Vietnam: Cheap thrills and so much more...

Time has certainly gone by faster than I have ever imagined possible. My time in Vietnam was a blur but excellent non-the-less. The first day, Monday, April 9th was spent seeing Ho Chi Minh and shopping in the markets. Transportation to and from the ship was very exhilarating…via motorbike! Ok, so it was probably not the safest way to get around but it was liberating to be able to just get on and go. The warm wind in my face really brought me out of the city and into another world where I felt free. This is probably a crazy way to describe how I felt but it was really what we all looked forward to. Everywhere we went was by motorbike and to make it even better it was only $1 anywhere in the city! Talk about cheap thrills! One of the many shop stops was at a tailor shop. From past SASers and travel books we learned that Vietnam was the place to go to get dresses and suits custom-made. Since the Ambassador’s Ball is coming up everyone wanted to get a something made. The one we found was off the beaten path but proved to be well worth it. The group of girls I was with spent about 4 hours total in that little shop…we had dresses, suits, coats, blouses, etc made. Of course we got them at reasonable prices and each one fit perfectly to our bodies. At least this was what we kept repeating to ourselves! Then we took another joyride back to the ship to have dinner and get ready to go out. For a group of girls we got ready in record time and we went to a club called Apocalypse Now. This was the place where all the SASers ventured to. The music was fun but the drinks were surprisingly expensive. Nevertheless we had a good time.

Tuesday, April 10th was spent at the Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple. The bus ride was about three hours to get to the Temple, but it provided good sleeping time. The Temple was very interesting. Caodaism is an indigenous religion to Vietnam and is “the attempt to create the ideal religion through the fusion of the secular and religious philosophies of the East and West. The result is a colorful potpourri that includes elements of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, native Vietnamese spiritism, Christianity, and Islam.” The followers believe in one God, the existence of the soul, and the use of mediums to communicate with the spiritual world. They also believe in the Eye which sees all…nothing escapes it. Awkwardly enough when I entered the Temple I did feel that I was being watched. It was very strange but interesting. Thousands of people travel to this place to explore this one of a kind religion. Fortunately there was a service at noon and we were able to watch it for a while. From the Temple we drove another two hours to the Cu Chi tunnels. Famous for its 200-kilometer network of underground tunnels, it was created and used by the Viet Cong forces during the war. They were used to “launch strategic attacks and then seemingly disappear into thin air. The tunnels had well-hidden entrances and thick roofs which were capable of withstanding the weight of tanks and the impact of bombs.” Troops from America actually built a base on top of some of the tunnels which caused many casualties for the US troops. The sizes of the tunnels were so incredibly small, only about two feet wide with five feet high. Thankfully some of them were enlarged so we could crawl through them. They were very dark and we literally had to get down on our hands and knees. But this was all amazing to actually go through, physically and emotionally. Being so close to actual war territory was mind-blowing. The bus ride back was consistent with the way here…more time to sleep from a long day.

Wednesday, April 11th was another day to…shop! I mean how could a girl pass up great shopping with prices so low? OK, so I didn’t go too crazy but this was a great location to get gifts. And I can’t forget to mention we had a few rides on the motorbike to and from various markets. But the day did have a great deal of educational value to it. Lindsay, Allie, and I visited the Museum of War Remnants. It is housed in the former U.S. Information Service building. In the museum I was able to experience many photographers’ accounts of the war, all disturbing in every sense of the word. The majority of the museum consisted of photos but there was a section of other artifacts that stirred even more emotion and feelings of anger and frustration. One particular segment focused on the effects of Agent Orange. Now I have heard and read about this chemical weapon but never to the extent of which I saw and read in this museum. The main purpose was to clear the foliage to uncover the Vietnamese. However, the devastation that it caused was much more horrendous. What I think was the worst though was that its effects are still being felt all over Vietnam, Cambodia, and even the States. I saw pictures of soldiers from both sides with sores, burns, and other complications that were from Agent Orange. It really hit me though when I saw the pictures of the children that were born with deformities and mental illness. In one area there was a glass window and in it were two glass jars. I couldn’t make out what was in the jars until closer inspection. When I realized what it was I immediately felt nauseated. One jar had an unborn child with the umbilical cord still attached. The head of the fetus was larger than the rest of the body and it made it seem like it was not human. The other jar was even harder to look at. Two fetuses obviously attached at the head were so deformed that they had extra digits and their limbs bent in unnatural ways. All these babies were aborted naturally by their mothers because of the effects of Agent Orange and to see them being displayed as some science project made me feel even sicker. Other areas of the museum showed how the Americans detained Vietnamese hostages. I wish I were able to describe in vivid detail how despicable the treatment was. So to try to do that, I took pictures but I know that it is something that has to be seen in person to truly grasp. Another thing which was brought to my attention was the fact that U.S. media has neglected to divulge a lot of this information and photography. Sadly in a place where the media is legally allowed to be distributed, I find it convenient that my government has hidden these images and facts. I bought a book outside the museum gates; it is the memoir of Robert S. McNamara, the former Secretary of Defense during the war. It captured my attention when I saw a portion of the museum which focused on the post-war activities. He says, “We of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations who participated in the decisions on Vietnam acted according to what we thought were the principles and traditions of this nation. We made our decisions in light of those values. Yet we were wrong, terribly wrong. We owe it to future generations to explain why.” I believe he is right…much was done wrong to this country. And I can’t understand why I was treated so nicely by them even though they knew that I am a citizen of the country which caused them so much pain. They welcomed me to their country and were so enthusiastic to share their lives…another illustration of the power of forgiveness and the goodness of humankind.

Thursday, April 12th was spent at the Mekong Delta. This area is vastly marshlands and forest. It is famous for its coconut palms and fruit orchards. We were able to try mangoes, longans, bananas, grapefruit, jackfruit, and pineapple. All were delicious! We also got to sample fresh honey and an exotic blend of teas. The river was very active with ferry boats transporting workers to and from the various islands and individuals rowing small wooden boats. Our lunch was on another secluded island where we were served fresh elephant ear fish, spring rolls, and other Vietnamese cuisine. Trolling down the river was very relaxing and the wind was warm and the air fresh. To see the way of life on this place was so fantastic, another insight to our great world.

The last day, Friday, in Vietnam was bittersweet. I was sad to leave but the conclusion of my time was the highlight which was spent with the children from the Tam Binh orphanage. There are about 100 orphans, all born to HIV-positive mothers or are infected themselves. Immediately when our group entered the immaculate orphanage we were bombarded with smiling faces and open arms. Each child latched on to a new friend, and the one that chose me did not let go until the end of the day. He was about four years old and had the face of an angel. They were so excited to see us and we have stickers and gifts to give them. We toured the facilities and I observed how well kept the place was. I saw where the children slept, ate, and attended classes. Each room was in good order and appeared safe for the children. Since these children are not able to attend regular school we asked our director who teaches the children. He told us that one man teaches them all and that it was very difficult to get him to teach these children since the stigma of HIV is so negative and many people are afraid to be associated with it. However after a while the teacher overcame his fear and committed to teaching the children. There are also some children with developmental delays who require one-on-one teaching. We were informed that there is a volunteer program which consists of mostly women who teach these children to get them up to speed with the others. The majority of the time was spent at the water park. We played games, watched a monkey show, and looked at animals with the children. They seemed to really enjoy their time but we were instructed to not ask them about or mention HIV. At first I was surprised but at the end of the day I realized why the directors asked us not to. They wanted the children to have a fun-filled day where they were able to get out of the orphanage. I was surprised to learn how much HIV is discriminated against and how much stigma is attached to HIV. I learned that some efforts are being made to tackle this such as health promotion programs which aim to educate the public. Billboards, ads, and the distribution of condoms are all tactics being put into use. Unfortunately, Vietnam has a long way to go. I just hope that the children at Tam Binh will be able to live to see the day where they are all accepted for who they are not what they may or may not be infected with. The one little boy who latched on to me at the orphanage had yet to let go of my hand, it was so sweet. I just wished I was able to hold his hand every day. I could tell that he yearned for his parents or for anyone to love him. Here was another example of the power of human touch like what I experienced in India. It was unbearable to think that he lives each day knowing that no one wants him because of something that he has no control over. I hope that he knows that he will remain in my memory as well as my heart even though we may never see each other again. And with that I left this beautiful country...with the hope to return one day soon.