August 21, 2019
Today we wandered around the city finding some of the highlights. We got our first Vietnamese coffee which is very good, and very strong! Brendan and I both have to add water to any coffee we order here. It’s a nice change to have real coffee since everywhere else in Asia has been instant packs. It would be good if the coffee came with real milk or cream, but they only serve sweet and condensed milk.
Vietnam is the first communist country we have been in. Officially it is an atheist state although religion is still practiced by many of its citizens. The Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam does allow religious freedom although the government has restrictions on organized activities and oversees officially recognized religions. The majority of religious people in Vietnam practice Buddhism or a combination of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism called Tam Giao.
The currency is the Vietnamese dong, and the exchange rate is 23,224.50 to 1 USD. The language (not surprisingly) is Vietnamese and we have found most people in the tourist areas speak enough English to get by. This is like most places we have been where the people who work in tourism speak some English and those outside of tourism have more of a language barrier.
Our first stop today was the War Remnants Museum. I would not consider this a “highlight” since it is so sad, but definitely a notable place to visit with important American and Vietnam history. Understandably this museum has the Vietnam side of the story. I never really thought about it before, but it is a trip to hear them call it “The American War”. The loss in Vietnam was just horrific. It feels a bit overwhelming to process all my thoughts and the tremendous loss, coming right from Cambodia and learning about Khmer Rouge and now the Vietnam War. I knew a little about Vietnam from history class, but it is much more real and in your face when you come to these places with museums, memorials etc.
I am also ashamed to admit I do not know as much about American and world history as I should. My schooling was obviously focused on health and science. I was trying to remember the last time I had a history class. I know I never had one in college so I think it must have been 10th or 11th grade! Now that I am finished with school, I feel like I can expand my focus and learn about other subjects too. This trip has been an incredible learning journey on all types of subjects for sure!
I did some reading before we came to Vietnam about the war and this country’s history to give myself a better context for our visit. Vietnam has a long history of fighting for their independence as many countries do. I realize this is a familiar subject for Americans as so many today actually lived through the years of the war. It is not like I am reporting on any breaking news but having the history right in front of me at this moment stirs up a lot of thought and emotion on the topic.
I watched a documentary where an American GI said the only people who sit around and talk about who won a war are people who didn’t fight. Because anyone who has fought knows there are no winners in war… I thought that was a very powerful statement and it certainly seemed to reign true when looking at the devastation that was here in Vietnam. The loss for both the Americans and Vietnamese is hard to think about. The aftermath continues to affect people on both sides. It was deplorable how our American soldiers were treated when they came home and the long-term effects many are still suffering from. I was shocked to learn at the museum how much Agent Orange is still affecting 2nd and 3rd generations here in Vietnam.
In an attempt to try and summarize my own feelings about what I have learned, I think all politics have to be set aside. It is crazy to think about how long this war was and why we stayed and the reasons behind it etc. Now, those events are in the past and the thing that matters now is how we all move forward from it. The lives lost and those still suffering from the aftermath cannot be in vain. I was moved to see a poster of our own Declaration of Independence where Thomas Jefferson states ‘…that All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain Unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness…”. No matter how many times I have heard this phrase or how familiar it is, it still causes my eyes to get watery. I wish everyone could know this statement to be true in their heart because if they did the world would be a different place.
I have tremendous respect and gratitude for those who serve or who have served in our military. Those who are willing to do and see things so that I will not have to, is beyond admirable. Our history is filled with people who have given the ultimate sacrifice in order for me to experience a better life and have the freedom that I do today. I think by nature I am peacekeeper. Maybe because it’s the meaning of my name. I also want to honor and give credit to those who stand for peace. Those who dedicate their lives and/or careers to making a difference in the quality of someone else’s life is completely remarkable. I have mentioned in previous posts individuals and organizations who are doing amazing things in our world. I am so inspired by them and it is incredible to see the difference they make.
I do not exactly know my role in the world yet (I am 33, and you may be thinking I should get a clue). I know a guideline like how I will utilize my medical background and education, but I don’t know the exact fit. It will probably be ever changing and a life long journey of discovering new things and new ways to give back. This time of traveling has been extremely invaluable to me and opened my eyes to so much.
Although I don’t know the specifics, I am excited and eager to seize new opportunities that can allow me to share some of my incredible wealth with others. Like I said, I know I am not talking about anything new, but I had to write about it because of the impact seeing these things and learning the history has had on me. Thank you for listening!
Back to the travel blog and the rest of our day…
After the War Remnants Museum, we got caught in a bit of a down pour. We ducked into this little restaurant to escape the rain and get some lunch. This was one of my favorite meals that we have had in a while. It wasn’t just that the food was good, but this little place had great ambience. We are so used to eating outside with the flies and the heat, it was nice to be in an actual restaurant that was decorated nice and super cozy. It was a great way to decompress after having such a heavy heart from the museum. Part of my meal was a Vietnamese salad and it was super delicious. It was the most expensive meal we have had in a while ($16 for both) and totally worth it as we really enjoyed it.
We tried to wait out the storm, but it didn’t look like it was going to let up.
We then decided to just go for it and got drenched walking to Independence Palace which was our next stop. This was interesting as it was the home and work place of the President of South Vietnam during the war. It has been kept just like it was back in the 70’s so it was pretty cool to walk through.
While walking around we also saw some highlights left from the French such as the Notre Dame of Vietnam, and the Post Office which is a very pretty French colonial building. It was raining so hard at this point I did not get pictures. We ended up taking a Grab back to the hostel after I got over being wet and in the rain. We had a free beer that our hostel gave us and watched a sad film about Khmer Rouge. We packed our things as we have to get up in the middle of the night to make our early morning flight to Hanoi in Northern Vietnam tomorrow.
Awesome! Glad you guys made it to Vietnam, and finally had a chance to get some better coffee 😉 I remember those instant coffee packs, they seem to be big in other countries! Great job learning and sharing about all the history, I didn’t know a lot of that!