Sunday, November 12. Left the hotel on a walkabout at 8AM. Discovered that there is a performance on the steps of the Opera House every Sunday morning. Gorgeous outfits. One male singer is an American who speaks/sings flawless Vietnamese. Nearby there was a production of some kind of propaganda film with two main singers and a cast of dozens. Two cameras and one drone. Some singers were dressed in military or utility workers’ outfits. Singers lip-synced something that included a lot of pointing to the sky (I assume the words were “Ever upward, Vietnam!”).

After an hour I was dripping sweat. Returned to the room, showered. Paid $40 for late checkout. Around 1PM I ventured forth again. Thai Lunch with AC. Then walked to the local market once again, buying nothing once again. Returned to the room, showered. I checked out at 5:30 and, with fellow travelers, went once again to the Irish bar. Quesadilla stuffed with chili. Had to ask that they put cheese in it. Not very Vietnamese, nor very Irish.

The airport process was odd in that ALL the employees (i.e., women) wore the same Vietnamese-style clothing. Normally counter and gate people wear the airline’s outfits. One consistent thread throughout Vietnam is self-sufficiency, said to beat back Chinese cultural and financial encroachment. Checked into a Lounge, showered. Now I’m sitting in a lounge in Japan on a 6 hour layover. I may shower.

To recap, Thailand was very interesting, though the wealth gap was disturbing. Laos was dirt poor, but the children’s school and town festival were great. Cambodia was not quite as poor, but the wealth gap returned. Angkor Wat is not to be missed. Vietnam had exciting traffic and many other features that caught the eye, but I’m not sure our guide was very candid about downsides.

Though the title of the Tour was “Four Kingdoms” a more appropriate title might have been “Man’s Killer Instinct”. In each country we were shown recent historical events where people died, in great numbers and/or great barbarity. It was an educational experience, but not something I’d ever want to do again.

Saturday, November 11. Took a long drive to reach the Cu Chi Tunnels, where the Viet Cong hid out. Hot, humid, buggy. Really, a very well laid out museum of how the Viet Cong deceived and hounded The Americans. Note: At no time has anyone mentioned that South Vietnam also fielded an army against Ho Chi Minh. History is written by the victors. I descended into the sample tunnel. If I was 5’3” and had spent my life bending over, picking rice, it would have been a breeze. The tunnel was actually less than 5’3”. Probably 4’9”? Hard clay made it easy to maintain, but a struggle to build (only at night). The sample was about 90 feet long (not in a straight line), and about 80 feet too long. I skipped the next two samples, as did most of the others. Lectures included many of the ways the Viet Cong booby-trapped both the tunnels and the surrounding surface area. Admittedly, the traps also killed a few unsuspecting farmers. Photos included entertainers performing in the larger rooms.

Had lunch at a place near the tunnel that opened a few years ago specifically for OAT. An OAT employee had dinner at a friend’s mother’s house and her cooking was so good OAT convinced her to open a restaurant. The food was excellent.

We had the traditional Farewell dinner. Thankfully, Are did the normal recap of what we’d done while on the bus.

The Adventure ends today, But my flight doesn’t depart until 11:45 PM tomorrow. I get to visit the city for one more hot, humid day.

Friday, November 10.

First, a comment about Ho Chi Minh Traffic. Though similar to traffic throughout SE Asia, HCMC raises the thrills up a notch. In a city of 11 million, there are an estimated 9 million motorbikes. For only the second time did I hear that street lines and traffic lights are treated as entertainment, vice rules or recommendations. My view is that everyone, including pedestrians, are expected to be attentive and predictable. Emphasis on predictable. In America, on a motorcycle, we’re taught to expect cars to be unpredictable (with good reason). A good example of predictability is when pedestrians cross the street. If you begin crossing at 2MPH, you should maintain just that speed, regardless of the situation. Motorbikes may avoid you by slowing down (unlikely), speeding up (possibly) or swerving (very likely). Changing walking speed screws up their swerve calculations. (One other thing to do is ignore horns. I never could tell if the horns were warnings or just a “how-do-you-do” to a friend.)

We visited the Independence Palace, residence of South Vietnam’s President back in the day. Also visited its underground bunker. What I noted was the lack of electrical outlets. Hard to imagine a time in my life when nothing needed to be plugged in. The official rooms are essentially unchanged from 1975 when it was taken over by the North. Very ornate. We also stopped by “Book” Street, the Cathedral (closed for renovation) and the Central Post Office, which looked like a train station. We also saw the site of the famous “Civilians climbing into a helicopter” scene, which actually was the roof of the CIA building at the time. Now it’s a slum apartment building.

We then visited a secret Viet Cong ammunition storage cellar. Very well hidden.

After lunch we were let off at one of the markets, walking distance from the hotel. Unremarkable. Hawkers here have no hesitancy in blocking your way with a shirt or shoes. Multiple offers to shine my sneakers. A “No” has to be given with feeling.

After a siesta I stopped at a rooftop bar and ran into three fellow travelers. They choose to follow me to the Irish bar. Thankfully, they enjoyed the food, despite a slight smell of tobacco. Others went on an optional motorbike food expedition. They all had a lot of fun. I was uninterested in riding on the back of a bike.

Thursday, November 9. My experience is being impacted by the heat (95!) and humidity (99%!!). It’s become a drag on my consciousness.

Bus ride to the Mekong River Delta. We stopped off at a “hammock cafe” to try their iced coffee with coconut milk. These cafes supposedly exist for long haul motorbike couriers adn there were infact several of them resting. Surprisingly (a little), one was a woman.

Boarded a “Rice Barge” for one of the numerous islands. Navigated through a canal to visit a local farmer of exotic fruits. Very happy, eager farmer, who was missing his upper four teeth. Mentioned that propaganda messages were broadcast over speakers from 5 to 7 every day, both AM and PM. He let us sample several fruits. We left on sampan boats (three to a boat) with a woman rower using a fixed paddle. Very quiet ride for about ten minutes. The ancient, peaceful mood was broken only after she unloaded us and we learn that the boats had hidden engines.

We returned to the hotel for a short siesta. I found the local Irish bar and had chili with (fried) rice. Marvelous, but no Guinness on tap. The minimum order exceeds their requirement.

In the evening we traveled via taxi to a small theater for a Water Puppet show. Very interesting. Absolutely amazing how they manipulate many, fairly large, puppets from behind a curtain. The amount of coordination required of the puppeteers must be incredible. Highly entertaining. The band on each side of the pool also did the puppet voices. Magical.

Wednesday, November 8. There was an optional tour this morning to Banteay Srei temple complex. I’d been there five years ago, so I skipped it (and avoided another hot, humid event). After lunch we visited the Angkor National Museum. Very good displays, but I left more confused than ever about what’s Buddhist and what’s Hindu. I got the feeling that the difference is supposed to be intuitively obvious.

Flew to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) from Siem Reap’s brand new airport. Very new. Food services was overlooked in the grand planning. One restaurant in a very hard-to-find corner. Flight was unremarkable, except that the screens showed nonstop advertisements prior to departure and after landing. With loud audio.

After check-in I went outside to wander (9:30). Not surprisingly, motorbikes dominate the streets. Surprisingly, they dominate the sidewalks too. Parked everywhere. Men lying on their bikes, looking at their smartphones. Hordes of Young people sit on the sidewalks on small plastic chairs and wooden boxes to eat/drink/talk. Restaurants are open but largely empty. Seedy bars, with apparently very fancy bars in between.

I wasn’t outside the hotel 10 seconds before some lady from across the street began shouting at me. She crossed and followed me for at least a block. She wasn’t the last. I don’t know what she was offering as I followed my NYC training and completely ignored her. Possibly a massage. Men hawked food shops. Noisy would be an understatement. First impression isn’t favorable. On top of that, our tour guide spoke lovingly about coffee (which I don’t drink) and the ecstasy of adding coconut milk (which I also don’t drink). Had a Saigon beer. Nothing to get excited about.

No photos.

Tuesday, November 7. Incredibly hot and humid. Just insane. Revisited Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm. I focused more on the surrounding scenery. Had dinner in town.

Monday, November 6. Today was essentially a repeat of five years ago. I skipped the water buffalo cart ride, though this time they traveled on a much smoother dirt road.

The floating village boat ride was a repeat. The village experience was much different. Instead of a restaurant/gift shop, we visited a retired couple. Heard more than I wanted to learn about being a mid-wife. They raise fish in a cage, selling to a middleman. The village was “moored” to bushes and spread out, not tied together. There was a surprisingly large school (five barges). Students commuted (in uniform) by boat, some by paddling, some by engine. Overall, the village is incredibly poor and run-down.

While the others visited a Belgium company that trains rats to find unexploded ordinance, I sat at the hotel’s swim-up bar. Sue me.

Late in the day we visited one of Angkor’s ancient temple grounds. Only a little bit restored. Massive trees and above-ground roots. Overcast skies. Rainbow!

I dined at a fancy restaurant called Hot Stone. Pick some cut of meat and they serve it mostly raw on an extremely hot flat stone. Let it sizzle until it’s cooked to your liking. The Australian meat wasn’t the best tasting, but it was better than water buffalo. Great place. It was pricey by Cambodia standards, Very reasonable by mine.

Sunday, November 5. Today was a long bus ride to Siem Reap. Long, but slow. 197 miles, eight hours. Extremely flat, extremely straight. About 45MPH. Stopped at a town famous to catching, defanging, and eating Tarantulas. While everyone else crowded around the spider farmer, I kept my distance. Phobia. Got one zoomed photo that turned out better than I could have hoped for.

Lunch lakeside at what must be the only place to eat on the way. A dozen buses. Nice place, with pavilions over the water. Sweeping vistas.

Stopped at a village famous for crushed rice. Impressive mechanism that reduce labor for four to one. Two rotating pots cooking the rice, a pounder to crush the rice, a shaking basket to remove excess kernels. All run by one engine.

Crossed on foot the Kamponog Kdei Bridge, a corbeled arch bridge. The bus drove across the new bridge.

Finally reached Siem Reap. Great hotel, but wifi week (again). Though I’ve been in the city before, nothing was familiar. Met my tour guide from five years ago. Had a perfect Singapore Sling. Twice. Delivered over 5 pounds of laundry. Wanted to hand over the sweaty cloths I was wearing as well.

Saturday, November 4. Sobering day. Visited the local Killing Fields. A stupa filled with skulls. Detailed descriptions of what happened in the extermination camp.

We returned to the city for interviews with survivors, one 91 and the other in his 50s. Stunning difference of opinions on how to reflect on the past. The older man wanted to forgive but never forget. The torturers were not Buddhists in their hearts and will go to the Buddhist equivalent of hell. The younger wants revenge. Denied Buddhism exists.

Next was a tour of Tuol Sleng Prison (Museum), where people were tortured until they admitted working for the CIA and forced to accuse their family and friends of the same. Then they were sent to the Killing Fields. I didn’t actually walk the site, having seen prisons before. Rather, I had an illuminating discussion with Are about Buddhism’s passive reaction to the atrocities.

After lunch I walked the city. Bustling. Night and day from slow-moving Laos. I was repeatedly hounded to rent a tuk-tuk (“one hour tour!’). Approached by a pair of prostitutes on their way to the (“illegal”) red light district. Found sugar cane juice. Discovered the street where tuk-tuks are repaired (unprotected welders just off the street). A caravan of government cars, possibly carrying the prime minister (it included an ambulance). A Rolls Royce creeping down a trashy side-street. No homeless people that I noticed.

A jewelry shop closing for the day with a car parked in the store. It was an extremely humid day, so the clerk was shirtless, in his briefs, putting things away. Shocking, but understandable. Another store with the clerk sitting in a lawn chair next to the counter, fan at her feet.

Had dinner in the hotel. I was soaked with sweat.

Friday, November 3. Flew to Phnom Penh. On the way to the hotel we stopped at the Champey Academy of Arts, a center that caters to young children. No qualifications needed, no enrollment fee. Wonderful dance performances by children aged 11 to 22. Very skilled. Bent fingers!

Used the old, local version of tuk-tuks (motorcycles towing a wagon), rather than the newer tuk-tuks (all-in-one contraptions), which are slowly creeping onto the landscape. Toured various parts of Phnom Penh, both pretty and not-so-pretty. Everyone wears helmets, no one stops. Very few red lights. Crossing a street requires courage and faith that traffic with flow around you. Stopped at a main square, then walked to dinner. Bused back to the hotel.

The country accepts dollars readily. Poor wifi.