi Minh City, I tried somehow relate back to how soldiers would have felt when they had landed there in Saigon back during war. I can tell you this, feelings they would have had wouldn’t have been good at all knowing there’s a chance that they could be killed there.

While driving from airport to our hotel I even saw several of those old concrete machinegun bunkers. Even though war had ended over 20 years ago, it was still clear that Vietnam still had many reminisces of it’s war era days.

Traffic was chaotic at best. Many intersections didn’t have traffic lights and it also seemed that some people drove on whatever side of street they pleased. Definitely, anyone from any western country wouldn’t want to even attempt to drive a vehicle on streets of Vietnam.

The architecture in Ho Chi Min City is a major reflection of French design with a mixture of Asian influence. The government buildings and churches were all beautifully designed and up kept quite well throughout city center.

Vung Tau

The following morning we headed down south to port town of Vung Tau. Vung Tau is at entrance to Saigon river. It is about a 6 hour drive from Ho Chi Min City to Vung Tau. During Vietnam war American soldiers used Vung Tau as an R&R area (Rest & Recreation).

Since war ended Russians have turned Vung Tau into an Offshore Oilfield supply base. They even have a large compound there where all Russian’s oilfield workers and their families reside.

There’s also a few bars along street directly opposite this huge Russian compound. The Russian’s visit these bars for drinking, socializing and shooting pool, etc. I would shoot pool there also and I happened to meet a few nice Russians there. They were oilfield workers on their time off.

Back to bars.. there were several bars on main strip there [which runs along beach]. Most of bars also served good western food and had pool tables in them also. Of course there were some beautiful and sexy Vietnam ladies there also.

I can’t exactly put my finger on it but there’s something about Vietnam girls that makes them extra sexy. Almost all of them have typical long black hair (very long, in fact) and that alone makes any woman sexy in my opinion.

But, Vietnamese ladies have their own special dress, Vietnamese Long Dress, known locally as Ao Dai. It is a one piece dress and color is usually white. What’s really sexy about this dress is extremely high slit up both sides of it. Wow.. it seems like slit is going all way up to and even pass their asses and it makes ladies look so very sexy when you see them walking or riding their bicycles down street.

To top off their sexiness, they are usually dawning a typical straw coned hat on their pretty little heads while outdoors to protect them from sun also. Great combo and when you personally witness it, it would bring average horny man down to his knees in no time.

Jam Packed Beaches

Our project was not on same beach with rows of bars, but on other windward side beach. We couldn’t work there during day time on weekends cause beach was always jam packed with people sunbathing, swimming and having a great time..