So, um. We're back in Kunming. I kinda wish that I would have pushed to have conference a little closer to this area as we had to do a major back track to get back to where we just were. Oh well. Kunming is a pretty cool city to kick it for a while.
What did we do? Not a whole hell of a lot. We arranged out flight out to Laos - Vientiane. and then hung out at the Prague Cafe to suck down some of their delectable BLT sandwiches. Don't underestimate the power of a good sandwich.
On Valentine's Day we decided to make it a cafe Valentine's Day and went to the French Cafe, the City Cafe and the Prague Cafe and gobbled down our favorite treats from all of these places. At the French Cafe they even had special strawberry tarts in the shape of a heart, served complete with two forks and a rose. Awwwww!
We also made it out to the Provincial Museum and (dum-da-da-dum!!! - the sound of triumphant trumpets) it was open. One of the first provincial museums we have visited to be so. Last year, the museum was closed for renovations when we tried to go. We got there about 20 minutes or so before it was to close. Did that stop us? NO! We cruised that museum like a [insert clever simile here]. The museum was really nice looking and modern. They did a great job updating the look and feel of the place as a lot of Chinese museums suffer from 'book on the wall' syndrome.
One of the disappointments in Kunming was that we were unable to locate Wei's pizza and not from the lack of trying. Looked up and down both sides of the street and down the alleys too. Remember that happy picture of Matt with a gigantic pizza. Well, never again will we be able to see that face. Because as far as I can tell it is gone. Sigh, sniffle, sniffle.
Other than that we didn't really do too much. We went for a couple more BLT sandwiches - we got a breakfast BLT and then got s couple more to go to eat for lunch on the plane.
So, next, Laos! I can't wait!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Who would have thought...
that we would be in Hong Kong without internet!?! :) So, no posts for you!
So, conference. Wasn't too into it this time around. Not that it wasn't good to see everyone again and some for perhaps the last time. Our VIA pow-wow was out in the New Territories area of Hong Kong. It was really quite beautiful out there, quite removed from the high rises, crowds and cars.
So, what did we do at conference. Well, we talked and talked and well, talked. About um, China (duh). Here is the over-simplified re-cap(not in any particular order):
Vols arriving to conference late - BOO!
M & M being "uncharacteristically" late - a little to worried to boo right away, but eventually - boo!
Post reports - yea!/2 Nanjing boos!
Brainstorming about stuff - yea! Putting it (hopefully) in action - YEA! (hopefully)
VIA home office updates - Yea! Hopefully will put PD in a better "yea" position in the coming years.
Lesson idea exchange - Mu's lesson - YEA! Fellow vols as students - boo! Also, special mention of Naree's - boo-hoo (inside joke, yes. Will explain, no.)
BBQ - Yea! Baijiu soaked marshmallows - a big, bad, BOO!
The last supper - Yea - good food! Boo - 'cuz it's the last supper.
So, I missed some stuff, but that's at least how the recap pretty much played out in my mind.
After we said our goodbye we all split off to head out on our post-conference travels. Matt and I got a chance to hang out with the new(er) vols in Kowloon for the night before we split off for different SE Asian travels.
Hong Kong is different from "China" - I mean, no jay walking, none. Just patiently waiting for the light to turn - no pushing to get that 4 inches of better curb position for when it is clear enough to Frogger across the street. I did not see a snot rocket. A lot less phlegm clearing. I wonder if they have nicknames for the crass mainlanders? I liked the way the city moved, crowded, but smooth. Someone stepped on my foot and genuinely apologized. Immediately. I didn't even have to shoot a dirty look!
So, sorry I don't have much of a commentary on the city. I didn't have too much time to explore, but was happy to see a little bit of a place that I wasn't planning on going. Hong Kong was expensive. But good to see. I'm glad that we were able to go (even if it did through a wrench in the SE Asia travel).
I'll go see the inspiration crib for my fav designer, Vivienne Tam, another time.
So, conference. Wasn't too into it this time around. Not that it wasn't good to see everyone again and some for perhaps the last time. Our VIA pow-wow was out in the New Territories area of Hong Kong. It was really quite beautiful out there, quite removed from the high rises, crowds and cars.
So, what did we do at conference. Well, we talked and talked and well, talked. About um, China (duh). Here is the over-simplified re-cap(not in any particular order):
Vols arriving to conference late - BOO!
M & M being "uncharacteristically" late - a little to worried to boo right away, but eventually - boo!
Post reports - yea!/2 Nanjing boos!
Brainstorming about stuff - yea! Putting it (hopefully) in action - YEA! (hopefully)
VIA home office updates - Yea! Hopefully will put PD in a better "yea" position in the coming years.
Lesson idea exchange - Mu's lesson - YEA! Fellow vols as students - boo! Also, special mention of Naree's - boo-hoo (inside joke, yes. Will explain, no.)
BBQ - Yea! Baijiu soaked marshmallows - a big, bad, BOO!
The last supper - Yea - good food! Boo - 'cuz it's the last supper.
So, I missed some stuff, but that's at least how the recap pretty much played out in my mind.
After we said our goodbye we all split off to head out on our post-conference travels. Matt and I got a chance to hang out with the new(er) vols in Kowloon for the night before we split off for different SE Asian travels.
Hong Kong is different from "China" - I mean, no jay walking, none. Just patiently waiting for the light to turn - no pushing to get that 4 inches of better curb position for when it is clear enough to Frogger across the street. I did not see a snot rocket. A lot less phlegm clearing. I wonder if they have nicknames for the crass mainlanders? I liked the way the city moved, crowded, but smooth. Someone stepped on my foot and genuinely apologized. Immediately. I didn't even have to shoot a dirty look!
So, sorry I don't have much of a commentary on the city. I didn't have too much time to explore, but was happy to see a little bit of a place that I wasn't planning on going. Hong Kong was expensive. But good to see. I'm glad that we were able to go (even if it did through a wrench in the SE Asia travel).
I'll go see the inspiration crib for my fav designer, Vivienne Tam, another time.
Oops! We're in Macao...
After our wonderful time in Cambodia and Vietnam, we headed off to conference. We boarded a train to Nanning to try to make it to our VIA-China conference in Hong Kong without being too late. The problem was that the conference was hitting us right in the middle of our break and really wound up costing us a lot to get there. So, I was a little pissed about all of that. Granted I should have been more vocal about the timing of conference and less accommodating, but I wasn't but, I still felt like I wanted to be a little late just to be a twerp.
So, well, um, we took a little side trip to Macao. We arrived in the evening and right away set out to find a nice guesthouse. The first problem was getting a cab. None of the cab drivers were very helpful. We even found some people to try to help us, but they didn't have much luck with the cabbies either.
Eventually we just flagged one down, loaded all of our stuff in the cab and then told him where we wanted to go. This was more successful - didn't give him a chance to say "no" and drive off. Eventually we found the guesthouse we wanted him to take us to. I went out to scope out the rooms only to find that they were positively the dingiest little cells that I had encountered on the trip thus far! Horrible! So those little rat-traps were a big N-O. So off to try to find the mysterious Villa Universal.
We wound up asking some kids on the corner for some directions and they tried to help us. One of the problems we found was that all of the information in the guidebook about Macao was in Portuguese and did not list the Chinese for the places so sometimes getting around with the LP was challenging. Eventually, a older lady flagged us down and waved some business cards at us. Low and behold, Villa Universal! Thank goodness she was working the corner (to strum us hotel business) or we would probably not have found it.
The rooms were pretty nice and they were clean! Also had hot water and private bathroom for a fairly reasonable price. So, we crashed there for the night. I was feeling pretty grimy and didn't want to go out, but Matt went out to find something to eat. When he got back he brought with him some fantastic cookies! Kind of like fortune cookies, but filled with crushed almond and sugar. Delicious!
The next day we set out to see a few of the sights. We went to one of the old cathedral ruins sites and then went to the old fort which has since been built to house a museum. I can't even begin to tell you how cool the museum was! They had lots of interactive sections as well as different kinds of media (could choose from 4 different languages) throughout the entire museum. It was really spectacular!
After, we went for some lunch - a Portuguese lunch. Matt really enjoyed his shrimp and coconut curry, I was less certain about my pork and tamarind, but it filled us up and got us ready for the Maritime museum! Another spectacular museum! Had a lot of fun there and even got to play pretend captain for a little while to boot!
Oh, I almost forgot!
...Ummm, my internet timed out right after I wrote that and I have since forgotten. Shit. I hate when that happens. But if I think of the missing tidbit, I will be sure to record it in a completely random post (not to worry).
We also got to look at the outside of a few of the casinos. They had dress codes and a couple of scummy lookin' backpackers weren't going to make the velvet rope cut, so we just peaked around the frosted glass as much as we could and saw chandeliers, but that was about it. BUT we did get to walk around the maze of hallways of expensive stuff (small box of Ricola - $20 Pataca!) to keep you in the realm and got to see some prostitutes tailing some old men who were guests at the $1000+ USD a night hotel/casino/fun palace.
I thoroughly enjoyed my 20 or so hours in the former Portuguese colony. But we had a conference to get to so we set out on the jetboat to the old British colony. Yup. Jet. Boat. Jetboat. Looks like a jet when you enter, but, surprise! Boat. It was a quick trip, but I still managed to get motion sickness, but not enough to use my "air" discomfort bag. Instead, I was distracted by a taped collection of favorite moments from an odd but cool Japanese game show.
The Japanese do have a certain way about their game shows, don't they? This game show involved people creating scenes with bodies. Like a rhythmic gymnast doing a routine, but instead of a ball, it is some dude's head playing the role of the ball. Some of the shorts/scenes were just downright wacky. But a good distraction from said sickness. At least I didn't fall into a toilet.
Pataca. That is one of the coolest currency names.
Macao/Macau. Too short on time, but gald we dropped by for a quick visit!
So, well, um, we took a little side trip to Macao. We arrived in the evening and right away set out to find a nice guesthouse. The first problem was getting a cab. None of the cab drivers were very helpful. We even found some people to try to help us, but they didn't have much luck with the cabbies either.
Eventually we just flagged one down, loaded all of our stuff in the cab and then told him where we wanted to go. This was more successful - didn't give him a chance to say "no" and drive off. Eventually we found the guesthouse we wanted him to take us to. I went out to scope out the rooms only to find that they were positively the dingiest little cells that I had encountered on the trip thus far! Horrible! So those little rat-traps were a big N-O. So off to try to find the mysterious Villa Universal.
We wound up asking some kids on the corner for some directions and they tried to help us. One of the problems we found was that all of the information in the guidebook about Macao was in Portuguese and did not list the Chinese for the places so sometimes getting around with the LP was challenging. Eventually, a older lady flagged us down and waved some business cards at us. Low and behold, Villa Universal! Thank goodness she was working the corner (to strum us hotel business) or we would probably not have found it.
The rooms were pretty nice and they were clean! Also had hot water and private bathroom for a fairly reasonable price. So, we crashed there for the night. I was feeling pretty grimy and didn't want to go out, but Matt went out to find something to eat. When he got back he brought with him some fantastic cookies! Kind of like fortune cookies, but filled with crushed almond and sugar. Delicious!
The next day we set out to see a few of the sights. We went to one of the old cathedral ruins sites and then went to the old fort which has since been built to house a museum. I can't even begin to tell you how cool the museum was! They had lots of interactive sections as well as different kinds of media (could choose from 4 different languages) throughout the entire museum. It was really spectacular!
After, we went for some lunch - a Portuguese lunch. Matt really enjoyed his shrimp and coconut curry, I was less certain about my pork and tamarind, but it filled us up and got us ready for the Maritime museum! Another spectacular museum! Had a lot of fun there and even got to play pretend captain for a little while to boot!
Oh, I almost forgot!
...Ummm, my internet timed out right after I wrote that and I have since forgotten. Shit. I hate when that happens. But if I think of the missing tidbit, I will be sure to record it in a completely random post (not to worry).
We also got to look at the outside of a few of the casinos. They had dress codes and a couple of scummy lookin' backpackers weren't going to make the velvet rope cut, so we just peaked around the frosted glass as much as we could and saw chandeliers, but that was about it. BUT we did get to walk around the maze of hallways of expensive stuff (small box of Ricola - $20 Pataca!) to keep you in the realm and got to see some prostitutes tailing some old men who were guests at the $1000+ USD a night hotel/casino/fun palace.
I thoroughly enjoyed my 20 or so hours in the former Portuguese colony. But we had a conference to get to so we set out on the jetboat to the old British colony. Yup. Jet. Boat. Jetboat. Looks like a jet when you enter, but, surprise! Boat. It was a quick trip, but I still managed to get motion sickness, but not enough to use my "air" discomfort bag. Instead, I was distracted by a taped collection of favorite moments from an odd but cool Japanese game show.
The Japanese do have a certain way about their game shows, don't they? This game show involved people creating scenes with bodies. Like a rhythmic gymnast doing a routine, but instead of a ball, it is some dude's head playing the role of the ball. Some of the shorts/scenes were just downright wacky. But a good distraction from said sickness. At least I didn't fall into a toilet.
Pataca. That is one of the coolest currency names.
Macao/Macau. Too short on time, but gald we dropped by for a quick visit!
Staring...Why are you looking at me?
So, if you look different, people are going to stare at you, right? Matt has been stared at throughout Asia as well as some of the other volunteers. I was not expecting to be stared at in Vietnam, I mean, I blend.
Now, so I might not look Vietnamese, although I was mistaken, but I do look a little more native than the white guy I travel around with. Sometimes I like to walk behind Matt to watch the people's expressions/gestures after he walks past. In Vietnam though I started to notice that, sure Matt was getting his fair share of stares, but so was I. I was perhaps getting even more.
This whole staring business is fairly new to me, as I have mostly traveled in Asia, so it was a little weird to me. Why are you looking at me? Do I have something on my face (check face, try to be discrete), do I have something in my hair? (check hair, try to be more discrete), do I have something on my butt? (check butt, try to be uber-discrete). Once I have determined that I don't have anything stuck on me, I still am left with the same question I started out with, "why are you staring at me"?
I have come up with a couple of possible solutions:
1) They think that I am Vietnamese and wonder why I am with a white man.
2) They are trying to figure out where I am from.
3) They think that I am a Vietnamese woman and I married an expat.
4) They think I am a prostitute.
The stares eventually made me feel a little paranoid, "Do they think I'm a whore?" and then made me want to prove my non-whoreness by speaking English very, very loudly. Did that just make them think that I was a multilingual whore? I dunno.
Some seemed curious, and others seemed, well, accusatory. Of what? I don't know.
So, what one of the above do you think was the reason for the staring? Cast your votes now, or write in your idea!
Now, so I might not look Vietnamese, although I was mistaken, but I do look a little more native than the white guy I travel around with. Sometimes I like to walk behind Matt to watch the people's expressions/gestures after he walks past. In Vietnam though I started to notice that, sure Matt was getting his fair share of stares, but so was I. I was perhaps getting even more.
This whole staring business is fairly new to me, as I have mostly traveled in Asia, so it was a little weird to me. Why are you looking at me? Do I have something on my face (check face, try to be discrete), do I have something in my hair? (check hair, try to be more discrete), do I have something on my butt? (check butt, try to be uber-discrete). Once I have determined that I don't have anything stuck on me, I still am left with the same question I started out with, "why are you staring at me"?
I have come up with a couple of possible solutions:
1) They think that I am Vietnamese and wonder why I am with a white man.
2) They are trying to figure out where I am from.
3) They think that I am a Vietnamese woman and I married an expat.
4) They think I am a prostitute.
The stares eventually made me feel a little paranoid, "Do they think I'm a whore?" and then made me want to prove my non-whoreness by speaking English very, very loudly. Did that just make them think that I was a multilingual whore? I dunno.
Some seemed curious, and others seemed, well, accusatory. Of what? I don't know.
So, what one of the above do you think was the reason for the staring? Cast your votes now, or write in your idea!
Side Thought - Bringing Memories Home
While we were looking at the various curio stores and street side vendor stalls in Vietnam we would inevitably find some dog tags. It was really creepy. Because most likely they got the tags or copies of the tags off of dead US soldiers. I didn't feel right buying them so I didn't. Sifting through bowls and bowls of dog tags.
Now I wish that I had.
I wish that I had bought every single tag I could have laid my hands on just to honor the memory of a US soldier who served in Vietnam. I would have brought them back to the US and back to DC. To at least bring home the memory of someone who served the great nation (with all of its good points and bad) I call home.
I guess I have another reason to go back to Vietnam, anyone want to join me?
Now I wish that I had.
I wish that I had bought every single tag I could have laid my hands on just to honor the memory of a US soldier who served in Vietnam. I would have brought them back to the US and back to DC. To at least bring home the memory of someone who served the great nation (with all of its good points and bad) I call home.
I guess I have another reason to go back to Vietnam, anyone want to join me?
Saturday, February 03, 2007
GIBBONS!!!
Matt and I decided to take a trip out to Ninh Binh to see the gibbon and monkey rehab center. I don't know if it was totally worth the extra trip, but they sure were entertaining to watch!
We took a bus out to Ninh Binh and arrived bleary eyed at around 5 AM - still dark outside and we had no idea where we were. One of the guesthouse keepers was out to meet the bus and we eventually went out to his guesthouse. It wound up being a really nice place and we both felt really lucky to run into the man who we might have otherwise ignored.
After some needed sleep we decided to rent a couple of bicycles and bike around the city (it wasn't too big) and see some of the sights. We first set off to see the limestone peaks by boat and then cycled out to one of the small temples. The caretaker there spoke Vietnamese and French, so I had to try to bust out the truly rusty high school francais to understand what he was trying to say to me. I think I was able to get the gist of what he was saying, which is really better than I could have hoped for.
When we got back into town, we decided to take a look around and there really wasn't too much there at all. So we headed to the guesthouse for dinner. The only thing that they were serving that night was a Vietnamese BBQ - kind of Korean style. It was okay, but what topped it all off was the Ninh Binh water they shared with us after dinner. Um...I only dipped my lip and was coughing, much to the delight of one of the guesthouse caretakers. Matt said that it was at least better than baijiou, which isn't saying that much.
So early the next morning we set out with our driver to the gibbon center and other places within the national park. But the prime reason was to see some primates! The gibbons were amazing! They had some sweet little babies and were swinging all around their enclosures! They would do little mid-air twirls and turns. So much fun to watch! The monkeys that they had there were also very cool - they were really chill. They looked like little bearded men wearing red, black or grey pants. And, go figure, they were called the red pants monkey, black pants monkey and the grey pants monkey.
Besides the monkeys we went on a couple of walks through the forest - saw and hugged (just for Debz) a +1,000 year old tree, and explored a cave which was used for shelter and other things in prehistoric times. After that, our driver stopped by the edge of the road and helped us get on the right bus to Hanoi.
All in all, we made the most of our time there, I don't know if I would go back, but definitely good for a little stop to break up some of the bus riding fatigue.
I am way behind on my blogging, so keep checking back for more!
We took a bus out to Ninh Binh and arrived bleary eyed at around 5 AM - still dark outside and we had no idea where we were. One of the guesthouse keepers was out to meet the bus and we eventually went out to his guesthouse. It wound up being a really nice place and we both felt really lucky to run into the man who we might have otherwise ignored.
After some needed sleep we decided to rent a couple of bicycles and bike around the city (it wasn't too big) and see some of the sights. We first set off to see the limestone peaks by boat and then cycled out to one of the small temples. The caretaker there spoke Vietnamese and French, so I had to try to bust out the truly rusty high school francais to understand what he was trying to say to me. I think I was able to get the gist of what he was saying, which is really better than I could have hoped for.
When we got back into town, we decided to take a look around and there really wasn't too much there at all. So we headed to the guesthouse for dinner. The only thing that they were serving that night was a Vietnamese BBQ - kind of Korean style. It was okay, but what topped it all off was the Ninh Binh water they shared with us after dinner. Um...I only dipped my lip and was coughing, much to the delight of one of the guesthouse caretakers. Matt said that it was at least better than baijiou, which isn't saying that much.
So early the next morning we set out with our driver to the gibbon center and other places within the national park. But the prime reason was to see some primates! The gibbons were amazing! They had some sweet little babies and were swinging all around their enclosures! They would do little mid-air twirls and turns. So much fun to watch! The monkeys that they had there were also very cool - they were really chill. They looked like little bearded men wearing red, black or grey pants. And, go figure, they were called the red pants monkey, black pants monkey and the grey pants monkey.
Besides the monkeys we went on a couple of walks through the forest - saw and hugged (just for Debz) a +1,000 year old tree, and explored a cave which was used for shelter and other things in prehistoric times. After that, our driver stopped by the edge of the road and helped us get on the right bus to Hanoi.
All in all, we made the most of our time there, I don't know if I would go back, but definitely good for a little stop to break up some of the bus riding fatigue.
I am way behind on my blogging, so keep checking back for more!
Creepy Commies
Greetings from Hanoi!
Matt and I are on the last leg of our trip in Vietnam. We just saw a very cool water puppet show at the City Water Puppet Theatre (duh). It was interesting to see the way the puppets glide across the water - the water is very much a part of the show too - not just a groovy stage.
We also went out to see Uncle Ho today. His mausoleum. His embalmed body. Total creepiness. What is up with saving the bodies of communist leaders? Lenin, Mao and Ho all kept in a eerie state of waxiness so people can shuffle through and view their bodies. Did North Korea embalm "The Great Leader"? Right around Ho's mausoleum is his former palace/greeting place, residence, museum, his cars, etc. The museum was actually one of the most interestingly laid out and put together museums I have ever been to.
Anyhow, as I have been traveling though this country, I haven't really felt like I have been in a communist country - like China. Vietnam just breathes differently - a nice and refreshing different. But right around the mausoleum it was something straight out of Commie handbook 101 - big open square - check, austere concrete buildings - check, green uniforms - check, LOTS of pictures/propaganda about leader - check. Didn't so much care for that sudden reminder of where I am after being lost in my head for the past weeks, and also having a sudden reminder on where I must return to after my vacation is over.
It was really strange to go into the chambers to view the body - the chamber is completely climate controlled, and dark, except for the lighting over the body. It looks a little misty-ish when you walk in and then there is a glow over the pallid corpse. It really is quite creepy. There are uniformed guards stationed around the room as well as in the pit surrounding the platform displaying the body. People shuffle in and some pay respects by bowing slightly when they get to the central point of the railing. It was strange and surreal. I had so many thoughts going through my head at this time. I didn't know what to think - I was confused. I was standing 10 feet away from a man who's political decisions caused/contributed to thousands of deaths in the name of so-called "liberation".
"Liberation".
He is celebrated for the "liberation" of South Vietnam and unifying the country. But what a cost this "liberation" had. Now as I try to explain what I was thinking it is all very muddy, it wasn't so clear at the time either. When I got to the center of the rail, my mind was just racing. I frowned and scowled. Not because I support or oppose one political ideology or another, but I just was having a lot of trouble coming to terms with the cost of his actions and this usage of "liberation". When I looked up, I met the eyes of a guard sitting in the pit. He was not very amused by my expression. He hardened his face, frowned at me and motioned me to leave the chamber. Not that I really could or planned on camping out, I just followed the crowd out a little more quickly than I had been moving.
Anyhow, this was both a sobering and creepy experience. We also went to the Hanoi Hilton museum. A former prison which was first built by the French to house the Vietnamese, then later, was used to house US soldiers. I read all about how horrible the conditions were for the Vietnamese and saw another guillotine. I also read about how well the US troops were cared for while there and even saw John McCain's photo and gear from when he was captured and imprisoned there. It has been interesting to read all about the war from a completely different perspective. Although I am getting rather tired reading the carefully scripted propaganda in the museums. Not that the propaganda in the US is necessarily better, it is just different in a very tiring way to me.
So, we are looking to cyclo through the city tomorrow and then head out to Ha Long Bay the day after. Then, sigh, back to China. Hong Kong. Hopefully we will have some time to roll the dice in Macao, but we'll have to see if we have time as my conference is creeping up at a really bad time in my vacation and is going to wind up costing me more money than I feel it is going to be worth (so just a little angry and resentful about that).
Okay, this is getting long and too rambly for my likes. I'll write more later about Ninh Binh (Gibbons!), but it will be post-dated, so look back for it.
So, I just have to make a date with Unky Mao when I get back to Zhong Guo and then head to Russia to complete my embalmed communist leader tour. Hmmm...maybe I'll just hop back on that trans-Siberian line and finish the ride!
Matt and I are on the last leg of our trip in Vietnam. We just saw a very cool water puppet show at the City Water Puppet Theatre (duh). It was interesting to see the way the puppets glide across the water - the water is very much a part of the show too - not just a groovy stage.
We also went out to see Uncle Ho today. His mausoleum. His embalmed body. Total creepiness. What is up with saving the bodies of communist leaders? Lenin, Mao and Ho all kept in a eerie state of waxiness so people can shuffle through and view their bodies. Did North Korea embalm "The Great Leader"? Right around Ho's mausoleum is his former palace/greeting place, residence, museum, his cars, etc. The museum was actually one of the most interestingly laid out and put together museums I have ever been to.
Anyhow, as I have been traveling though this country, I haven't really felt like I have been in a communist country - like China. Vietnam just breathes differently - a nice and refreshing different. But right around the mausoleum it was something straight out of Commie handbook 101 - big open square - check, austere concrete buildings - check, green uniforms - check, LOTS of pictures/propaganda about leader - check. Didn't so much care for that sudden reminder of where I am after being lost in my head for the past weeks, and also having a sudden reminder on where I must return to after my vacation is over.
It was really strange to go into the chambers to view the body - the chamber is completely climate controlled, and dark, except for the lighting over the body. It looks a little misty-ish when you walk in and then there is a glow over the pallid corpse. It really is quite creepy. There are uniformed guards stationed around the room as well as in the pit surrounding the platform displaying the body. People shuffle in and some pay respects by bowing slightly when they get to the central point of the railing. It was strange and surreal. I had so many thoughts going through my head at this time. I didn't know what to think - I was confused. I was standing 10 feet away from a man who's political decisions caused/contributed to thousands of deaths in the name of so-called "liberation".
"Liberation".
He is celebrated for the "liberation" of South Vietnam and unifying the country. But what a cost this "liberation" had. Now as I try to explain what I was thinking it is all very muddy, it wasn't so clear at the time either. When I got to the center of the rail, my mind was just racing. I frowned and scowled. Not because I support or oppose one political ideology or another, but I just was having a lot of trouble coming to terms with the cost of his actions and this usage of "liberation". When I looked up, I met the eyes of a guard sitting in the pit. He was not very amused by my expression. He hardened his face, frowned at me and motioned me to leave the chamber. Not that I really could or planned on camping out, I just followed the crowd out a little more quickly than I had been moving.
Anyhow, this was both a sobering and creepy experience. We also went to the Hanoi Hilton museum. A former prison which was first built by the French to house the Vietnamese, then later, was used to house US soldiers. I read all about how horrible the conditions were for the Vietnamese and saw another guillotine. I also read about how well the US troops were cared for while there and even saw John McCain's photo and gear from when he was captured and imprisoned there. It has been interesting to read all about the war from a completely different perspective. Although I am getting rather tired reading the carefully scripted propaganda in the museums. Not that the propaganda in the US is necessarily better, it is just different in a very tiring way to me.
So, we are looking to cyclo through the city tomorrow and then head out to Ha Long Bay the day after. Then, sigh, back to China. Hong Kong. Hopefully we will have some time to roll the dice in Macao, but we'll have to see if we have time as my conference is creeping up at a really bad time in my vacation and is going to wind up costing me more money than I feel it is going to be worth (so just a little angry and resentful about that).
Okay, this is getting long and too rambly for my likes. I'll write more later about Ninh Binh (Gibbons!), but it will be post-dated, so look back for it.
So, I just have to make a date with Unky Mao when I get back to Zhong Guo and then head to Russia to complete my embalmed communist leader tour. Hmmm...maybe I'll just hop back on that trans-Siberian line and finish the ride!
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