Nick Vails Spring 2007 Semester at Sea: Good Bye Vietnam!!!

SUNDAY APRIL 15, 2007
As I said in my last e-mail, Vietnam is more than a war it’s a country. In my five days in Vietnam I further came to realize just how beautiful a country Vietnam truly is. The most remarkable aspect of the people here, in my opinion, is their ability to move beyond the past so quickly. My guide felt the Vietnamese people could more easily forgive and forget the wars of the past than Americans, and from my interactions here I am inclined to agree with him. Perhaps this is because the majority of the population in Vietnam today was born since the end of the “American War” in 1975. Also Vietnam has unfortunately been a participant in many wars throughout its history and I hypothesize that its people have learned to quickly rebuild and move forward out of necessity. Vietnam was occupied by the Chinese for nearly 1000 years, invaded by Mongolia in the 14th century and more recently fought wars with the Japanese, French, Americans, and Chinese in the mid 20th century. Despite the past, the Vietnamese people, especially the youth, were extremely friendly to us as Americans and many enjoyed American culture. Today people of all nationalities including the Japanese and French are visiting Vietnam as tourists and not as soldiers. The people of Vietnam are very future oriented today and are more interested in a prosperous future than the difficult past. At around 8% GDP growth per year and a booming export sector, growth in this country since opening the economy nearly 20 years ago has been incredible and hopefully some of the pictures will show that.

MONDAY APRIL 9, 2007
I woke up early this morning to watch as our ship sailed up the Saigon River into Ho Chi Minh City. We passed large freighters and small canoes as we traveled about 25 miles up the river. We docked about 1.5 miles from downtown Saigon greeted by throngs of parents who arrived to greet their children. Before disembarking we had the pleasure of watching a group of Cambodian orphans perform a traditional dance for us in the student union. One of the faculty couples on ship have been involved in running and funding a Cambodian orphanage for many years and invited the orphans group to Vietnam funded by $10 admission tickets paid for by the students. It really got me thinking about adoption later on in life but then I dispelled these thoughts remembering my age.

Following the performance I explored Saigon with my friend James for about two hours. We had lunch and I stopped to taste Durian which is the smelliest fruit in the world. My initial excitement was soon replaced with fear as the food vendor put a plastic glove on my hand and all the locals moved about 6ft away from me as I peeled back the plastic wrapping. HOT DIGGITY did that fruit stink. It is very difficult to describe but might be comparable to old rotten eggs with a touch of port a potty. Somehow I managed to bite into this so called “fruit” and fortunately the taste was not as bad as the smell. Don’t get me wrong Durian still tastes horrible but in comparison to the smell, not too shabby. James decided to leave and purchase a suit while I looked for an internet café. Many kids had suits or dresses custom made at a cost of between $100 to $150 dollars each. I would as well except for the lack of time available in my schedule. After much searching I hopped on a bicycle taxi for a ride to the internet café a mile or two away. The driver was in his late 50’s and pointed out the New World Hotel where the military ran an operations center. I decided not to ask about his involvement, if any, in the war. I sat down at my computer next to a 10 year old kid with a Mohawk playing a break dancing computer game. Once again the place was filled with Asian computer game addicts except this was the first café with females present. I tried to play a round of the dancing game with the kid but upon realizing I sucked he decided to resume control and attempt to sell me a guide book. I paid approximately $1 for nearly two hours of internet usage then explored the area looking for gifts. Stuff in Vietnam is CHEAP compared to the United States so I bought lots of gifts and decorations for back home. It became clear to me now how much stuff is marked up in the states and also how Wal-Mart keeps its prices so low.

After shopping I met up with friends on the ship for dinner and some nightlife. We spent about $8 each for dinner at a fancy restaurant then headed to club Apocalypse. When we arrived around 9pm the club was pretty empty except for the large police presence. There were about 20 officers standing around the front entrance and probably another 20 stationed inside along the walls of the club. I also observed some middle aged Caucasian men with young Vietnamese girls in their laps or beside them. The women looked bored while the men laughed and joked. They were obviously prostitutes and I realized there were a fairly large number of prostitutes in the club that evening. I felt bad for these girls who likely grew up in desperate circumstances forcing them into this profession. I met a nice Vietnamese guy named Tam who was about 24 years old, spoke good English, and worked in baggage claim at the airport. I introduced him to some of the girls I was with had them dance with him. He introduced me to some of his girl friends and after dancing with one girl I was amused when she gave me her phone number. The fact that we could hardly understand each other and I could not call her anyways made me laugh. The night was fun and I exchanged e-mail addresses with Tam before heading back to the ship in a taxi.

TUESDAY APRIL 10, 2007

Today I awoke for a morning flight to Hanoi. We met our guide Huy at Hanoi airport then boarded buses for our drive to a Mai Chu village in the mountains about four hours northwest of Hanoi. The first thing I noticed about Hanoi was that the weather and landscape were different from that of Saigon. The temperature was in the upper 60’s and humidity was much lower. There was also a low layer of mist and fog that shaded the sun and limited visibility to about three miles. Leaving the airport I was surprised by the large number of billboards rising from the rice paddies along the highway. Billboards are great for recognizing the impact of globalization and multinational company presence in a country. Panasonic, Yamaha, Canon, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Erickson, Pepsi, Honda, Suzuki, Intel, and many other companies had bought advertising space. There were also advertisements for apartments, condos, office space, and urban development planning. Huy was incredibly informative during our drive and he provided many insights into Vietnamese life today and in the past.

I learned that the years 1975 to 1986 were known as dark times in Vietnam. This was a period where the government tried to implement a model socialist economic system based on that of the Soviet Union. Huy described some of the conditions he experienced during this time in his youth. Private business was illegal, inflation was rampant hitting 700% in 1986, and food was rationed using a food stamp system. Huys family was allotted one chicken per month and if a family suspiciously had more than one chicken they would be investigated by the police. Also a black market emerged and Huy said many people would sell their food stamps for products on the black market because oftentimes the government distribution center would run out of supplies.

In 1986 the government implemented an economic reform program known as Doi Moi which essentially transformed Vietnam into a market economy. Since then the economy has been booming with huge increases in trade, FDI, GDP, and individual wealth. Private enterprise and private land ownership have been allowed which greatly increased the productive capacity of the nation. However there are still many problems facing the country including government corruption, education, and growing wealth inequality in the nation. Today 60% of the workforce still works in agriculture and the quality of education is lacking.

Despite the economic reforms there is still much to be desired in the political arena. As I said corruption is a problem and it remains illegal to speak out publicly against the communist party. Also to make corruption accusations one needs irrefutable evidence of a government official receiving bribe money or else the charge is considered blasphemous. Concerning democratic reforms, Huy said he did not think the people were ready for democracy and remained content because their lives were improving economically. I also believe their contentment stems from Confucian thinking that suggests citizens have a certain place in regard to the state and should be submissive to its authority.

We arrived in the village of Ban Luc around 5pm and walked about 15min from the bus to the heart of this rural paradise. Our accommodations consisted of a large thatch roofed longhouse on stilts with bamboo walls and flooring. Our beds were thin mats along the outer walls of the longhouse with mosquito nets overhead. In the center was our dining room and social area for the evening. We ate dinner cross legged around a small table before exploring the village. One modern convenience all the 40 or so longhouses in the village had was satellite TV. I remain curious if perceptions and attitudes have changed as these people become more exposed to the outside world. I bought a few small items then returned for a cultural performance that evening. Local men and women danced and played music then encouraged us to join in the fun. We all participated in the dancing before saying goodbye. That evening I had a beer at the local “Bar” with some students then called it a night.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 11, 2007
After a rough night sleep we awoke for breakfast around 8:00am then headed out on a walking tour of the valley and surrounding communities around 9am. We walked down the road crossing a friendship bridge build by the Japanese in 1998 and passing many other longhouses, a woman weaving on a loom, and a brick kiln operation before arriving at a small preschool. The children were extremely cute and friendly and we interacted with them for nearly 20 minutes. They studied in a small concrete hut with no electricity and very few school supplies. Our walk continued through the rice paddies observing people cultivating the crop. Rice is very important in Vietnam and I believe this country is the world’s second largest exporter of the grain. Walking through this village and countryside was one of the happiest times of my life. I can not fully describe the experience but I was in a highly euphoric state throughout the entire walk. It was just beautiful watching people perform their daily routines that had continued nearly unchanged for thousands of years. Also despite the difficult work and lifestyle people were friendly and happy. Perhaps this village was a manifestation of the natural paradise envisioned by Emerson, Thoreau, or Laozi.

We returned to our longhouse for lunch then boarded our bus for the ride back to Hanoi. After settling into our rooms at the Trade Union Hotel and enjoying a warm shower I did some channel surfing. Unfortunately most of the stations were western including HBO, Cinemax, Disney, Discovery, CNN, and the BBC. I did find one entertaining communist station that played communist propaganda. It was very cheesy with cartoon pictures of patriotic soldiers, farmers, and workers scrolling across the screen while patriotic music played in the background. Next the undoubtedly biased national news came on so I watched the end of the movie Heavyweights instead. We then ate a superb meal at a luxury restaurant with amazing service. Following dinner we traveled to a theatre to watch a traditional Vietnamese water puppet performance. It was amazing seeing the intricacy and skill with which the puppeteers controlled the puppets while listening to the talent of the musicians beside them.

After the show I returned to the hotel before heading out with a life long learner Gary to explore the area. We discovered a Karaoke bar about two blocks from the hotel and had a beer. The place was completely empty this Monday night except for three other SAS students. After the drink and some further exploration we returned to the hotel for a good nights sleep.

THURSDAY APRIL 12, 2007
I woke up at 7:45am and headed down to the hotel lobby for breakfast. I had a craving for eggs, bacon, muffins, and pancakes but unfortunately they were serving rice, fish, soup, and other unknown foods. I sufficed with some orange juice and pineapple then packed up and left the hotel around 8:30. Our first stop that morning was the Temple of Literature built c1070. This was an area of about 5 acres where many Vietnamese came to study philosophy and law over the centuries. After many years of study students were required to take a vigorous test. Less than 1% of students would pass in any given year however those who did pass were highly honored and respected in their communities and throughout the country.

Our next stop was Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and former home. I do not know why communists enjoy embalming their former leaders such as Mao, Lenin, and Ho Chi Minh but they do. After a long wait and checks by many soldiers we walked around Ho Chi Minh himself. He looked pretty good for a guy that has been dead for over 30 years. I was actually more impressed by the large number of soldiers stationed to guard a dead body. There must have been over 50 armed men we walked past just to see this man. Our guide Huy said as a child he used to go visit the Mausoleum every day, but his reasoning surprised me. It was not that Huy is incredibly patriotic or loves Ho Chi Minh but it was the only public place growing up with air conditioning. I found this comment to be an ironic testament to the ineffectiveness of Vietnam’s socialist economy. For a Vietnamese child to visit an important leader of the communist movement daily because it was the only place in Hanoi where the socialist economic system provided public air conditioning was discerning. We left the Mausoleum and further explored the grounds that contained Ho Chi Minhs home and study during the 1950’s. Then, like all famous monuments, we had to make our way through the gift shop area in order to return to our bus. I purchased a Hershey’s Ice Cream on my way out and wondered what Ho Chi Minh would have thought about Vietnam today.

Our next stop was the very educational Museum of Ethnology. This museum documents the history and cultures of all the different ethnic groups living in Vietnam today. It is easy to assume that people in any country are homogeneous but I learned just how far this assumption is from the truth. There are dozens of different indigenous groups in Vietnam that speak a multitude of languages. In fact the people in the Mai Chu village we stayed in descended from Thailand in the 12th century and speak Thai as well as Vietnamese. There was an exhibit on recent economics in Vietnam that I found particularly fascinating. The tone of writing in the exhibit was interesting because it was highly critical of the socialist economic system before 1986. It also praised the decision in 1986 to open up the economy and convert to capitalism. However despite the hardships, one video interview praised the sense of community, sharing, and cooperation that existed between people during those times.

Outside the museum stood traditional structures built by different indigenous groups. One was a 19m tall thatch roof dwelling with two girls serving tea inside. We sat down with them and discovered she was a 23 year old student studying tourism and English. She felt English would give her greater opportunities and hoped one day to travel the world and see the United States. There were also many school groups around of elementary school aged children. The kids were very funny and would approach us to say “Hello Hello, How Are You?” about twenty times then wave their hands at you. I stopped with one group to corrupt them and teach them informal western greetings. I managed to teach about 10 kids how to say “What’s up man” and do a snap finger handshake. I was rather impressed with how fast they picked up the greeting but felt bad that I couldn’t explain appropriate situations when to use it. Maybe in 20 years Vietnamese will greet tourists with “Whats up man” and a funky handshake because of my doings?

After our short hour long visit at the museum we boarded the bus for one final stop in old Hanoi. The hour and a half was just long enough to eat lunch and explore the pond where a 500 year old turtle lives. There is an ancient story about how this turtle stole a sword from a prince crossing the pond hundreds of years ago and still keeps it to this day. While I am not sure about the sword the turtle is real and is apparently 6ft in length today. We then boarded our bus for the drive to Hanoi airport.

The rest of the day was uneventful except for one observation I made at the airport. While looking through some hats at an airport terminal store I came upon a surprising item. “Could it be?” I thought to myself and yes indeed I found a lone NCSU college hat. Even better this NCSU hat was strategically placed to hide and cover up the UNC hat beneath it. Of all the places I would expect to find NCSU gear, Hanoi airport was not one of them.
Boarding the Gorgeous 777 I spoke to the pilot in front of me because I was interested in the fact that he was Caucasian. I found out that he was a Russian pilot who flew with Vietnam airways because the Russian airlines no longer provided a secure pension for his retirement. I did not inquire further but I found it interesting that Russian pilots were now coming to Vietnam to fly planes because of the economic difficulties in Russia. The two hour flight was very nice and after returning to Saigon and the ship I headed straight for bed.

FRIDAY APRIL 13, 2007
My last day in Hanoi consisted of a trip to a Cao Dai temple and the Cu Chi tunnels. The day was basically an extremely long bus ride with four short stops in between. We left the ship around 8:00am and stopped first for lunch at 11am. Nobody was really hungry at the time but we all forced ourselves to eat some anyways.

Our second stop was a Viet Cong cemetery honoring the men who fought against the US during the American war. There were approximately 4,000 people buried in this cemetery and I observed one grave of a 16 year old kid. It reminded me slightly of the American cemetery in Normandy France except the tombs were all above ground. All I could think while walking among the bodies was, “When will humanity realize the futility of war?” I was reminded that while America lost approximately 58,000 persons during the war the Vietnamese lost between 1.5 and 2 million. After this short visit we boarded the bus and traveled to the Cao Dai temple.
We arrived at the temple at noon for the mid day service. It was a beautiful structure and they welcomed tourists to observe the service. Unfortunately they welcomed too many tourists as there were about 10 tour buses and nearly 500 people who filed into the temple to observe the 300 or so worshipers from the balcony. I do give the temple credit though for not attempting to sell us stuff while there. Caodaism is a relatively new religion established in Vietnam in 1926. They believe there is one God and practice prayer, ancestor worship, nonviolence, and vegetarianism. They believe god was born out of the big bang and combine aspects of Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Daoism, and Confucianism. In the church there were small statues on the wall of Confucius, Buddha, and Jesus towards which the people prayed. Approximately 3 million people practice Caodaism today. Thanks to Wikipedia for most of that information.

After the temple visit we headed to the Cu Chi tunnels. This is an area where Vietnamese guerilla fighting groups known as the Viet Minh and later the Viet Cong dug over 125 miles of intricate tunnels to fight the French and later the Americans. One has to admire the persistence, dedication, and ingenuity of the people fighting here despite the fact that many American soldiers were killed by their tactics. While at the tunnels, now set up as a tourist destination, we first watched a short propaganda clip created by the Viet Cong. It was very one sided and aimed to persuade others to join the cause. We were guided around the area and saw hidden tunnel entrances, destroyed American equipment, and booby traps. The traps were very brutal and obviously instilled fear into the soldiers who fought here. I can’t imagine how petrified a soldier my age would have been leading his unit thinking his next step might plunge him into a pit of spikes. We reached the shooting range after a 10 minute walk and I paid $7 to shoot five bullets from an AK-47. The gun was much louder than I had expected and I left the range short of hearing for nearly 30 minutes. They sold ice cream and water at the range so I purchased one of each. I felt lucky to have ice cream and water available because it was damn hot and humid. I really can appreciate now the difficult conditions in which men on both sides fought. We proceeded to crawl through the tunnels hoping not to get stuck or have a claustrophobic panic attack. The reinforced and widened tunnels for tourists were about three feet tall by two feet wide and were dimly lit. The original tunnels were about two feet tall, two feet wide, and pitch black bar the occasional light and camera flash. I crawled about 50m through both of these tunnels and came out soaked in sweat with my muscles cramped and joints aching. We learned that during one American offensive the Viet Cong were forced to remain in these tunnels for a period of 55 days straight and I was struggling after 5 minutes. It is really a testament to the will power of the Viet Cong who endured these conditions while under persistent heavy bombing and attack. I also question the sanity of the American “tunnel rats” who voluntarily chose to fight in these hell holes. I later learned from my guide that some of the people working at the tunnels were born in them during the war or had parents who fought in them. I find it amazing how fast things have changed here in just over 30 years.

Our bus left the tunnels at 5pm and we arrived back in Saigon around 6:30. I left the ship for one last exploration of the city ending up in a fast food joint to fill my belly. It was similar to any fast food burger joint in America except much cheaper. My combo meal with hamburger, fries, and drink cost all of $2 and was delicious. However, the serving sizes were much smaller than in the US and I was somewhat envious of this. Who really needs a ½ pound burger, large fries, and a liter soda anyways? Too bad they don’t offer mini sizes alongside biggie sizes back home. Maybe I will watch my pirated copy of Fast Food Nation after I finish typing this?

Finally, I made my way back to the ship via crazy motorcycle ride. Despite the fact that motorcycles are dangerous as is, I illogically decided it would be fun to ride one in a city with almost non existence traffic controls and no helmets. Fortunately I survived received a good nights sleep before class the next day.