Final Post

This will be my final posting which include general comments about my trip.

1. I plan on having this BLOG printed in book form as a memento of this wonderful trip. The attached pictures will remind me of the enjoyment I experienced during my travels.
2. Earplugs and sleeping mask made sleeping easier. A sheet sleeping bag, gift from my daughter Laura, made sleeping in questionable beds comfortable.
3. Mosquitoes were never a problem…treating my exterior clothes with "Sawyer Permethrin" prior to the trip probably helped.
4. Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com) runs a great operation and the price is definitely affordable. Their concept of small group travel includes transportation, sleeping accommodations and enough group activities at each destination to make one comfortable in exploring other opportunities. You are not tied to group activities which allow you time to explore on your own.
5. Prior to the trip, I put significant effort into reading about the various countries and locations that we visited. I borrowed a number of travel books from my local library. I also carried various travel books along on the trip to refresh my knowledge. My reading investment made the trip more meaningful and enjoyable.
6. Since travel time to Bangkok was 24 hours, arriving days before the trip began allowed me to get my internal clock in synch with Asia time.
7. The five foreign words that I learned to use in each country…”hello”, “thank you”, “toilet”, “water” and “beer”….”hello” and “thank you” in the local language are appreciated by the locals.
8. People in each country were friendly and were gracious when we asked them for assistance.
9. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well throughout Indochina. Although life is hard, you get a feeling that the people are working towards a brighter future…they do hustle.
10. I tried all local foods, beer and some local whiskies ….enjoyed them all. I had only two disappointing meals during the entire trip.
11. Education is of utmost importance to the people of Indochina. Each country has mandatory schooling up to the eighth grade. Students study since going beyond the eighth grade is dependent upon their initiative and success in the classroom.
12. People in all of the countries that we visited have a great desire to learn English. Besides being taught in school; television, movies, and music are used as learning tools. It is not uncommon to be approached by an individual who wants to have a conversation so that they can practice speaking English…I used these conversations to learn about them and their country.
13. I took close to 2,000 digital pictures which I am currently sorting through.
14. Purchasing an inexpensive Nokia cell phone in Cambodia allowed me to communicate with family members at inexpensive international telephone rates. I hope to use the phone during future travel …buy a “SIM” card and minutes in the countries that I will be visiting…I will be connected locally and internationally.
15. The trip was everything that I expected and more. I would love to revisit these countries…. I learned quite a bit during my travels…as always, there is more to learn which reinforces my desire to travel.

Until my next trip.........happy travels....Tom Worosz

Thailand - The Land of Smiles

The trip across the Cambodia/Thailand border was uneventful. There is a bit of political tension between the two countries regarding the Preah Vihear Temple area which straddles Thailand’s North East and Cambodia’s Northern borders. In addition, Thailand is experiencing internal political unrest due to clashes between supporters of Thailand’s deposed ex- Prime Minister and the current government. We were advised by our guide, Thou, to avoid wearing red which is the color code for the dissenters. Bangkok is calm and peaceful when we arrived and there was no evidence of any political unrest.

For our last group adventure, we take a local city bus to Bangkok’s backpacker’s market, Banglamphu, where you can purchase stereos, pirated CD's, books, clothes, traveling accessories and every other thing imaginable. It is fun to walk the streets, visit and bargain at the various merchandise stalls…I purchased a pair of convertible traveler pants, you can unzip the lower leg portion to create comfortable shorts, and a couple of souvenir T-shirts, all advertising my favorite Indochina beers (Angkor, BeerLao, Chaing, Shinga). We have a superb dinner at a local restaurant that specialized in Thai food, took our final group pictures and said our goodbyes.

My last two days in Bangkok were busy ones. I learned to use the City’s public transportation system…walk from my hotel, about one-half mile, to Chao Phraya River …. pick-up a water taxi ….. make connection with Bangkok’s above ground BTS sky train system ……change to the city’s new subway system ….the systems are easy to use, inexpensive and faster than traveling by taxi or tuk-tuk through Bangkok’s congested streets. I had my final fitting for a sport jacket, shirt and pants that I had ordered, said good-bye to Father Joe and the staff at the Human Development Foundation’s Mercy Centre, enjoyed multiple Thai massages that pummeled my body while rejuvenating the soul, and visited some of my favorite restaurants before my departure Friday morning, March 5. I enjoy Bangkok like I enjoy Venice, Italy and look forward to coming back one day.

As I passed the security check-point at Bangkok’s International Airport, I came upon a large display titled “Churning of the Milk Ocean”, see photos. In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned the discussions we had with a number of our guides….how Buddhism evolved from Hinduism….that Hindu mythology tells the story of the churning of the milk ocean to create the earth … now as I leave Thailand the story is retold in the form of this beautiful display. I truly need to learn more about Hinduism and its relationship to Buddhism.

The return trip to Virginia took a total of twenty hours with a single stop at Narita International airport, Japan where we changed planes. The long return flight allowed me to revisit my memories of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam; complete my journal entries of events that occurred the last few days and start reading “First, they killed my Father” which is a best selling true story of a child who narrates how her family was decimated by the Khmer Rouge.

As I got off the plane at Dulles airport to temperatures that were in the low 40F, I began to think…..where can Ann Marie and I travel next….Australia, Egypt, European River cruise, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey……so many choices…so many decisions….…..until then…..final comments will follow...

Viet Nam - A Country on Steroids

Viet Nam – I enjoyed the twelve days spent in Viet Nam. I was discharged from the US Navy in 1965 just as the Viet Nam war escalated and remember the news emanating from the battle front with the name of cities and villages that I would be visiting….I was a little apprehensive about what I would see, propaganda I would hear and people I would meet. Overall I gained a respect for the Vietnamese and enjoyed the places, sights and people we met.

As we approached the Vietnamese border, the weather turned cloudy, misty and cold… an ominous sign!! We covered the length of this long country traveling from beautiful Halong Bay in the North to the capital city of Hanoi, proceeded by overnight train to Hue, passed through areas synonymous with the Viet Nam war --- DMZ, Da Nang, China Beach arriving at the shopping village of Hoi An, and finally flying onto Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The country and people’s demeanor changed from of stoicism to one of optimism as you traveled south. My only complaint about Viet Nam was the constant noise of the scooter, cycle and automobile horns…it never stopped…never…never. Viet Nam is a country on steroids with its economy advancing rapidly with agricultural base able to support its increasing population.

• Halong Bay** – “Bay of the Descending Dragon” with close to two thousand limestone islands rising out of the sea. We sailed into the midst of the islands, kayaked to a large cave, ate, drank and stayed overnight on our “junk”.
• Hanoi – a city alive ….. 100s of thousands of motor scooters with people on the go…seeing a performance of the world famous water puppets….visiting Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and museum….viewing the Army museum’s electric map depicting the strategy used in defeating the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1955…touring the “Hanoi Hilton” and learning that our POWs enjoyed the accommodations…participating in the chaos of the Tet celebration at the Temple of Literature …visiting numerous small Buddhist temples with unusual religious icons…no Buddha statues….an hour of silence attending morning Catholic Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral….loving Vietnamese pho (noodles) and com (rice) dishes…and the beer isn’t bad.
• Train Ride Hanoi to Hue – an experience of a lifetime – sardine-sized accommodations with a squat toilet restroom….it was fun!!
• Hue** – a city synonymous with the North Vietnamese/Viet Cong Tet offensive in January 1968…..the Imperial Citadel fortress which was built by the French to protect the Vietnamese monarchy in the late 1800s internally destroyed by multiple wars and now being restored…its beauty and formidable structure …the Thien Mu Pagoda and monastery encountering Mahayana Buddhist monks for the 1st time …. visiting the summer palace and tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. A special treat was dinner at La Thanh restaurant whose proprietor is deaf….besides delicious dumplings, the owner has a neat device for popping open beer bottles, see picture.
• Hoi An** – a merchandising paradise for shoppers. About 6 of us took a 5 mile bike ride to the beach and enjoyed a swim in the South China Sea, viewed small round fishing boats with one oar…the weather was warm and the surf gentle. I enjoyed the lull in the day-to-day sightseeing we had been doing since leaving Bangkok. My main activities included a hair cut/shave/ear cleaning and a visit to My Song, an ancient Champa civilization.
• Ho Chi Minh City – the economic heart of Viet Nam…more buildings, luxury automobiles and business activity than Hanoi. We took a “cyclo” ride to see the city’s main attractions which are centralized around the Royal Palace, home to the deposed South Vietnamese government. Visited the Palace, Rex Hotel Bar** and Notre Dame Cathedral…. See pictures of scooter repair shops and overhead telephone wires…..A big city that had too much to embrace after our long journey.
• Cu Chi Tunnels – located outside of Ho Chi Minh City towards the Cambodian border. This extremely large network of tunnels harbored a Viet Cong city located totally underground. Hospital, dining facilities, weapons production and sleeping quarters were all interconnected and accessed from small surface entrances that were difficult to detect. Dummy termite mounds camouflaged air vents. The tunnels are a statement about the ingenuity of human spirit to protect their country.
  
  The Future – I would love to explore the villages and highland areas located away from the major cities of Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City..