I would have never imagined that this would be a sentence I’d write, but after Cambodia, I have seen enough temples and pagodas to last a lifetime. The vast number of ancient buildings in these past few countries is incredible. Climbing them, learning about their historical and religious significance, and being in awe of the architectural genius has become one of my favorite activities (will now be stated on my resume as “climbs pagodas and temples as a pastime”).
We arrived in Vietnam on another tidal entry, meaning instead of an ocean, we were in a river. A giant ship sailing past itty bitty fishing boats was quite the scene for the locals of Ho Chi Minh. Right off the ship we took a shuttle to the most majestic post office I have ever seen. Built by the same French architect who gifted the Statue of Liberty, this bright yellow building was such a warm welcome into the country of Vietnam. Coming from Myanmar, where I was riding bikes on dirt roads and climbing pagodas, into the giant city of Ho Chi Minh was a little more alarming than I expected. The easy access to anything we needed – taxis, western toilets with toilet paper, ICE CREAM – was mildly overwhelming, making me a little nervous for the transition back to the states, but that is a problem for another time.
After wandering through the post office with our mouths agape in awe – we picked a direction and began walking. We came across my new favorite store in the world with the most beautiful housewares and teapots. If I had a house I would have gone ham with collecting kitchenware. (Email me if you want their website! Not too sure if they ship to the US). We then stopped into a tailor where all of the guys were getting custom tailored suits – a must-do when in Vietnam apparently. After some expert measurements, we found the ultimate indoor market just as the sky opened up and it started to pour. The term “indoor” is used very loosely as rain flooded through the roof and the stall-keepers began covering all of their shops in plastic. After some playful bargaining (and becoming one shopkeepers personal advertisement as I sent all the SASers her way), we had a delicious meal of mystery meats and AMAZING Vietnamese coffee (and of course included French fries – I’ve had fries in every country thus far). Our original intention for the night was to find a bar, aptly named “Le Pub,” where ex-pats supposedly go to play trivia on Tuesdays. After a lot of being lost, we stumbled upon the bar, only to find it to be empty. Determined to play trivia, we wandered in, ordered some drinks, and waited. When no one but a bridal shower party arrived we started our own dance party and had the time of our lives.
The next morning started bright and early with a flight to Cambodia. A lot of these countries we have visited have been incredibly hot, but NOTHING compares to the heat and humidity of Cambodia. Fresh off the plane, we had a short walk to the terminal – about 5 minutes – and were soaked in sweat by the time we arrived at customs. The constant sweat became a theme of this country. Our first stop was a bike ride to Angkor Wat, the largest religious complex in the world built during the 12th century. We climbed to the top of the famous Khmer architecture featured on the flag (one of the only two flags in the world with a building on it), and as soon as we reached the top, the sky opened up and it started pouring – leaving us stranded at the top of a temple in the middle of Cambodia (my life is full of wonderful mishaps at the moment). Initially we were cowering under the awnings, but as the rain got stronger, we ran out into the center and danced in the rain on the top of Angkor Wat (a choice that initially sounded like a good plan, but we regretted a few hours later).
That night, we visited EGBOK (Everything is Going to Be Okay), an NGO that helps students in their late teens and early twenties in desperate circumstances (sex trafficking, abuse, homelessness, etc) by educating them in the hospitality industry and giving them incredible opportunities. The students, who had started their education at EGBOK only 2 months prior, were so eager to practice their English. They set up several stations to teach us what they were learning and for us to teach them some English. My first station was bug tasting and I, feeling strangely adventurous, tried each one. My meal consisted of silk worms (quite juicy), water beetles (very meaty), crickets, grasshoppers, and frogs (my favorite). This may have been the most protein I’ve had the entire trip. It was at the Lotus Flower Folding station that I found what I’ve been calling my toothbrush person (an important connection I’ve made that has held a lasting impact and I will remember for a long time – e.g. as often as I brush my teeth). While failing at folding flowers as beautifully as she did, we talked in very broken English, hand signals, and laughter about our lives and dreams. Conversations I will never forget and will forever hold close to my heart.
The next few stations included salad and spring roll making and tasting the most delicious dessert of my life, simply called “Banana Dessert” (this one beats ice cream).
After a dinner outside with a plethora of mosquitos, we started a dance party (I am now realizing dance parties is the theme of this port), where we taught each other cheesy dance moves from our respective countries (i.e. The sprinkler). If you are ever in Cambodia, make sure to stop at Spoons, their restaurant, for the most amazing meal of your life.
Our next day was an early morning sunrise over Angkor Wat and more temples – both not preserved, in rubble, and stunningly overgrown by the jungle. On the way back to the hotel we briefly stopped at a school that was built over a killing field from the Cambodian genocide. When I asked the guide why there was nothing marking the ground as the grave of tens of thousands of people, he sharply stated “oh no, we don’t do that.” As startling as that is, it has been really interesting to look at how each of these countries deals with memories and the way in which they preserve (or don’t preserve) their history (good or bad). After teaching the children some super fun handshakes, we ended our day with a delicious dinner of crocodile and more playful bargaining at markets.
I spent my last day in port in Ho Chi Minh City again, where I revisited some kind shop keepers who made my day the first day, FINALLY had some pho (AMAZING – if you live in Westchester, Siagonese on Central Ave is almost as good as the pho here – I highly suggest you try it), and visited the war remnants museum. It was very important for me to really try to understand how the Vietnamese survived, recovered, and teach the Vietnam War (American War to them). To start, several Vietnamese students on our ship were completely vulnerable and explained their parents’ hardships through the war. It was a truly moving night and was the first experience that exposed me to the other side of the war on a personal level. Walking through that museum was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a port. At one particularly moving exhibit, I was standing next to an older local and, as she broke into tears, I had to run out because I just did not know how to feel, what to think, or how to react. The museum is very well put together and does do a really great job (maybe even better than my HS education) of explaining the mass resistance to the war across the US and the helplessness of those soldiers who were drafted against their will. If ever in Vietnam, I think it is a very important thing to see.
This port, both Cambodia and Vietnam, challenged me in a plethora of ways. Asides from sweating approximately 5 million gallons of water, I was able to use my “academic adventuring” experience from the past 5 countries to really make sure that this port had a lasting impact – and it really did in a hundred different ways. Like I’ve said in all my past posts, words will never describe what this country has given me and I’m not even sure if all this gibberish I have typed makes sense – I am currently sleep deprived from the enormous number of time changes we have gone through and am not sure if I will ever catch up.
Also this port marked less than a month until the voyage is over and that breaks my heart. Stay tuned for more adventures.
KA
(PS sorry again for the lack of pictures – I am currently in China and all these websites are blocked, so I am posting this on my phone through a not-so-good VPN. I will try to add some at a later date!)
KellyAnn on Deck 