The River Monster,

or The Curse of the Sao La

1. The Arrival

map of Vietnam Our expedition began in Hue. We would then travel up the Perfume River to the Vu Quang Nature Preserve. the Perfume River

view of the Vu Quang Nature Preserve view of Hue from the air Hue's runway

the airport at Hue the runway at Hue the Hue Airport Terminal (under construction)

Although we had a smooth flight, we were glad to finally arrive in Vietnam. We were excited to start the hunt of the pseudoryx! The expedition consisted of the chief; Marga, the zoologist; George, another zoologist; and myself, the photographer.

some members of the doomed expedition

We spent the first night Hue. It was uneventful.

In the morning, we set off, with a good number of citizens of Hue wishing us well.

leaving Hueon the Perfume River with friends

The chief had been unable to procure a guide, but he felt confident that we would find an eager guide along the way. Little did we know what dangers would befall us on our cursed expedition.

 

Continue on to 2. The River


Click on the links below to read the story

Introduction - 1. The Arrival - 2. The River - 3. The Monster - 4. The Bridge - 5. The Palace

This story was created by Heather Cleary for the UCLA class, IS287a.
Photographs are courtesy of Howard Besser.