Thursday, November 22, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Brazil
On the flight to Salvador, Brazil, we both crossed the Equator for the first time, and soon thereafter entered South America for the first time. At first glance, it appeared to be more familiar to us than our previous stops; it had the atmosphere of an island in the Caribbean, with European, particularly Colonial, influences; but at the same time it was entirely new. It turns out that Brazil has some of the greatest wealth disparity in the world. As an enormous city with lots of traffic, we had lots of time to observe how a very rich neighborhood would just end and become a very poor neighborhood, and then just as abruptly change back. We also learned that they have a mortality rate for children up to age six of ten percent.
Their beach culture was interesting, it seems that the beach is really the only place in Salvador where there is some room for the citizens to not feel on top of each other. Neal was just a little disappointed that he did not get an up close and personal view of the natural beauties of the country.
The tie in to our trip was that Salvador is the location where many slaves from Togo and Benin ended up. There is a great divide between the northern part of the country, where we were, and the southern part, where the German blue eyed blonde hair influence is prominent. A very high percentage of the population in Salvador are of African descent, and that influence could be seen in everything from the music and food, to cultural and religious practices.
On our second day, we split up (no, not that kind of split up), with Jane taking a boat trip, and Neal and his mother taking a trip into the country, which included an extensive trip through a market. We reunited for dinner at the hotel, which included entertainment of Brazilian music and dancers. Now fully healthy, Neal had to try and show that Jane is not the only one in the family who can dance. This "performance" (and boy was it a performance by Neal, as people could not believe that this was the same quiet man they had come to know) took place in our hotel, which had been converted from a convent. We somehow doubt that any of the nuns who once lived there could foresee what future activities would take place in their home.
Their beach culture was interesting, it seems that the beach is really the only place in Salvador where there is some room for the citizens to not feel on top of each other. Neal was just a little disappointed that he did not get an up close and personal view of the natural beauties of the country.
The tie in to our trip was that Salvador is the location where many slaves from Togo and Benin ended up. There is a great divide between the northern part of the country, where we were, and the southern part, where the German blue eyed blonde hair influence is prominent. A very high percentage of the population in Salvador are of African descent, and that influence could be seen in everything from the music and food, to cultural and religious practices.
On our second day, we split up (no, not that kind of split up), with Jane taking a boat trip, and Neal and his mother taking a trip into the country, which included an extensive trip through a market. We reunited for dinner at the hotel, which included entertainment of Brazilian music and dancers. Now fully healthy, Neal had to try and show that Jane is not the only one in the family who can dance. This "performance" (and boy was it a performance by Neal, as people could not believe that this was the same quiet man they had come to know) took place in our hotel, which had been converted from a convent. We somehow doubt that any of the nuns who once lived there could foresee what future activities would take place in their home.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Togo and Benin
This was the first time in subsahara Africa for both of us. Along with Iran, it was the area where we truly did not know what to expect, and it has also left an amazing impression.
After all the recent places on our itinerary, it was interesting to see a country with a majority of people practicing their own indigenous religion. We stayed in Togo, and started with a fetish market, where one can purchase... ok, we would like to take a pause here and have you email your ideas of what it is you can buy in a fetish market. In the interest of the blog, however, we will tell you that in Africa, the fetish market is where you can purchase items necessary for vodoo practice, and after that stop, we then went onto an actual ceremony. We were struck by the intensity of the trances, and also noted that the service was not so different than what one might find in some churches in the U.S. As you can see from the pictures, we again focused on the children, and the extremely warm welcome that we received. Our experience confirmed our growing thesis that people the world over may have different customs and practices, but they care about the same things, their children, feeding and taking care of their families, and their local community.
On our second day, we got back on the trip jet for a short flight to the northern part of the country. We were only able to do that due to one of their recent President’s decision that he needed an airport for himself; it only gets used about once a week and the waste only added to his unpopularity. In one of the lectures, we heard about many of the challenges facing Africa, among them being that when the colonial powers left, they did not leave strong political structures behind, resulting in many of the dictatorships we see today. In Togo at least the President had the sense to play off both sides in the Cold War, regularly changing sides based on who was paying more.
From the airport, we drove through villages and were amazed at seeing how the people lived, from their mud houses with little spaces for sleeping in tiny spaces on the roof, to the dances we witnessed (and Jane participated in). We drove a long way through fascinating countryside on unpaved roads to lunch in the neighboring country of Benin. At lunch we had more dancing and also saw some incredible artisans at work, and before we knew it we were back on the bus for the ride back to the airport. Of course, making a wrong turn in Benin and getting a little lost added to the adventure. It is interesting getting lost in a place where not only are there no people to ask, but also where there are no signs!
The most interesting part of the day, however, was the time with the guides on our bus. The young men were from Benin, and amazed us with their warmth and desire to share with us their life stories. They are both teachers, who also on the side, because they saw a need, opened an orphanage. One of them had been to the United Sates this year and was very impressed by the work ethic he saw. When asked what we could learn from his country, he shared that the traditions of both family and community were paramount in his country, and he felt that while developed countries have many qualities that his country wants to adopt, he thought it important that developed countries not lose their sense of identity. In terms of who might help shape his country’s future, he let on that he hopes to one day be Benin’s president. We would not be at all surprised to learn that he accomplishes this someday
After all the recent places on our itinerary, it was interesting to see a country with a majority of people practicing their own indigenous religion. We stayed in Togo, and started with a fetish market, where one can purchase... ok, we would like to take a pause here and have you email your ideas of what it is you can buy in a fetish market. In the interest of the blog, however, we will tell you that in Africa, the fetish market is where you can purchase items necessary for vodoo practice, and after that stop, we then went onto an actual ceremony. We were struck by the intensity of the trances, and also noted that the service was not so different than what one might find in some churches in the U.S. As you can see from the pictures, we again focused on the children, and the extremely warm welcome that we received. Our experience confirmed our growing thesis that people the world over may have different customs and practices, but they care about the same things, their children, feeding and taking care of their families, and their local community.
On our second day, we got back on the trip jet for a short flight to the northern part of the country. We were only able to do that due to one of their recent President’s decision that he needed an airport for himself; it only gets used about once a week and the waste only added to his unpopularity. In one of the lectures, we heard about many of the challenges facing Africa, among them being that when the colonial powers left, they did not leave strong political structures behind, resulting in many of the dictatorships we see today. In Togo at least the President had the sense to play off both sides in the Cold War, regularly changing sides based on who was paying more.
From the airport, we drove through villages and were amazed at seeing how the people lived, from their mud houses with little spaces for sleeping in tiny spaces on the roof, to the dances we witnessed (and Jane participated in). We drove a long way through fascinating countryside on unpaved roads to lunch in the neighboring country of Benin. At lunch we had more dancing and also saw some incredible artisans at work, and before we knew it we were back on the bus for the ride back to the airport. Of course, making a wrong turn in Benin and getting a little lost added to the adventure. It is interesting getting lost in a place where not only are there no people to ask, but also where there are no signs!
The most interesting part of the day, however, was the time with the guides on our bus. The young men were from Benin, and amazed us with their warmth and desire to share with us their life stories. They are both teachers, who also on the side, because they saw a need, opened an orphanage. One of them had been to the United Sates this year and was very impressed by the work ethic he saw. When asked what we could learn from his country, he shared that the traditions of both family and community were paramount in his country, and he felt that while developed countries have many qualities that his country wants to adopt, he thought it important that developed countries not lose their sense of identity. In terms of who might help shape his country’s future, he let on that he hopes to one day be Benin’s president. We would not be at all surprised to learn that he accomplishes this someday
last morocco pics ipods everwhere, Jane's shot of Maria, and lastly, pic of Neal too sick to take pictures.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Morocco
At its most northern point, Morocco is located only 12 miles from Spain, and we were again exposed to the vast differences one Islam society can have from another. As we landed in the newer section of the city established by the French, we would have been hard pressed to tell you that we were not actually in France, from the architecture, to the layout of the parks and roads, to the dress and the language. As we drove further, we arrived in the section of Fes which contains one of the world’s oldest surviving Muslim cities, also called a medina. Our first stop was a Jewish Cemetery and Synagogue, and Morocco does still have a significant amount of Jewish people, unlike Iran and Egypt where only a handful have remained. Historically, until the 20th century, Muslims and Christians and Jews had no issues living together in any of these countries, so we can only hope we are in a temporary anomaly. And it is also true, that during the Inquisition, a Jewish family was much safer in Morocco than Spain.
As we sat down to dinner the first night and a gorgeous and sensuous belly dancer appeared, two of our party said at the same time that "I don’t think that we’re in Iran anymore". The people were friendly on the outside, but this was the first time that we were warned about safeguarding our valuables as we walked on the very narrow streets. Now, let us qualify the term "streets," as these streets would allow a donkey laden with a load through, but with only inches to spare for humans up against the walls on the side. No cars are allowed in this medina, but there was not a lack of people. It was fascinating winding our way between the structures, having many opportunities to peek inside the homes and do business with the vendors. Walmart does not have anything on the wide variety of food and other things for sale, tempting all senses. The high point, both literally and figuratively, was the leather tanning that we saw from a roof top. Men brought in the hides by donkey (yes, the same donkeys that passed by us within inches) and tanned them in a multitude of clay vats, many of them brightly colored, which overwhelmed the senses, as this was all accomplished by men stomping on the hides initially in vats of pigeon poop! Let us just say that they gave us sprigs of mint to smell, to counter the smell...
Now, as we told you in our last entry, Neal was a little under the weather, and he decided to skip this portion of our trip, and while he played the role of the typical American, enjoying the views of the women in their bikinis by the pool, he felt so poor that he did not even notice the bathing beauties! We are happy to report that he is on the mend now, and even enjoyed the incredible dinner that we were treated to, back in the medina in a courtyard that made us feel like royalty, with bountiful food (just in case you were worried that were are wasting away), more indigenous music and dancing, and topped off by yet another belly dancer.
As we sat down to dinner the first night and a gorgeous and sensuous belly dancer appeared, two of our party said at the same time that "I don’t think that we’re in Iran anymore". The people were friendly on the outside, but this was the first time that we were warned about safeguarding our valuables as we walked on the very narrow streets. Now, let us qualify the term "streets," as these streets would allow a donkey laden with a load through, but with only inches to spare for humans up against the walls on the side. No cars are allowed in this medina, but there was not a lack of people. It was fascinating winding our way between the structures, having many opportunities to peek inside the homes and do business with the vendors. Walmart does not have anything on the wide variety of food and other things for sale, tempting all senses. The high point, both literally and figuratively, was the leather tanning that we saw from a roof top. Men brought in the hides by donkey (yes, the same donkeys that passed by us within inches) and tanned them in a multitude of clay vats, many of them brightly colored, which overwhelmed the senses, as this was all accomplished by men stomping on the hides initially in vats of pigeon poop! Let us just say that they gave us sprigs of mint to smell, to counter the smell...
Now, as we told you in our last entry, Neal was a little under the weather, and he decided to skip this portion of our trip, and while he played the role of the typical American, enjoying the views of the women in their bikinis by the pool, he felt so poor that he did not even notice the bathing beauties! We are happy to report that he is on the mend now, and even enjoyed the incredible dinner that we were treated to, back in the medina in a courtyard that made us feel like royalty, with bountiful food (just in case you were worried that were are wasting away), more indigenous music and dancing, and topped off by yet another belly dancer.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Egypt
As many of you know, Jane talks to everyone in the gym, no matter what country it is in, and thus Cairo gave us the opportunity to get to meet more local citizens than we had on our previous stops. Jane started a discussion with this one man who had spent eight years in Boston, and wanted to know how the Celtics had fared since 1988. So Neal filled him in on all the sad details, and current optimism. He then wanted to know what we had thought about our visit, and we told him about all the fabulous things we had done, including a walk back from lunch over two miles away from our hotel. The walk proved interesting, appealing to all our senses, sight, smell, and maybe not so appealingly, to touch, as Jane experienced many men touching her behind. Our new friend indicated that he was extremely embarrassed for his country, and from that point on we began to understand that he was very well connected in Egypt.
We then started talking about politics, and his view of the United States and its role in the Middle East, as well as our sharing the status of politics in the United States. After nearly an hour, Neal finally asked whether he thought there was any possibility of peace between Israel and the Arab world, and somewhat surprisingly, he indicated that he believes that we are on the cusp of the best chance for peace ever. It became clear that he knew some of the key players in the region, and he revealed that he was the Cabinet Minister for the nation. That is a position directly under the Prime Minister to whom all of the Secretaries of Cabinet report. So not only does Jane make the best of friends in the gym, now she is meeting high level government officials.
The first night we arrived we went directly to the Pyramids and Sphynx, where we were in awe of the workmanship but concerned about their being exposed to smog, traffic only yards away, and trash everywhere. We capped off our evening with a night that one might dream about, under a tent for dinner, overlooking the pyramids, feasting on delicious Egyptian food, and entertained not only by the view, but also by whirling dervishes, camels and traditional Egyptian music.
Cairo is an enormous city of 18 million and the traffic and crazy drivers to go along with it. Every trip was an adventure, either by bus, by car, or by boat. Our walk back from the bazaar that we already mentioned was a fun high point. We were guided by the former head of the American Geographical Society. We needed him not only to help find our way, but also help us have strength in numbers, as we took our lives into our hands each time we tried to cross a street. The complexities of the ever changing society were evident to us, as we saw many women in full hajib, contrasted by the blond hair mannequins displaying risque lingerie and Santa Claus and Christmas trees on several corners. In the evening we had a private opening of the Egyptian Museum, seeing many of the contents of King Tut’s tomb, which would only be a prelude for the next day.
Once again we observed both extremes of wealth and poverty. Staying at the Four Seasons with our room having a magnificent view of the Nile, we were pampered, enjoying not only the gorgeous views but interesting and healthy food, but we did not have to walk far from the hotel to observe living conditions that were difficult, to say the least.
Our trip to Luxor is something that Jane will remember a lot more fondly than Neal, who became ill with a stomach bug. Everyone on the trip was trying to decide how many different shades of green they could identify on his face. Although it was an arduous journey, we are glad that we were able to see the tombs of King Tut and other rulers, as well as the magnificent Karnak Temple. As we write this on the flight to Morocco, we are happy to report that Neal has now returned to his usual color.
We then started talking about politics, and his view of the United States and its role in the Middle East, as well as our sharing the status of politics in the United States. After nearly an hour, Neal finally asked whether he thought there was any possibility of peace between Israel and the Arab world, and somewhat surprisingly, he indicated that he believes that we are on the cusp of the best chance for peace ever. It became clear that he knew some of the key players in the region, and he revealed that he was the Cabinet Minister for the nation. That is a position directly under the Prime Minister to whom all of the Secretaries of Cabinet report. So not only does Jane make the best of friends in the gym, now she is meeting high level government officials.
The first night we arrived we went directly to the Pyramids and Sphynx, where we were in awe of the workmanship but concerned about their being exposed to smog, traffic only yards away, and trash everywhere. We capped off our evening with a night that one might dream about, under a tent for dinner, overlooking the pyramids, feasting on delicious Egyptian food, and entertained not only by the view, but also by whirling dervishes, camels and traditional Egyptian music.
Cairo is an enormous city of 18 million and the traffic and crazy drivers to go along with it. Every trip was an adventure, either by bus, by car, or by boat. Our walk back from the bazaar that we already mentioned was a fun high point. We were guided by the former head of the American Geographical Society. We needed him not only to help find our way, but also help us have strength in numbers, as we took our lives into our hands each time we tried to cross a street. The complexities of the ever changing society were evident to us, as we saw many women in full hajib, contrasted by the blond hair mannequins displaying risque lingerie and Santa Claus and Christmas trees on several corners. In the evening we had a private opening of the Egyptian Museum, seeing many of the contents of King Tut’s tomb, which would only be a prelude for the next day.
Once again we observed both extremes of wealth and poverty. Staying at the Four Seasons with our room having a magnificent view of the Nile, we were pampered, enjoying not only the gorgeous views but interesting and healthy food, but we did not have to walk far from the hotel to observe living conditions that were difficult, to say the least.
Our trip to Luxor is something that Jane will remember a lot more fondly than Neal, who became ill with a stomach bug. Everyone on the trip was trying to decide how many different shades of green they could identify on his face. Although it was an arduous journey, we are glad that we were able to see the tombs of King Tut and other rulers, as well as the magnificent Karnak Temple. As we write this on the flight to Morocco, we are happy to report that Neal has now returned to his usual color.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Iran
Before I report on Iran, I have to share that I am on a very slow connection, and the pictures don't seem to want to load, and we have some good ones, he typed modestly. So please be patient, they are coming. So here is our Iran entry, even though I would have liked to post the India pics with the India blog, before moving on.
Iran
As someone on our trip said, I don’t know what I expected, but this wasn’t it. The city of Esfehan is absolutely beautiful and the people have been the friendliest on the trip. They were eager to say hello and to make it clear, as did we, that one can’t judge people by its leaders. As a result, we met more local people on this stop than on any other. Our tour guide was absolutely wonderful, we felt we were really learning instead of hearing a canned tourist lecture. For all of you who were nervous about our going to Iran, she kind of made a joke at your expense by locking the door behind us and telling us we were all her hostages, laughing the whole time.
We have learned a lot about Islam on this trip. It is laughable to think about those with the narrow view that we are in a war of civilizations with all of Islam, or even against all Arabs. The first thing you should know about Iranians is that they are not Arabs at all, but Persians, who have a long relationship with the West. In fact, of all the countries in the Middle East other than Israel, Iran by far is our most natural ally. They do not consider themselves Arabs at all, but Persians. You might just Google the term "Arabian Gulf". The Iranians have made the first result " By Arabian Gulf, do you mean Persian Gulf. Hit the Persian Gulf button and never try Arabian again. If you typed Arabian Gulf, make sure you read some history Books."
It is thus even more distressing that the politicians on both sides have used the other as a fear factor to stay in power. There are no easy answers, but the only ray of hope is that in both populations, the approval factor for their President is under 30%.
What we found in Esfahan was an Iran that is changing rapidly. More than two-thirds of the population was born after the Iranian Revolution, and the young people are less religious than their parents. Also in common with us, they are very proud of their country despite the disconnect with their politicians. They are eager for you to understand their society and history and as we have said, were the most friendly of any country we have been to. This meant we had actually met the most local people than any on the trip, and heard the most sincere and most numerous requests for us to return for their hospitality.
Iran
As someone on our trip said, I don’t know what I expected, but this wasn’t it. The city of Esfehan is absolutely beautiful and the people have been the friendliest on the trip. They were eager to say hello and to make it clear, as did we, that one can’t judge people by its leaders. As a result, we met more local people on this stop than on any other. Our tour guide was absolutely wonderful, we felt we were really learning instead of hearing a canned tourist lecture. For all of you who were nervous about our going to Iran, she kind of made a joke at your expense by locking the door behind us and telling us we were all her hostages, laughing the whole time.
We have learned a lot about Islam on this trip. It is laughable to think about those with the narrow view that we are in a war of civilizations with all of Islam, or even against all Arabs. The first thing you should know about Iranians is that they are not Arabs at all, but Persians, who have a long relationship with the West. In fact, of all the countries in the Middle East other than Israel, Iran by far is our most natural ally. They do not consider themselves Arabs at all, but Persians. You might just Google the term "Arabian Gulf". The Iranians have made the first result " By Arabian Gulf, do you mean Persian Gulf. Hit the Persian Gulf button and never try Arabian again. If you typed Arabian Gulf, make sure you read some history Books."
It is thus even more distressing that the politicians on both sides have used the other as a fear factor to stay in power. There are no easy answers, but the only ray of hope is that in both populations, the approval factor for their President is under 30%.
What we found in Esfahan was an Iran that is changing rapidly. More than two-thirds of the population was born after the Iranian Revolution, and the young people are less religious than their parents. Also in common with us, they are very proud of their country despite the disconnect with their politicians. They are eager for you to understand their society and history and as we have said, were the most friendly of any country we have been to. This meant we had actually met the most local people than any on the trip, and heard the most sincere and most numerous requests for us to return for their hospitality.
India
Ok, we have been officially wowed. Staying in a palace (in Joddhpur) with the owner’s family also in residence is something that we never expected to experience. We were only in India for two very different days, one where we stayed absolute luxury (let’s just say that the "room" was actually four separate rooms, including two for the bath "chamber"). The second night we camped out in the desert (with hot and cold running water that was quite welcome after finding sand in places that you would rather not hear about). The only thing both days had in common was that we ate nothing but delicious Indian food, and felt the warmth of the people, who waved hello at every opportunity.
Having left the glamour of the palace after checking in, we saw scenes that included cows and camels in the middle of downtown, lots of unemployed men, unsanitary water and waste systems, and shanty towns. Yet these difficult conditions did not stop us from experiencing warm greetings from all the Indian people we ran across.
The second day we drove even closer to the border with Pakistan, for our overnight camp far from any hamlet. We had several stops, for lunch we got to watch the women making our delicious bread over an open fire. We then we saw on opium ceremony, but turned down the sample offered us, as Jane was more interested in playing with the children of the village. At camp, Jane turned out to be the better of the two of us at riding a came, although was amazed that one of the camel tenders, a young boy roughly 12, or so, had his cell phone go off in the middle of the ride! Let no one let you think that our world is not totally connected in ways that are difficult to fathom for any of us. We were then entertained by traditional dancers and musicians, and even a fire eater, although Jane was trying to keep up her own fire eating, trying every hot item available for dinner.
Having left the glamour of the palace after checking in, we saw scenes that included cows and camels in the middle of downtown, lots of unemployed men, unsanitary water and waste systems, and shanty towns. Yet these difficult conditions did not stop us from experiencing warm greetings from all the Indian people we ran across.
The second day we drove even closer to the border with Pakistan, for our overnight camp far from any hamlet. We had several stops, for lunch we got to watch the women making our delicious bread over an open fire. We then we saw on opium ceremony, but turned down the sample offered us, as Jane was more interested in playing with the children of the village. At camp, Jane turned out to be the better of the two of us at riding a came, although was amazed that one of the camel tenders, a young boy roughly 12, or so, had his cell phone go off in the middle of the ride! Let no one let you think that our world is not totally connected in ways that are difficult to fathom for any of us. We were then entertained by traditional dancers and musicians, and even a fire eater, although Jane was trying to keep up her own fire eating, trying every hot item available for dinner.
Friday, November 2, 2007
VIETNAM
Vietnam
Let us start off this section of the blog by telling you that while humor is a common theme throughout our entries (just so that you will not fall asleep by their length), we find it difficult to find the humor in our recollections of Vietnam. We will share that we did not fail to keep up our numbers, as we enjoyed both Vietnamese and Chinese food while there. And, while we were not picked as king and queen at a local lunch, we did manage to look foolish in traditional royal outfits.
We arrived in Vietnam and before the plane even touched down, we saw scenes of devastation, not from the war, but from days and days of rain, and the resulting flooding. We also saw vivid examples of the damage on the ground, while wondering how public health can be maintained in countries that encounter these conditions regularly.
Having our wonder years occur during the 60's at the height of the war, we were keenly interested in what we were about to experience, and how we would be viewed, as we landed at Da Nang airport, the site of a former American air force base. At the end of the runway you can still see standing the empty ghostlike structures which once housed American helicopters.
We were greeted by young children bearing roses who then performed for us with enormous smiles. This treatment continued for our entire stay, as we discovered that despite the war, Americans are treated as long lost relatives, and locals were very concerned that we were having a good time.
Our hotel was a luxurious resort on China Beach, and we wondered about how it must have felt to be at war at such a peaceful place where one’s first thought is to take a swim while looking at the surrounding mountains. As we drove out of the resort to explore the town of Hoi An, we met our wonderful guide, Phuc, whose grandfather had been an officer in the South Vietnamese army, and was therefore quite candid with his views, including stirring stories of how his family was treated after the war. He indicated that most in that region now were anxious to meet and do business with foreigners, especially Americans.
Despite enormous cost, education is paramount in this society, with compulsory school until age 18. Many in Phuc’s generation (he is 27) pursue an expensive university education, despite an average income of only 35 US dollars per month. With the literacy rate much better than that in India, and the work ethic that we observed many times over, we have no doubt that this country will change very quickly.
The next day we walked on China Beach and saw many natives out for their walks, swims or Tai Chi. We were then driven almost three hours to Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam, where we visited beautiful pagodas and temples, along with the enormous Citadel, which was heavily bombed by both sides in the war. At one of the Buddhist temples, there was an orphanage, where Jane promptly engaged one of the little boys, no more than 7, in a silent form or communication, as he got ready to nap under the watchful eyes of a monk.
In Da Nang, the country’s third largest city, we saw enormous economic development taking place in the cities (talk about gentrification, everyone, including the occupants of cemeteries, are being relocated to make way for enormous hotel resorts for tourists along the beach). The urban and rural disparities became clear to us as we entered into rural areas, with many families living on boats that many westerners would consider unseaworthy, with only a five foot long tarp to protect them from the elements. In that context, we wondered how any politician could have thought the war a good idea, surely none of them had visited Vietnam.
Jane immediately felt a strong similarity to Cuba, as the urban centers are moving forward in leaps and bounds, while the rural areas are keeping many of their traditional ways alive. Vietnam may be politically Communistic, but economically, it is capitalist, and Phuc described how expensive and difficult it is to get good medical care, which seems to be a common theme so far in the trip.
We know that this entry is not what you have come to expect, but as we continue our voyage, we begin to see common threads throughout our trip, and thoroughly enjoy getting to know more about how other cultures carry on their traditions, in the face of modernization. We also value the perspective that local people can give us on their countries, and appreciate the fact that this world is made up of many different cultures that must learn how to deal with each other with greater desire to accept differences.
Let us start off this section of the blog by telling you that while humor is a common theme throughout our entries (just so that you will not fall asleep by their length), we find it difficult to find the humor in our recollections of Vietnam. We will share that we did not fail to keep up our numbers, as we enjoyed both Vietnamese and Chinese food while there. And, while we were not picked as king and queen at a local lunch, we did manage to look foolish in traditional royal outfits.
We arrived in Vietnam and before the plane even touched down, we saw scenes of devastation, not from the war, but from days and days of rain, and the resulting flooding. We also saw vivid examples of the damage on the ground, while wondering how public health can be maintained in countries that encounter these conditions regularly.
Having our wonder years occur during the 60's at the height of the war, we were keenly interested in what we were about to experience, and how we would be viewed, as we landed at Da Nang airport, the site of a former American air force base. At the end of the runway you can still see standing the empty ghostlike structures which once housed American helicopters.
We were greeted by young children bearing roses who then performed for us with enormous smiles. This treatment continued for our entire stay, as we discovered that despite the war, Americans are treated as long lost relatives, and locals were very concerned that we were having a good time.
Our hotel was a luxurious resort on China Beach, and we wondered about how it must have felt to be at war at such a peaceful place where one’s first thought is to take a swim while looking at the surrounding mountains. As we drove out of the resort to explore the town of Hoi An, we met our wonderful guide, Phuc, whose grandfather had been an officer in the South Vietnamese army, and was therefore quite candid with his views, including stirring stories of how his family was treated after the war. He indicated that most in that region now were anxious to meet and do business with foreigners, especially Americans.
Despite enormous cost, education is paramount in this society, with compulsory school until age 18. Many in Phuc’s generation (he is 27) pursue an expensive university education, despite an average income of only 35 US dollars per month. With the literacy rate much better than that in India, and the work ethic that we observed many times over, we have no doubt that this country will change very quickly.
The next day we walked on China Beach and saw many natives out for their walks, swims or Tai Chi. We were then driven almost three hours to Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam, where we visited beautiful pagodas and temples, along with the enormous Citadel, which was heavily bombed by both sides in the war. At one of the Buddhist temples, there was an orphanage, where Jane promptly engaged one of the little boys, no more than 7, in a silent form or communication, as he got ready to nap under the watchful eyes of a monk.
In Da Nang, the country’s third largest city, we saw enormous economic development taking place in the cities (talk about gentrification, everyone, including the occupants of cemeteries, are being relocated to make way for enormous hotel resorts for tourists along the beach). The urban and rural disparities became clear to us as we entered into rural areas, with many families living on boats that many westerners would consider unseaworthy, with only a five foot long tarp to protect them from the elements. In that context, we wondered how any politician could have thought the war a good idea, surely none of them had visited Vietnam.
Jane immediately felt a strong similarity to Cuba, as the urban centers are moving forward in leaps and bounds, while the rural areas are keeping many of their traditional ways alive. Vietnam may be politically Communistic, but economically, it is capitalist, and Phuc described how expensive and difficult it is to get good medical care, which seems to be a common theme so far in the trip.
We know that this entry is not what you have come to expect, but as we continue our voyage, we begin to see common threads throughout our trip, and thoroughly enjoy getting to know more about how other cultures carry on their traditions, in the face of modernization. We also value the perspective that local people can give us on their countries, and appreciate the fact that this world is made up of many different cultures that must learn how to deal with each other with greater desire to accept differences.
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