Viet Nam and Cambodia

02 April @ 7:10 p.m.- Sailing toward China - Arrival time tomorrow at 0800!

Currently our voyage includes several ports very close together so I will only highlight some of the things/impressions of the countries that I visit.

27 Mar. - Arrived Viet Nam. I got up at 5:00 am to experience sunrise and our sail up the Saigon River. (It was cloudy and rainy so no visible sunrise.) Upon arriving in the port at Ho Chi Minh City, we were greeted by the Destination Asia Tour Company which provided about a dozen beautiful young women in traditional dress to meet our ship. I chose to go on the City Orientation where we visited the former Presidential Palace where many rooms with opulent furnishings are displayed, the National Museum which also introduced us the a water puppet performance which is the traditional Vietnamese performing art that dates back to the 11^th century (I enjoyed it and I’m sure my grandchildren would love it.) We saw the Notre Dame Cathedral, the elegant Post Office which was a building designed by the French, and City Hall. When the tour was nearing the end, almost everyone on the bus (including me) wanted to go to the large downtown market. The guide assured us that anything we wanted could be purchased at this market—and I found that to be true.

Another Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), Jim Belisle, who I met in the O.C. Peace Corps Association, was visiting Viet Nam. We communicated via email and made plans to meet for dinner that evening. After shopping for awhile, I started walking to the plaza where we were to meet. (I had another one of those wonderful experiences when I stopped to ask a young woman for directions and she insisted on taking me there on her motorbike.) I found Jim and his Vietnamese friend waiting for me—made me believe it really is a small world—had pho for dinner, and walked back to the market for a short while because I now had a local person to help me negotiate prices. Bargaining is a challenge for me because I do not enjoy the process, but it is a necessity in most of the countries that we are visiting.

A comment about the traffic: There were more motorbikes than I could ever imagine – the streets were packed with them. We were told to be brave if we wanted to cross the street – pick a time when there were only a few, start walking across the street (do not stop) and the motorbikes will go around you. I was in that situation, and sure enough, I didn’t get hit!

28 Mar. – I went on a Mekong Delta Day Trip which was about a 2-hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City. This was a FDP (Faculty Directed Practica) with the professor on the ship who is also a RPCV. Every student’s curriculum includes participating in FDPs for each class in which they are enrolled. The professors usually require ~ 3 FDPs that are related to their class. On this trip, we stopped at a rice field to watch the (hand) harvesting of the rice, went to a coconut candy “factory” where we saw women making/packaging the candy, went on a boat ride on the Delta & a canoe ride in one of the canals, ate the most wonderful fruit – bananas, papaya, pineapple, and mango, and drank coconut juice out of the coconut. Lunch was prepared/served to us in a village. The main course was a fried (whole) fish that was delivered to the table and a waitress wrapped pieces of the fish and vegetables in rice “tortillas.” Tasted great!

29 Mar. – I (with 59 other students and adults) departed for 3-day trip to Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat, Cambodia. The flight to Phnom Penh was an hour and after arriving, we visited the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda – both very impressive. We also visited the Palm Tree Orphanage which houses and educates 100 orphans whose parents have died. The children are learning English so we could communicate with most of them. There are some who have damaged their brains by sniffing glue while they were abandoned on the streets. I understand there are many orphanages which are trying to help the street children.

On Sunday, we went to the Tuol Sleng Museum, a school that was converted into a prison camp and torture chamber by the Khmer Rouge. Thousands of Cambodians were incarcerated here before those who survived (some died of starvation and while being tortured) were taken to be killed. The only ‘crime’ committed by most of these victims was that of being educated. We then visited the Killing Fields where there are mass graves of more than 17,000 men, women and children were executed between 1975 and 1978. The most cruel stories were those of children who were held by their legs and their skulls were crashed against the tree until they died while their parents were forced to watch. The parents were killed later. Very, very depressing. I can not comprehend how the Pol Pot Regime (and others) were/are sooooo evil and inhumane. Our guides communicated openly with us about how they and their families had been separated during the war; some of them later found some of members of their family, but all had lost brothers, sisters, parents -- either to death or “I don’t know what happened.” One man saw his brother die of starvation because all they had to survive was rice water. These stories were so horrible that I could not hold back the tears. I don’t know how the ones who survived found the determination to live. These are amazing human endurance stories that I will always remember.

After a Cambodian lunch, we flew to Siem Reap where Angkor Wat is located. I have seen numerous pictures of the temple complex but the immense size was still a surprise. Seeing the massive stone temples and towers certainly made me wonder, “how did they do that?” We saw some of the temples at sunset and others at sunrise the next morning. The Bayon Temple has 54 towers, each carved with the four faces + numerous events/stories carved into the stone. Spectacular! I was surprised to learn that Americans are among the fewest visitors who come to see Angkor Wat. We endured 105 degree heat and humidity to see these temples; it was a challenge and I didn't climb all the stairs, but it was worth every minute of sweat--a free sauna!

Monday evening we flew back to Ho Chi Minh City and a shuttle bus delivered us to the ship where a long line of passengers who had been on various trips were waiting to “check in.” Checking in for the students means having their back packs (we are only allowed to take carry-on luggage) checked for illegal items so it takes a while for that process. A time is set for ‘on ship time’ and if anyone doesn’t get to the ship on time, dock time is issued (meaning at the next port, the late person is not allowed to get off the ship for a designated time—varies with length of time that you are late.) This rule didn’t apply to us since we were on a Semester at Sea trip, but those who travel independently sometimes have trouble getting back to the ship at the designated time.

Reflections: I thought I would be brief, but when I start describing my experiences, I want to explain as much as I can about the local people. In every port, the locals have been wonderful. As Americans, we were exceptionally grateful for the acceptance that we experienced by the people of Viet Nam and Cambodia. They can forgive, but I'm sure they will never forget.

Both countries are struggling, but have great airports with flights that take off on schedule and they have built (with assistance from other countries) great 5-star hotels for those who can afford it (and Semester at Sea booked us in two of these) and guest houses for those who don’t want to pay as much to enjoy their hospitality. They hope to attract more tourists and see the tourism business expand. The majority of the population is young – most of the people my age died in the wars that have plagued their countries. Again, it gave me cause to reflect on how very fortunate most Americans are; I am very grateful to live such a privileged life. If you are contemplating a vacation to Asia, I encourage you to visit Viet Nam and Cambodia. Many of us would like to return.