greeneland

Yesterday I went on the, 'Graham Greene Literary Saigon Tour.' I met my tour guide, Mr Bury, at my hotel after lunch, as it had been raining heavily in the morning, and we proceeded north on foot to the Dong Khoi area.

After a fifteen minute walk we reached our destination. My shirt was straightaway a rag. Back in the 1950s, Dong Khoi was called the Rue Catinat, and was the hangout of Greene's main character and narrator in The Quiet American, journalist Thomas Fowler. Reaching the corner of the street, Mr Bury pointed out the Majestic on the corner, and told me that this was where Greene had stayed for most of his time in Vietnam. It was very posh indeed. Greene had obviously had a very good royalties deal.

Then we took a look across the street at the river, where - in the book - Alden Pyle's body is dumped following his murder. It was at this point I could hardly remember my name, or what I came to escape from. From here, we went down the boulevard of Dong Khoi, and about midway came to another large hotel: The Grand. Fifty years ago, and prior to renovation, Bury said, this had been a shabby apartment block, and Greene had used it as the model for Thomas Fowler's apartment. I took a photo. It was bigger than I had imagined. Then a woman's voice drugged me, and I fell in love with Vietnam. Everything was so intense.

The tour conclusion, and finale, came with a visit to the famous Continental, referred to throughout the book, and a well-known haunt of international journalists throughout the Vietnam conflict. I took Mr Bury inside and bought him a large scotch (bugger didn't say thank you). We both reclined in our rattan chairs, and watched the afternoon traffic ride silently by, and thought of Greene; his visits here so many years ago, and the terrific book that was born out of them.