June 1st to 2nd - Overnight bus from Nha Trang to Hoi An
I had some time to kill on the 1st of June. My bus for Hoi An was not going to pick me up from my hotel until about 5 o'clock or so. I had to check out of my hotel at 12 and so I wanted to keep my cool - or stay cool - until my bus picked me up. So I decided against staying out in the sun for too long. I didnt want to sweat and be all sticky for the 12 hour bus ride to Hoi An.
I woke up early and decided that the intensity of the sun wasnt too bad, or not bad enough for me to keep from taking a stroll along the long beaches of Nha Trang. Close to noon I went into an Indian restaurant that had a decent curry but a crappy nan bread. After that I returned to my hotel, washed up, and checked out. I still had many hours to kill and so I went to the internet cafe and cleaned out my hotmail account and I believe I worked a bit more on my digital journal.
Other than all this it was a pretty relaxed and uneventful day. The bus ride as well to Hoi An was uneventful.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
Monday, June 07, 2004
Final Thoughts on Saigon
What I forgot to mention in regards to my earlier descriptions of Saigon are the women and what they consider to be beautiful. Beauty is purity, or in other words purity of skin. The whiter the skin the more desirable the woman is to a Vietnamese man. I wish I could speak a bit of Vietnamese so that I could find out for myself whether or not men in Vietnam are really obsessed with white skin or if it is just a myth that all women here seem to believe. One indication though that "whiteness of skin" is beautiful are the advertisements here. Just as in the West (1st World Nations) the use of models who have extremely white skin are often, if not always, used for advertisements, commercials - and it seems that all pop-stars and actresses here also have extremely white skin. About every advertisement I have seen in Vietnam has always included a Vietnamese woman with perfect white skin.
This obsession for white skin has lead to nearly every woman, of ages beginning in the early teens to the late 50's and 60's, to cover up as much of their body as possible before venturing out into public and the glare of the sun. The heat in Vietnam is intense. I find that I need to take two to three showers a day; and Im walking around in shorts and a T-shirt. The women here though wear long pants and if they wear a short-sleeved shirt they put on thin and very long gloves that goes all the way up their biceps so that their entire arm is covered. Then to keep their face out of the sun they wear a hat, sunglasses, and a cloth that they use to cover everything below their eyes - which they tie behind their heads. You will see thousands of woman on scooters driving around the streets of Saigon completely covered up. It is nearly rare to see the face of a Vietnamese woman. It often makes me wonder if these women would rather prefer to live in Iran. They would feel at home there with all the other Muslim women who have to cover up every inch of their body.
This obsession for covering up to avoid being tanned by the sun is something that I find ridiculous. But it happens in all societies. Those of us who have a low self-esteem are quick to do anything a commercial tells us inorder to look more attractive of beautiful to the public eye.
Then there are all the skin whitening creams that are all the rave in Vietnam. Women buying and trying all assortments of creams to apply to their skin to maintain their whiteness or to whiten their skin.
So, the question remains. What do you find beautiful? What is beauty? What is beauty as defined by your culture, your society? There are all sorts of beautiful aspects of one's self. There is physical beauty, the beauty of one's character, of one's abilities, of one's thoughts and perspectives.
The women of Vietnam, and Thai women, look at Western Caucasian women perplexed as to why they want to ruin their beautiful white skin by laying out in the sun for hours on the beautiful beaches of either Vietnam or Thailand. Here we may understand the difference in what these cultures - East and West - regard as beautiful and its connection with wealth.
A woman I met from Holland was on her way to Indonesia. She expressed to me, "There is no way I can go back to my country after such a long vacation without a tan. I am going to Indonesia to relax after all these months of backpacking and to get a nice tan before returning home."
In the West (1st World Nations) it can be argued to an extent that getting a tan is a sort of status symbol. That you as a Western individual could afford the expensive trip to some exotic beach to tan and have fun in the sun. Here a tan is beautiful because for a few weeks it is apparent to all back home that you have traveled, relaxed on an exotic beach, and could afford it. Here a tan is beautiful because in some respects it can be equated with wealth.
In Thailand and Vietnam it is believed that only the poor are found working out in the heat of the sun. They are the farmers breaking their backs in rice fields and so forth. The rich are those who work within the comforts of an office. They are rarely out in the sun and thus have white skin. So here we can see that again beauty in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Vietnam are equated in some respects with wealth.
The Slums of Saigon
One thing that I was very shocked to find in Saigon were the slums. My initial image of Saigon was simply that of a city no different from the one's I had seen in Thailand or Malaysia. Of course all cities have their ghettos and so forth but the slums I found in Saigon were the worst I have ever seen in Southeast Asia. I have never been to Manila in the Philippines but the slums I found in Saigon looked like the pictures I have seen of the slums in Manila.
The slums are located at the corner of district 5, 8, 1, 4, and 7. It is there where the Kinh Doi, Rach Ben Nghe, Kinh Te, and the Rach Ong Lon rivers meet. At this intersection the rivers are black. It is so polluted that it is nearly beyond belief to realize and see with your very own eyes that the river is black, black, black. And along the sides of the river you will see the most decrepit homes made from pieced together pieces of wood and metal. Thousands of these shack homes are all piled on top of each other, stretching from the streets of Saigon to all the way down to the black polluted waters of the rivers. It is a horrible sight but one that you should see if you find yourself in Saigon.
May 30th to 31st - Bus Trip to Saigon to Nha Trang, May 31st - Nha Trang
This was to be the first of several interesting bus trips that I would take from the south of Vietnam to the north. My bus departed from Saigon around 8. But it was not just a bus transporting only people and their luggage. Oh no. It also doubled as a cargo bus transporting goods and so forth. On this bus giant wind surfer board was places between all the seats. It was clearly a hazard for it made it nearly impossible for the passengers to get from one end of the bus to the other. But, there doesnt seem to be many lawsuits in Vietnam so this "hazard" was of no real concern to the bus company.
The ride to Nha Trang took about 10 hours or so. We arrived bright an early in Nha Trang. Still waking up I decided to use the services of a tout to take me on his scooter to a hotel that he recommended and would get a "kick back" from. The hotel he took me to was just in front of the beach and was cheap and clean and so I took it. I took a shower and went to bed with the air-conditioner on. I woke up around noon and decided to simply take it easy in Nha Trang. There were no major sights that I had to see. Nha Trang is a beach resort sort of town. The beaches are beautiful and pleasant and most of the city near the beach caters to the Vietnamese and foreign tourists that flock there. Although I did not go to Mui Ne I heard from many that the town of Mui Ne and its beaches are simply the best and far superior to the feel and commercialism of Nha Trang.
So for the 31st of May I simply took it easy by eating and catching up on some emails and my digital journal. I was also trying to rest a bit since I was a little sick with a cold.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
What I forgot to mention in regards to my earlier descriptions of Saigon are the women and what they consider to be beautiful. Beauty is purity, or in other words purity of skin. The whiter the skin the more desirable the woman is to a Vietnamese man. I wish I could speak a bit of Vietnamese so that I could find out for myself whether or not men in Vietnam are really obsessed with white skin or if it is just a myth that all women here seem to believe. One indication though that "whiteness of skin" is beautiful are the advertisements here. Just as in the West (1st World Nations) the use of models who have extremely white skin are often, if not always, used for advertisements, commercials - and it seems that all pop-stars and actresses here also have extremely white skin. About every advertisement I have seen in Vietnam has always included a Vietnamese woman with perfect white skin.
This obsession for white skin has lead to nearly every woman, of ages beginning in the early teens to the late 50's and 60's, to cover up as much of their body as possible before venturing out into public and the glare of the sun. The heat in Vietnam is intense. I find that I need to take two to three showers a day; and Im walking around in shorts and a T-shirt. The women here though wear long pants and if they wear a short-sleeved shirt they put on thin and very long gloves that goes all the way up their biceps so that their entire arm is covered. Then to keep their face out of the sun they wear a hat, sunglasses, and a cloth that they use to cover everything below their eyes - which they tie behind their heads. You will see thousands of woman on scooters driving around the streets of Saigon completely covered up. It is nearly rare to see the face of a Vietnamese woman. It often makes me wonder if these women would rather prefer to live in Iran. They would feel at home there with all the other Muslim women who have to cover up every inch of their body.
This obsession for covering up to avoid being tanned by the sun is something that I find ridiculous. But it happens in all societies. Those of us who have a low self-esteem are quick to do anything a commercial tells us inorder to look more attractive of beautiful to the public eye.
Then there are all the skin whitening creams that are all the rave in Vietnam. Women buying and trying all assortments of creams to apply to their skin to maintain their whiteness or to whiten their skin.
So, the question remains. What do you find beautiful? What is beauty? What is beauty as defined by your culture, your society? There are all sorts of beautiful aspects of one's self. There is physical beauty, the beauty of one's character, of one's abilities, of one's thoughts and perspectives.
The women of Vietnam, and Thai women, look at Western Caucasian women perplexed as to why they want to ruin their beautiful white skin by laying out in the sun for hours on the beautiful beaches of either Vietnam or Thailand. Here we may understand the difference in what these cultures - East and West - regard as beautiful and its connection with wealth.
A woman I met from Holland was on her way to Indonesia. She expressed to me, "There is no way I can go back to my country after such a long vacation without a tan. I am going to Indonesia to relax after all these months of backpacking and to get a nice tan before returning home."
In the West (1st World Nations) it can be argued to an extent that getting a tan is a sort of status symbol. That you as a Western individual could afford the expensive trip to some exotic beach to tan and have fun in the sun. Here a tan is beautiful because for a few weeks it is apparent to all back home that you have traveled, relaxed on an exotic beach, and could afford it. Here a tan is beautiful because in some respects it can be equated with wealth.
In Thailand and Vietnam it is believed that only the poor are found working out in the heat of the sun. They are the farmers breaking their backs in rice fields and so forth. The rich are those who work within the comforts of an office. They are rarely out in the sun and thus have white skin. So here we can see that again beauty in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Vietnam are equated in some respects with wealth.
The Slums of Saigon
One thing that I was very shocked to find in Saigon were the slums. My initial image of Saigon was simply that of a city no different from the one's I had seen in Thailand or Malaysia. Of course all cities have their ghettos and so forth but the slums I found in Saigon were the worst I have ever seen in Southeast Asia. I have never been to Manila in the Philippines but the slums I found in Saigon looked like the pictures I have seen of the slums in Manila.
The slums are located at the corner of district 5, 8, 1, 4, and 7. It is there where the Kinh Doi, Rach Ben Nghe, Kinh Te, and the Rach Ong Lon rivers meet. At this intersection the rivers are black. It is so polluted that it is nearly beyond belief to realize and see with your very own eyes that the river is black, black, black. And along the sides of the river you will see the most decrepit homes made from pieced together pieces of wood and metal. Thousands of these shack homes are all piled on top of each other, stretching from the streets of Saigon to all the way down to the black polluted waters of the rivers. It is a horrible sight but one that you should see if you find yourself in Saigon.
May 30th to 31st - Bus Trip to Saigon to Nha Trang, May 31st - Nha Trang
This was to be the first of several interesting bus trips that I would take from the south of Vietnam to the north. My bus departed from Saigon around 8. But it was not just a bus transporting only people and their luggage. Oh no. It also doubled as a cargo bus transporting goods and so forth. On this bus giant wind surfer board was places between all the seats. It was clearly a hazard for it made it nearly impossible for the passengers to get from one end of the bus to the other. But, there doesnt seem to be many lawsuits in Vietnam so this "hazard" was of no real concern to the bus company.
The ride to Nha Trang took about 10 hours or so. We arrived bright an early in Nha Trang. Still waking up I decided to use the services of a tout to take me on his scooter to a hotel that he recommended and would get a "kick back" from. The hotel he took me to was just in front of the beach and was cheap and clean and so I took it. I took a shower and went to bed with the air-conditioner on. I woke up around noon and decided to simply take it easy in Nha Trang. There were no major sights that I had to see. Nha Trang is a beach resort sort of town. The beaches are beautiful and pleasant and most of the city near the beach caters to the Vietnamese and foreign tourists that flock there. Although I did not go to Mui Ne I heard from many that the town of Mui Ne and its beaches are simply the best and far superior to the feel and commercialism of Nha Trang.
So for the 31st of May I simply took it easy by eating and catching up on some emails and my digital journal. I was also trying to rest a bit since I was a little sick with a cold.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
A Day at the Table
A work of fiction by Domenico Italo Composto
The first thing to hit Nicholas upon his arrival to Saigon was the heat. It was nearly the end of May and Vietnam was bracing itself for the monsoon rains that had yet to come. Saigon seemed to him to be a city of streets filled with an unbelievable number of scooters; none of which paid any attention to him as tried to cross from one block to the next.
He had been in Saigon for five days. He didnt want to leave. He had found refuge in his guest house room. It was clean, pleasant, and most important of all it had an air conditioner. He paid $6 a night for his room.
A door adjacent to his bathroom opened up to a tiny balcony; it was so small that one could only stand on it, to sit in a chair was simply impossible. Although he never used the balcony he loved the fact that he had one. And when given the chance he would brag to fellow travelers that his room did indeed have a balcony, of course he would never mention just how small it was.
He got home most nights just past midnight. The family that ran his small guest house were usually in bed, asleep, at that hour. He would have to ring the door bell. Moments later a head with tired eyes would pop out a window just to see who was rining the bell at such an hour. Moments after that a side door to the guest house would open and Nicholas would enter taking off his shoes while apologizing to the father of the household.
Since he had a TV in his room Nicholas would watch a bit of the Discovery Channel. A program he found interesting to watch every night was about forensic crime scenes. He would have prefered to watch the BBC or CNN but his guest house did not subscribe to those channels.
On the morning of the 30th Nicholas woke up at around 6:10. He had a breakfast date; two in fact. He had to meet Estelle, a beautiful French woman of Lao and Vietnamese mix, at 7 and then he had to meet Jacky, who was from South Africa, and Carmen and Zaira, who were both from Barcelona, at 10 in the a.m.
Struggling to get out of bed and regretful that that morning was to be his last in Saigon Nicholas finally got up. He noticed that his throat was a bit raw. The air conditioner had dried it. He prayed that it would not develop into a soar throat.
After showering and getting dressed and checking the locks on his bag for the third or fourth time Nicholas left his room and descended three floors. He passed the living room of the guest house saying hello to the Vietnamese family that ran it and took his shoes out of a cupboard before stepping out into an alley just off from Bui Vien street. He quickly put on his shoes while looking at the children just a meter or two away in another home watching TV while eating their breakfast.
The cafe he was to meet Estelle in was just a few seconds from his guest house. He walked out onto Bui Vien street and saw Estelle rushing to be on time. He saw that she did not see him. She crossed the street and he called out to her. She looked back, smiled, and waved hello.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Estelle greeted Nicholas.
"No, no don't worry. As you can see the Cafe is not even properly open yet."
Estelle and Nicholas then walked into the French Cafe. Nicholas was disappointed though to see that there were barely any pastries in the counter windows. He wanted Estelle to have a fine selection of pastries to choose from but it appeared that the day's pastries had yet to be delivered to the Cafe. But, Estelle explained that she wasnt feeling well and that all she wanted was yoghurt. She ordered as Nicholas went over what few pastries were left from the previous day.
After ordering both Estelle and Nicholas walked up the steps leading to the second floor of the Cafe. They sat at a table that overlooked the early morning activity of Bui Vien street.
The first and last time these two travelers had met each other was in Luang Prabang in Laos.
Then, more than two weeks later and by shear coincidence, the two ran into each other while on a separate tour of the Mekong Delta. They agreed to meet for breakfast and thus this is how they now found themselves enjoying an early morning coffee drink in Saigon.
They asked each other questions of details and facts that they had remembered from their previous meeting in Laos. The conversation was quiet and pleasant. Anything more than that would have been too much for such an early hour.
After breakfast Estelle explained that she was going to go to the Reunification Palace. Nicholas knew the way and had more than an hour to kill before his second breakfast meeting. He decided to walk with Estelle to her destination. He enjoyed her company, particularly her sweet English accent. The curiosities of Saigon appeared from corners and cracks catching both of their eyes and attention. Soon enough though they had reached the Reunification Palace and it was time to say goodbye. If and when they will ever see each other again . . . the gods only know.
Nicholas returned to Bui Vien street with a slight skip in his walk. He was happy. He had about 20 minutes more to kill before 10 a.m. and so he decided to check his email. 25 minutes in the internet cafe went by and Nicholas had not succeeded in opening a single email. His computer's connection was too painfully slow. He paid the bill for the internet service which did not serve him and met up with Jacky, Zaira, and Carmen outside the Southern Hotel.
He apologized for his tardiness and led the group back to the same French Cafe he had breakfast in with Estelle. They all ordered; Nicholas happily ordered more pastries for his belly.
And there they were: an American gent, a South African lady, and two Princess of Spain. The hours passed as if they were minutes. Nicholas loved the animated gestures of Zaira and Carmen. He most especially loved their relationship. Zaira and Carmen were friends. But, they behaved as if they were a couple. They knew eachother's mind, heart, and spirit. They could read each other. They understood one another. They possessed between them what many married couples dream of, strive for, fight for but never achieve or find. They were free within their relationship to simply be who they were without bending or changing too far out of shape. They had found a pleasant nest to lay in within their relationship. So pleasant that they were free to act and feel like spirited children again; joking with each other and the world they found themselves in and interacted with. Through them Nicholas and Jacky found hope that yes indeed there are two individual souls that can find each other, fall into one another, support the other, and interdepend. They were hope. Yes, indeed. They were hope.
The afternoon sun rose high into the sky and hunger began to pelt their stomachs. They called the waitress over and ordered their mid-afternoon meal. The conversation between the four travelers continued as did the laughter they shared. And all the while Nicholas thought of his past and what his future would bring.
He could feel it. A part of himself beginning to die. Making room for something new, something he had never known before. And he welcomed this death with sadness and a smile. He, at 27, felt old and tired. Solitude so often his friend. So much had he done only to come home to the quiet of night and dark. He could sense that this long journey through the heart of the Old World would be his last alone. Somewhere over the Ocean that would send him back to his home would he begin to find his new life with his future wife . . . whoever she may be.
A work of fiction by Domenico Italo Composto
The first thing to hit Nicholas upon his arrival to Saigon was the heat. It was nearly the end of May and Vietnam was bracing itself for the monsoon rains that had yet to come. Saigon seemed to him to be a city of streets filled with an unbelievable number of scooters; none of which paid any attention to him as tried to cross from one block to the next.
He had been in Saigon for five days. He didnt want to leave. He had found refuge in his guest house room. It was clean, pleasant, and most important of all it had an air conditioner. He paid $6 a night for his room.
A door adjacent to his bathroom opened up to a tiny balcony; it was so small that one could only stand on it, to sit in a chair was simply impossible. Although he never used the balcony he loved the fact that he had one. And when given the chance he would brag to fellow travelers that his room did indeed have a balcony, of course he would never mention just how small it was.
He got home most nights just past midnight. The family that ran his small guest house were usually in bed, asleep, at that hour. He would have to ring the door bell. Moments later a head with tired eyes would pop out a window just to see who was rining the bell at such an hour. Moments after that a side door to the guest house would open and Nicholas would enter taking off his shoes while apologizing to the father of the household.
Since he had a TV in his room Nicholas would watch a bit of the Discovery Channel. A program he found interesting to watch every night was about forensic crime scenes. He would have prefered to watch the BBC or CNN but his guest house did not subscribe to those channels.
On the morning of the 30th Nicholas woke up at around 6:10. He had a breakfast date; two in fact. He had to meet Estelle, a beautiful French woman of Lao and Vietnamese mix, at 7 and then he had to meet Jacky, who was from South Africa, and Carmen and Zaira, who were both from Barcelona, at 10 in the a.m.
Struggling to get out of bed and regretful that that morning was to be his last in Saigon Nicholas finally got up. He noticed that his throat was a bit raw. The air conditioner had dried it. He prayed that it would not develop into a soar throat.
After showering and getting dressed and checking the locks on his bag for the third or fourth time Nicholas left his room and descended three floors. He passed the living room of the guest house saying hello to the Vietnamese family that ran it and took his shoes out of a cupboard before stepping out into an alley just off from Bui Vien street. He quickly put on his shoes while looking at the children just a meter or two away in another home watching TV while eating their breakfast.
The cafe he was to meet Estelle in was just a few seconds from his guest house. He walked out onto Bui Vien street and saw Estelle rushing to be on time. He saw that she did not see him. She crossed the street and he called out to her. She looked back, smiled, and waved hello.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Estelle greeted Nicholas.
"No, no don't worry. As you can see the Cafe is not even properly open yet."
Estelle and Nicholas then walked into the French Cafe. Nicholas was disappointed though to see that there were barely any pastries in the counter windows. He wanted Estelle to have a fine selection of pastries to choose from but it appeared that the day's pastries had yet to be delivered to the Cafe. But, Estelle explained that she wasnt feeling well and that all she wanted was yoghurt. She ordered as Nicholas went over what few pastries were left from the previous day.
After ordering both Estelle and Nicholas walked up the steps leading to the second floor of the Cafe. They sat at a table that overlooked the early morning activity of Bui Vien street.
The first and last time these two travelers had met each other was in Luang Prabang in Laos.
Then, more than two weeks later and by shear coincidence, the two ran into each other while on a separate tour of the Mekong Delta. They agreed to meet for breakfast and thus this is how they now found themselves enjoying an early morning coffee drink in Saigon.
They asked each other questions of details and facts that they had remembered from their previous meeting in Laos. The conversation was quiet and pleasant. Anything more than that would have been too much for such an early hour.
After breakfast Estelle explained that she was going to go to the Reunification Palace. Nicholas knew the way and had more than an hour to kill before his second breakfast meeting. He decided to walk with Estelle to her destination. He enjoyed her company, particularly her sweet English accent. The curiosities of Saigon appeared from corners and cracks catching both of their eyes and attention. Soon enough though they had reached the Reunification Palace and it was time to say goodbye. If and when they will ever see each other again . . . the gods only know.
Nicholas returned to Bui Vien street with a slight skip in his walk. He was happy. He had about 20 minutes more to kill before 10 a.m. and so he decided to check his email. 25 minutes in the internet cafe went by and Nicholas had not succeeded in opening a single email. His computer's connection was too painfully slow. He paid the bill for the internet service which did not serve him and met up with Jacky, Zaira, and Carmen outside the Southern Hotel.
He apologized for his tardiness and led the group back to the same French Cafe he had breakfast in with Estelle. They all ordered; Nicholas happily ordered more pastries for his belly.
And there they were: an American gent, a South African lady, and two Princess of Spain. The hours passed as if they were minutes. Nicholas loved the animated gestures of Zaira and Carmen. He most especially loved their relationship. Zaira and Carmen were friends. But, they behaved as if they were a couple. They knew eachother's mind, heart, and spirit. They could read each other. They understood one another. They possessed between them what many married couples dream of, strive for, fight for but never achieve or find. They were free within their relationship to simply be who they were without bending or changing too far out of shape. They had found a pleasant nest to lay in within their relationship. So pleasant that they were free to act and feel like spirited children again; joking with each other and the world they found themselves in and interacted with. Through them Nicholas and Jacky found hope that yes indeed there are two individual souls that can find each other, fall into one another, support the other, and interdepend. They were hope. Yes, indeed. They were hope.
The afternoon sun rose high into the sky and hunger began to pelt their stomachs. They called the waitress over and ordered their mid-afternoon meal. The conversation between the four travelers continued as did the laughter they shared. And all the while Nicholas thought of his past and what his future would bring.
He could feel it. A part of himself beginning to die. Making room for something new, something he had never known before. And he welcomed this death with sadness and a smile. He, at 27, felt old and tired. Solitude so often his friend. So much had he done only to come home to the quiet of night and dark. He could sense that this long journey through the heart of the Old World would be his last alone. Somewhere over the Ocean that would send him back to his home would he begin to find his new life with his future wife . . . whoever she may be.
Monday, May 31, 2004
Saigon Notes from May 27th to May 30th
Im behind on my journal. To make things a bit easier for me Im going to combine all my thoughts and observations on Saigon from May 27th to May 30th into one entry. As a result this will be a long entry. But I will divide it with appropriate headings.
The "Same, Same, But Different" Philosophy of Saigon
My Guest House is on Bui Vien road which as I have mentioned in a previous journal entry is the Khao San Road of Vietnam. Khao San is the most famous - or infamous depending on how you want to perceive it - back packers Guest House road in Bangkok. Bui Vien is a colorful street. If you take a good look at the thin but extremely high (5 to 6 to 7 storey) Guest Houses you will notice that they are painted in attractive colors of light green, pink, or blue. All the shops are located on the ground floor. The majority of the shops are Mom and Pop shops and also double as the entrance into the homes of the families that run these shops. The Vietnamese are opposite to the Japanese in this sense. The Japanese are very private about their surroundings. Their businesses, shops, restaurants, bars, hostess clubs, and homes are all hidden behind walls, tinted windows, and doorways. The Japanese take the necessary precautions to ensure that no "outsider" can see within their establishments or homes. The Vietnamese on the other hand could honestly care less who looks into their places of work or homes.
My Guest House is in an alley filled with apartment homes for Vietnamese families. The ground floor of their homes has a metallic gate that they open and close in the morning and at night. During the day they simply leave this metallic gate completely home. Look and see beyond this gate and you will find that you are looking directly into their living room which for some doubles as a shop selling drinks, food, or some other goods. Every morning I walk through the living area of my Guest House and sit outside taking the time to put on my shoes. As I do so I look around at the activity in the alley and into the living rooms of the homes all around my Guest House. I can see children just a meter or two away from me watching TV, or teenagers playing pirated video games. There is always a small shrine - the shrine looks to be Chinese in origin - used and devoted to the ancestors of the family. No one can care less about who is looking into their home. They are not embarrassed to blow or pick their nose out in public. They, in a sense, are apathetic to what others may think of them and for that I love them all the more.
All along Bui Vien there are Travel Agencies catering to all the back packers living in one of the Guest Houses on the street. There are Italian restaurants and French Cafe's. There was one French Cafe in particular that I spent every morning in. I sort of became a regular breakfast patron who sat in the same chair and table every morning on the second floor looking down below at all the activity on the street.
You will notice on Bui Vien that there are C.D. shops. Walk in and you will find pirated C.D.'s of every musical genre. And you will find pirated computer software and video games for Play Station 2 as well. The prices for these C.D.'s are ridiculously cheap. So cheap that Happy Tours - a travel agency - will give all its customers a voucher after they have bought a tour to pick up a free C.D. at one of these C.D. shops. The tours that they offer cost no more than 5 to 6 U.S. dollars. I should also mention that DVD's abound in these C.D. shops. I met a group from New Zealand who had bought 36 DVD's for under $40 U.S.
This is simply one example of the "Same, Same, but Different" capitalist philosophy in Vietnam that I am finding - funny that Vietname is technically a Communist country. Vietnam is the cheapest country to travel through in Southeast Asia - in my opinion at least. For me it is cheaper than Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. You can stay in a beautiful hotel here for under $10 a night - complete with a TV in your room, Air-Con, even a fridge. You can buy a canned Coke for less than 40 cents U.S. You can have a large delicious pizza for less than 2 to 3 dollars. You can drink a pitcher of beer for about a dollar. And these are the prices for foreigners. The local prices are even lower than that. And today I learned from my waitress at a restaurant that she makes about $1 a day. As a result of the fact that the Vietnamese make so little they simply can not afford genuine 1st World articles such as a DVD, or CD, or scooter. The original brand is way beyond what they can afford. But they want these products nonetheless. So they improvise. They make products that are the "Same, Same, but Different." You can buy a pirated DVD. The quality of the DVD looks no different from the unpirated one. It is the same . . . yet different. And books. There are millions of books that you can buy that have been photocopied perfectly page for page from an original. I have bought a few books here that are the "same, same, but different" from the original. I am sure that 1st World companies such as Penguin Books, Sony, and North Face back packs are up in arms with the fact that Southeast Asia is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs copying and pirating their products for a massize buying market. I am sure that they are loosing billions of dollars as a result of all of this. Do I care . . . honestly do I have any freaking sympathy for these massive conglomerate 1st World Nation corporations??? HELL NO!!!
Countries like Vietnam and Cambodia and Lao and Myanmar are POOR COUNTRIES. They are countries that have been bombed and torn apart by 1st World nations such as the U.S., Japan (W.W. II), and France. And these poor Southeast Asian countries are still suffering from the messy wars countries like France, England, and the U.S. had waged in this part of the world. Rural families in Cambodia, Lao, and Vietnam still run into unexploded ordinances (UXO) that the U.S. or France had littered all over their country. You will see people in Vietnam who have lost their hands and arms or legs to bombs, and you will see babies born with the most horrific mutations imaginable as a result of the chemical warfare the U.S. waged in Vietnam.
I will later discuss what effects "Agent Orange" has had and continues to have on the children of Vietnam.
Since the U.S. never bothered to clean up the mess that the left behind after tearing up a country like Vietnam apart do you honestly think that the people of Vietnam or individual back packers like myself give two s$#ts that big media corporations like VIACOM are loosing millions of dollars to pirated goods in Southeast Asia??? No, I dont give a f**k!!! Let the pirating industry continue to flourish in countries like Vietnam. The Vietnamese today can not afford the high prices of genuine western goods. But everyone wants them due the wonders of western marketing and advertising. Let the Vietnamese buy pirated C.D.'s, DVD's, books, and clothing. They deserve to have them and enjoy them at the cost of the money lost by 1st World corporations. It is the least we can do for them after the fact that we from 1st World Nations (the U.S., Japan, France, and so forth) have ripped their countries apart - killing millions of civilians - and left without botherig to clean up our mess.
Other examples of this "Same, Same, But Different" capitalist philosophy in Vietnam are paintings and scooters. You will find gallery shops filled with hand painted copies of master pieces from your favorite artists - from Dali to Leonardo Da Vinci to Picasso.
I have learned that 5 years ago Vietnam was not as littered with scooters as it is today. There are barely any traffic lights in Saigon and if you find one you will see that the Vietnamese pay little attention to these traffic lights. Cars are few and far between. It is nearly impossible to afford even thinking about buying a car in Vietnam. The next best solution is a scooter. Cheap scooters from China that have been designed to look like its expensive Japanese counterparts have been flooding into Myanmar, Lao, Cambodia, and Vietnam by the tens of thousands. You will see an entire family riding and balancing themselves on these small scooters. You will see men driving on their scooter with a refrigerator strapped to the back. And you will see couples parading their scooters around the round-about where Tran Hung Dao steet meets Le Loi steet. You will also see couples resting near a park near this round-about at night. They are all simply sitting on their small scooter holding each other, talking to each other, and so forth. It is a common joke among Vietnamese young men that they can never pick up a girl unless they have a good looking scooter.
This is an example of the type of materialism that is stereotyped about the people who live in Saigon.
The Cu Chi Tunnels and the Vietnam War
3.5 million Vietnamese were killed in the war that began with the French and ended with the American withdrawal from Saigon. Can you guess how many U.S. soldiers were killed in the war? Do you think the number of U.S. deaths even came close to a million? No. 58,000 U.S. soldiers lost their lives in combat in Vietnam. How many U.S. lives will be lost in Iraq when we finally depart from the country? Why did we go to war with Iraq again? Can someone remind me? Weapons of Mass Destruction . . . yes that's it. Wait a minute . . . there never were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. So can someone - George W. Bush in particular - please explain to me in extreme detail why the U.S. - my country - went to war with another poor nation such as Iraq? Please, someone. I invite anyone out their to send me an email at thedragonbone@hotmail.com to email me and to tell me exactly why the hell we went to war in Iraq.
My sarcasm is a result of the fact that the last three countries I have been to - Lao, Cambodia, and Vietnam - are all poor nations that felt the effects both indirect and direct of U.S. warfare. After seeing how the people in these countries continue to suffer to this day as a result of the Vietnam War I find it difficult to find any reason to ever support any war beyond the one we fought during World War II.
Getting back to the facts. 3.5 million Vietnamese lost their lives in the Vietnam War compared to 58,000 U.S. deaths. From 3.5 million Vietnamese deaths 200,000 were babies and children. 2.5 million were civilians. 1 million were Viet Khong soldiers. Australia sent 7,000 troops of that 500 died. You may not know this but South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, and the Philippines also sent troops to Vietnam to fight alongside with the Americans.
The US government sent 6.5 million soldiers to Vietnam and spent 352 billion dollars on the war.
The U.S. killed so many Vietnamese civilians because they simply did not know who was who. A South Vietnamese friend by day could be a Viet Khong fighter at night. This confusion of who the enemy was resulted in the destruction of villages with very little discrimination.
The U.S. dropped 5,382,000 million tons of bombs on Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam making this the historical record for the most amount of bombs ever dropped during any war. The target of these bombs was along the Ho Chi Minh trail which was 16,000 kilometers long and swerved in and out of Vietnam into Laos and Cambodia.
937,300 tons of bombs were dropped in the Northern areas of Vietnam and 4,444,700 tons were dropped on the Southern regions.
A chemical agent called "Agent Orange" was used by the U.S. to detroy all forms of vegetation on mountains and targetted landscapes in Vietnam. This chemical agent poisoned the land and seeped into the ground water and natural food supply of the people living along the Ho Chi Minh trail and other targeted areas. This agent caused severe mutations in adult Vietnamese and their children and newborn babies. These mutations are horrific. At The War Remnants Musuem I saw many pictures and video footage of these mutations that have left the faces of men and women twisted, melted, blind, enlarged, and beyond the ability for anyone to look at for more than a few seconds.
Today ultra-sound is used to detect whether or not a Vietnamese baby has been deformed due to the lingering effect of Agent Orange. If a baby is detected with serious deformities it is aborted.
For more information please click on this link - The Agent Orange Victims Fund @ http://www.vnrc.org.vn/orange_fund/
On the 27th of May I went to the Cu Chi Tunnels which is located about an hour I believe from Saigon, or more specifically 65 kilometers from Saigon. The Cu Chi area was nearly in the backyard of the former U.S. military base - this particular base had 10,000 U.S. soldiers stationed there - during the Vietnam war. It was here that some of the most sophisticated tunnel systems was developed by Viet Khong fighters.
Cu Chi covers 165 square kilometers and had about 300,000 Vietnamese living within it. By the end of the war about 44,145 Vietnamese were killed in Cu Chi. The tunnels built underground in Cu Chi in total were 250 kilometers long.
Getting into the logistics of the Vietnam War. To begin with the Viet Khong soldier was better equipped than his U.S. counterpart simply by the fact that the AK-47 was their weapon of choice whereas U.S. soldiers carried the M-16. The AK-47 I believe was a Chinese - or Russian - weapon supplied to the Viet Khong by China. It can hold 50 bullets and can also fire M-16 bullets. The M-16 can only hold 20 bullets. Just by the choice of firearm the U.S. soldier was out-matched.
The fighters in Cu Chi were supplied their weapons from the North. They got their supplies at the southern end of the Ho Chi Minh trail.
These rebels in the south of Vietnam were all volunteers. They were never paid. They were poor but extremely determined soldiers. Their shoes were made from car tires. The U.S. soldier and the South Vietnamese army were well-payed for their service.
The irony is that during the war many U.S. bases in South Vietnam hired South Vietnamese women to work in the base to cook and clean for them. These women worked from 8 to 4 making about $300 U.S. a month. After work many of these women would return to their villages supplying information about the layout of the base to rebel fighters, or they worked as rebel fighters themselves. At night many rebels would sneek into the U.S. bases with small amounts of TNT explosives and blow up buildings and so forth within the base.
Since it was feared that individuals within the South Vietnamese army were Viet Khong a camera was attached to the planes flown by South Vietnamese army pilots. If upon return it was discovered that the South Vietnamese army pilot bombed U.S. troops instead of the Viet Khong he was immediately shot without trial.
Many dud bombs were dropped over Vietnam. These dud's were then picked up by the Viet Khong and then inserted into a car that would be used to ram itself into a U.S. base or government building set to explode.
Many of the fighters in Cu Chi decided to fight against the U.S. simply because members of their families were accidentally killed by bombs dropped by B-52 air planes. They were simply seeking revenge.
The Viet Khong awarded medals to Vietnamese girls and recognized them as "American Killer Hero" to encourage more women to help in the cause of fighting against the U.S.
Because the majority of the Cu Chi fighters were farmers they resorted to using old farming techniques against the Americans. They used traps that they had once set against animals against U.S. soldiers. They dug elaborate bamboo traps into the ground. The most basic was a pit filled with sharp bamboo sticks that if you fell into it your feet and legs would by spiked by them.
The tunnels of Cu Chi were divided into three levels. The first and second level were used for fighting. The first level was 3 meters deep. The second level was 6 meters deep and the third level - used for living in and sleeping in - was 10 meters deep. The Cu Chi fighters living within the tunnels slept in hammocks so that they could sleep pleasantly during bombing raids that would rock the tunnels back and forth. Smoke from the kitchen chambers would flow into several compartments and then release above ground at a location far from the kitchen itself. The 2nd level was usually used for moving from one area of the tunnel to the other. This level was also full of traps set for any U.S. troops that broke into and invaded the tunnels.
The tunnels were all made by hand with the use of a basket to collect the dirt and a small shovel to dig into the dirt. There were plenty of wells reaching down into the ground water and there was enough available water within the tunnels for rebel fighters to take a bath 3 times a day.
Air holes were made by digging into the ground and placing a hallow bamboo stick into the ground. Over time the bamboo stick would decay but the long shaft of the air hole would remain.
I went with a group to see these tunnels and to be very honest I must say that I was incredibly impressed. We walked into the tunnels and traveled through them. I couldnt imagine living within this underground network but after seeing these tunnels I could not help but feel the strong determination the Vietnamese had in fighting off the U.S. and ruling their own country. Their determination is clearly present in these tunnels and after seeing these tunnels I can only have the upmost respect fot the people of Vietnam who fought to never be ruled by a western colony or nation. With barely anything they fought hard against the French and the against the U.S. to finally win their independence.
The War Remnants Museum
It is a must for anyone traveling to Saigon to go to this Museum. It can be argued - and I will completely agree with this arguement - that the Museum has its own agenda, that is has a propaganda edge to it, but it is completely interesting to see how the Vietnamese themselves portray the war, the French, and the U.S. What you will see here is the other side of the story. We in the U.S. have our movies and history books laced with our own perspectives and propaganda. It is also important for us to see the other side and find the truth somewhere between.
President Ho Chi Minh delivered the Declaration of Independence on September 2nd, 1945. From July 1946 to Jul 1948 the U.S. financed France with 1.2 billion dollars. U.S. aid increased by a billion dollars in 1954. The "Domino Doctrine" explained that Burma, India, and Indonesia would fall to communism thus began the U.S.'s concern for the fate of Vietnam if it fell to communism.
A good portion of the museum was dedicated to the victims of Agent Orange. The toxic chemicals of this herbacide spread that destroyed trees and vegetaion cased deformities in the hands, arms, legs, and feet of the Vietnamese. Children born from parents who had been affected by Agent Orange had facial deformities such as unusual growths around their bodies or overgrown heads. Many were born blind. Some were born with no eyes or flesh completely covering their eye sockets.
The Coconut Camp
From 1953 to 1954 the French built a prison that was later nick named the Coconut Prison. It was built on the Phu Quoc which is the largest island in Vietnam and it was meant to keep no more than 14,000 prisoners. It was 600 square kilometers in size. During its use it housed 30 to 40,000 prisoners.
The torture techniques used by the French varied: pins were stuck into fingertips, snakes placed into women's trousers, electric shock used, beatings from clubs and hammers, etc. Some prisoners were beaten so heavily that they left with arms or legs that were completely paralyzed.
They ate only small portions of food which usually was composed of decayed fish, vegetables, and meat. Only half a can of drinking water was giving to prisoners a day. Very little water was given to female prisoners during their menstrual cycle.
"Tiger Cages" were used for political prisoners. During the hot season 5 to 14 prisoners were placed within one of these "cages". The prisoners ankles were shackled to a long iron bar limiting their movement within the cell.
O.k. I think I have typed as much as I can about all of this. If you are interested in learning more then simply search the internet for more information or visit your local library or go to your nearest book store.
May the Force be With You . . . Always,
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
Im behind on my journal. To make things a bit easier for me Im going to combine all my thoughts and observations on Saigon from May 27th to May 30th into one entry. As a result this will be a long entry. But I will divide it with appropriate headings.
The "Same, Same, But Different" Philosophy of Saigon
My Guest House is on Bui Vien road which as I have mentioned in a previous journal entry is the Khao San Road of Vietnam. Khao San is the most famous - or infamous depending on how you want to perceive it - back packers Guest House road in Bangkok. Bui Vien is a colorful street. If you take a good look at the thin but extremely high (5 to 6 to 7 storey) Guest Houses you will notice that they are painted in attractive colors of light green, pink, or blue. All the shops are located on the ground floor. The majority of the shops are Mom and Pop shops and also double as the entrance into the homes of the families that run these shops. The Vietnamese are opposite to the Japanese in this sense. The Japanese are very private about their surroundings. Their businesses, shops, restaurants, bars, hostess clubs, and homes are all hidden behind walls, tinted windows, and doorways. The Japanese take the necessary precautions to ensure that no "outsider" can see within their establishments or homes. The Vietnamese on the other hand could honestly care less who looks into their places of work or homes.
My Guest House is in an alley filled with apartment homes for Vietnamese families. The ground floor of their homes has a metallic gate that they open and close in the morning and at night. During the day they simply leave this metallic gate completely home. Look and see beyond this gate and you will find that you are looking directly into their living room which for some doubles as a shop selling drinks, food, or some other goods. Every morning I walk through the living area of my Guest House and sit outside taking the time to put on my shoes. As I do so I look around at the activity in the alley and into the living rooms of the homes all around my Guest House. I can see children just a meter or two away from me watching TV, or teenagers playing pirated video games. There is always a small shrine - the shrine looks to be Chinese in origin - used and devoted to the ancestors of the family. No one can care less about who is looking into their home. They are not embarrassed to blow or pick their nose out in public. They, in a sense, are apathetic to what others may think of them and for that I love them all the more.
All along Bui Vien there are Travel Agencies catering to all the back packers living in one of the Guest Houses on the street. There are Italian restaurants and French Cafe's. There was one French Cafe in particular that I spent every morning in. I sort of became a regular breakfast patron who sat in the same chair and table every morning on the second floor looking down below at all the activity on the street.
You will notice on Bui Vien that there are C.D. shops. Walk in and you will find pirated C.D.'s of every musical genre. And you will find pirated computer software and video games for Play Station 2 as well. The prices for these C.D.'s are ridiculously cheap. So cheap that Happy Tours - a travel agency - will give all its customers a voucher after they have bought a tour to pick up a free C.D. at one of these C.D. shops. The tours that they offer cost no more than 5 to 6 U.S. dollars. I should also mention that DVD's abound in these C.D. shops. I met a group from New Zealand who had bought 36 DVD's for under $40 U.S.
This is simply one example of the "Same, Same, but Different" capitalist philosophy in Vietnam that I am finding - funny that Vietname is technically a Communist country. Vietnam is the cheapest country to travel through in Southeast Asia - in my opinion at least. For me it is cheaper than Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. You can stay in a beautiful hotel here for under $10 a night - complete with a TV in your room, Air-Con, even a fridge. You can buy a canned Coke for less than 40 cents U.S. You can have a large delicious pizza for less than 2 to 3 dollars. You can drink a pitcher of beer for about a dollar. And these are the prices for foreigners. The local prices are even lower than that. And today I learned from my waitress at a restaurant that she makes about $1 a day. As a result of the fact that the Vietnamese make so little they simply can not afford genuine 1st World articles such as a DVD, or CD, or scooter. The original brand is way beyond what they can afford. But they want these products nonetheless. So they improvise. They make products that are the "Same, Same, but Different." You can buy a pirated DVD. The quality of the DVD looks no different from the unpirated one. It is the same . . . yet different. And books. There are millions of books that you can buy that have been photocopied perfectly page for page from an original. I have bought a few books here that are the "same, same, but different" from the original. I am sure that 1st World companies such as Penguin Books, Sony, and North Face back packs are up in arms with the fact that Southeast Asia is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs copying and pirating their products for a massize buying market. I am sure that they are loosing billions of dollars as a result of all of this. Do I care . . . honestly do I have any freaking sympathy for these massive conglomerate 1st World Nation corporations??? HELL NO!!!
Countries like Vietnam and Cambodia and Lao and Myanmar are POOR COUNTRIES. They are countries that have been bombed and torn apart by 1st World nations such as the U.S., Japan (W.W. II), and France. And these poor Southeast Asian countries are still suffering from the messy wars countries like France, England, and the U.S. had waged in this part of the world. Rural families in Cambodia, Lao, and Vietnam still run into unexploded ordinances (UXO) that the U.S. or France had littered all over their country. You will see people in Vietnam who have lost their hands and arms or legs to bombs, and you will see babies born with the most horrific mutations imaginable as a result of the chemical warfare the U.S. waged in Vietnam.
I will later discuss what effects "Agent Orange" has had and continues to have on the children of Vietnam.
Since the U.S. never bothered to clean up the mess that the left behind after tearing up a country like Vietnam apart do you honestly think that the people of Vietnam or individual back packers like myself give two s$#ts that big media corporations like VIACOM are loosing millions of dollars to pirated goods in Southeast Asia??? No, I dont give a f**k!!! Let the pirating industry continue to flourish in countries like Vietnam. The Vietnamese today can not afford the high prices of genuine western goods. But everyone wants them due the wonders of western marketing and advertising. Let the Vietnamese buy pirated C.D.'s, DVD's, books, and clothing. They deserve to have them and enjoy them at the cost of the money lost by 1st World corporations. It is the least we can do for them after the fact that we from 1st World Nations (the U.S., Japan, France, and so forth) have ripped their countries apart - killing millions of civilians - and left without botherig to clean up our mess.
Other examples of this "Same, Same, But Different" capitalist philosophy in Vietnam are paintings and scooters. You will find gallery shops filled with hand painted copies of master pieces from your favorite artists - from Dali to Leonardo Da Vinci to Picasso.
I have learned that 5 years ago Vietnam was not as littered with scooters as it is today. There are barely any traffic lights in Saigon and if you find one you will see that the Vietnamese pay little attention to these traffic lights. Cars are few and far between. It is nearly impossible to afford even thinking about buying a car in Vietnam. The next best solution is a scooter. Cheap scooters from China that have been designed to look like its expensive Japanese counterparts have been flooding into Myanmar, Lao, Cambodia, and Vietnam by the tens of thousands. You will see an entire family riding and balancing themselves on these small scooters. You will see men driving on their scooter with a refrigerator strapped to the back. And you will see couples parading their scooters around the round-about where Tran Hung Dao steet meets Le Loi steet. You will also see couples resting near a park near this round-about at night. They are all simply sitting on their small scooter holding each other, talking to each other, and so forth. It is a common joke among Vietnamese young men that they can never pick up a girl unless they have a good looking scooter.
This is an example of the type of materialism that is stereotyped about the people who live in Saigon.
The Cu Chi Tunnels and the Vietnam War
3.5 million Vietnamese were killed in the war that began with the French and ended with the American withdrawal from Saigon. Can you guess how many U.S. soldiers were killed in the war? Do you think the number of U.S. deaths even came close to a million? No. 58,000 U.S. soldiers lost their lives in combat in Vietnam. How many U.S. lives will be lost in Iraq when we finally depart from the country? Why did we go to war with Iraq again? Can someone remind me? Weapons of Mass Destruction . . . yes that's it. Wait a minute . . . there never were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. So can someone - George W. Bush in particular - please explain to me in extreme detail why the U.S. - my country - went to war with another poor nation such as Iraq? Please, someone. I invite anyone out their to send me an email at thedragonbone@hotmail.com to email me and to tell me exactly why the hell we went to war in Iraq.
My sarcasm is a result of the fact that the last three countries I have been to - Lao, Cambodia, and Vietnam - are all poor nations that felt the effects both indirect and direct of U.S. warfare. After seeing how the people in these countries continue to suffer to this day as a result of the Vietnam War I find it difficult to find any reason to ever support any war beyond the one we fought during World War II.
Getting back to the facts. 3.5 million Vietnamese lost their lives in the Vietnam War compared to 58,000 U.S. deaths. From 3.5 million Vietnamese deaths 200,000 were babies and children. 2.5 million were civilians. 1 million were Viet Khong soldiers. Australia sent 7,000 troops of that 500 died. You may not know this but South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, and the Philippines also sent troops to Vietnam to fight alongside with the Americans.
The US government sent 6.5 million soldiers to Vietnam and spent 352 billion dollars on the war.
The U.S. killed so many Vietnamese civilians because they simply did not know who was who. A South Vietnamese friend by day could be a Viet Khong fighter at night. This confusion of who the enemy was resulted in the destruction of villages with very little discrimination.
The U.S. dropped 5,382,000 million tons of bombs on Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam making this the historical record for the most amount of bombs ever dropped during any war. The target of these bombs was along the Ho Chi Minh trail which was 16,000 kilometers long and swerved in and out of Vietnam into Laos and Cambodia.
937,300 tons of bombs were dropped in the Northern areas of Vietnam and 4,444,700 tons were dropped on the Southern regions.
A chemical agent called "Agent Orange" was used by the U.S. to detroy all forms of vegetation on mountains and targetted landscapes in Vietnam. This chemical agent poisoned the land and seeped into the ground water and natural food supply of the people living along the Ho Chi Minh trail and other targeted areas. This agent caused severe mutations in adult Vietnamese and their children and newborn babies. These mutations are horrific. At The War Remnants Musuem I saw many pictures and video footage of these mutations that have left the faces of men and women twisted, melted, blind, enlarged, and beyond the ability for anyone to look at for more than a few seconds.
Today ultra-sound is used to detect whether or not a Vietnamese baby has been deformed due to the lingering effect of Agent Orange. If a baby is detected with serious deformities it is aborted.
For more information please click on this link - The Agent Orange Victims Fund @ http://www.vnrc.org.vn/orange_fund/
On the 27th of May I went to the Cu Chi Tunnels which is located about an hour I believe from Saigon, or more specifically 65 kilometers from Saigon. The Cu Chi area was nearly in the backyard of the former U.S. military base - this particular base had 10,000 U.S. soldiers stationed there - during the Vietnam war. It was here that some of the most sophisticated tunnel systems was developed by Viet Khong fighters.
Cu Chi covers 165 square kilometers and had about 300,000 Vietnamese living within it. By the end of the war about 44,145 Vietnamese were killed in Cu Chi. The tunnels built underground in Cu Chi in total were 250 kilometers long.
Getting into the logistics of the Vietnam War. To begin with the Viet Khong soldier was better equipped than his U.S. counterpart simply by the fact that the AK-47 was their weapon of choice whereas U.S. soldiers carried the M-16. The AK-47 I believe was a Chinese - or Russian - weapon supplied to the Viet Khong by China. It can hold 50 bullets and can also fire M-16 bullets. The M-16 can only hold 20 bullets. Just by the choice of firearm the U.S. soldier was out-matched.
The fighters in Cu Chi were supplied their weapons from the North. They got their supplies at the southern end of the Ho Chi Minh trail.
These rebels in the south of Vietnam were all volunteers. They were never paid. They were poor but extremely determined soldiers. Their shoes were made from car tires. The U.S. soldier and the South Vietnamese army were well-payed for their service.
The irony is that during the war many U.S. bases in South Vietnam hired South Vietnamese women to work in the base to cook and clean for them. These women worked from 8 to 4 making about $300 U.S. a month. After work many of these women would return to their villages supplying information about the layout of the base to rebel fighters, or they worked as rebel fighters themselves. At night many rebels would sneek into the U.S. bases with small amounts of TNT explosives and blow up buildings and so forth within the base.
Since it was feared that individuals within the South Vietnamese army were Viet Khong a camera was attached to the planes flown by South Vietnamese army pilots. If upon return it was discovered that the South Vietnamese army pilot bombed U.S. troops instead of the Viet Khong he was immediately shot without trial.
Many dud bombs were dropped over Vietnam. These dud's were then picked up by the Viet Khong and then inserted into a car that would be used to ram itself into a U.S. base or government building set to explode.
Many of the fighters in Cu Chi decided to fight against the U.S. simply because members of their families were accidentally killed by bombs dropped by B-52 air planes. They were simply seeking revenge.
The Viet Khong awarded medals to Vietnamese girls and recognized them as "American Killer Hero" to encourage more women to help in the cause of fighting against the U.S.
Because the majority of the Cu Chi fighters were farmers they resorted to using old farming techniques against the Americans. They used traps that they had once set against animals against U.S. soldiers. They dug elaborate bamboo traps into the ground. The most basic was a pit filled with sharp bamboo sticks that if you fell into it your feet and legs would by spiked by them.
The tunnels of Cu Chi were divided into three levels. The first and second level were used for fighting. The first level was 3 meters deep. The second level was 6 meters deep and the third level - used for living in and sleeping in - was 10 meters deep. The Cu Chi fighters living within the tunnels slept in hammocks so that they could sleep pleasantly during bombing raids that would rock the tunnels back and forth. Smoke from the kitchen chambers would flow into several compartments and then release above ground at a location far from the kitchen itself. The 2nd level was usually used for moving from one area of the tunnel to the other. This level was also full of traps set for any U.S. troops that broke into and invaded the tunnels.
The tunnels were all made by hand with the use of a basket to collect the dirt and a small shovel to dig into the dirt. There were plenty of wells reaching down into the ground water and there was enough available water within the tunnels for rebel fighters to take a bath 3 times a day.
Air holes were made by digging into the ground and placing a hallow bamboo stick into the ground. Over time the bamboo stick would decay but the long shaft of the air hole would remain.
I went with a group to see these tunnels and to be very honest I must say that I was incredibly impressed. We walked into the tunnels and traveled through them. I couldnt imagine living within this underground network but after seeing these tunnels I could not help but feel the strong determination the Vietnamese had in fighting off the U.S. and ruling their own country. Their determination is clearly present in these tunnels and after seeing these tunnels I can only have the upmost respect fot the people of Vietnam who fought to never be ruled by a western colony or nation. With barely anything they fought hard against the French and the against the U.S. to finally win their independence.
The War Remnants Museum
It is a must for anyone traveling to Saigon to go to this Museum. It can be argued - and I will completely agree with this arguement - that the Museum has its own agenda, that is has a propaganda edge to it, but it is completely interesting to see how the Vietnamese themselves portray the war, the French, and the U.S. What you will see here is the other side of the story. We in the U.S. have our movies and history books laced with our own perspectives and propaganda. It is also important for us to see the other side and find the truth somewhere between.
President Ho Chi Minh delivered the Declaration of Independence on September 2nd, 1945. From July 1946 to Jul 1948 the U.S. financed France with 1.2 billion dollars. U.S. aid increased by a billion dollars in 1954. The "Domino Doctrine" explained that Burma, India, and Indonesia would fall to communism thus began the U.S.'s concern for the fate of Vietnam if it fell to communism.
A good portion of the museum was dedicated to the victims of Agent Orange. The toxic chemicals of this herbacide spread that destroyed trees and vegetaion cased deformities in the hands, arms, legs, and feet of the Vietnamese. Children born from parents who had been affected by Agent Orange had facial deformities such as unusual growths around their bodies or overgrown heads. Many were born blind. Some were born with no eyes or flesh completely covering their eye sockets.
The Coconut Camp
From 1953 to 1954 the French built a prison that was later nick named the Coconut Prison. It was built on the Phu Quoc which is the largest island in Vietnam and it was meant to keep no more than 14,000 prisoners. It was 600 square kilometers in size. During its use it housed 30 to 40,000 prisoners.
The torture techniques used by the French varied: pins were stuck into fingertips, snakes placed into women's trousers, electric shock used, beatings from clubs and hammers, etc. Some prisoners were beaten so heavily that they left with arms or legs that were completely paralyzed.
They ate only small portions of food which usually was composed of decayed fish, vegetables, and meat. Only half a can of drinking water was giving to prisoners a day. Very little water was given to female prisoners during their menstrual cycle.
"Tiger Cages" were used for political prisoners. During the hot season 5 to 14 prisoners were placed within one of these "cages". The prisoners ankles were shackled to a long iron bar limiting their movement within the cell.
O.k. I think I have typed as much as I can about all of this. If you are interested in learning more then simply search the internet for more information or visit your local library or go to your nearest book store.
May the Force be With You . . . Always,
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
Thursday, May 27, 2004
May 26th, 2004 - Journey from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Saigon, Vietnam
The bus journey was pleasant. There were no flat tires or rebel pirates attacking our bus to steal our backpacks full of dirty clothes. On the journey with me were a couple from England and a fellow American who I had met in my Guest House back in Phnom Penh. We chatted away about a certain individual that we were happy to leave behind and hopefully never seen again. I wont go into details but to give you an idea - this individual backpacker did not even know where the hell Saigon was.
That is all I will say about that.
The border crossing of Moc Bai looked like a bomb had destroyed the area. I felt as if the Vietnam War had never ended. There were muddy roads and scattered shack buildings. We got our exit stamps on our Cambodian visa's and then walked over into Vietnam to get our passport stamped for entry. The entire process took nearly 2 hours. And the afternoon sun and the humid heat did not add to our enthusiasm to go through this tiring immigration process.
In Lao and Cambodia I had heard from fellow backpackers of how ruthless and pushy the Vietnamese were. I had heard horror story after horror story of how backpackers had been cheated in many elaborate ways out of their money. As a result I was not looking forward to arriving into Saigon.
But before I get talking about Saigon I should mention that I had my money changed at the border. Since I was not careful at all at counting my Vietnamese dong I latter realized that the lady who changed my U.S. dollars had shorted me about $5 worth of dong.
Ohh well . . .
The first two thing that will shock you upon your entrance into Saigon are: One, the unbelievable number of scooters overcrowding all the roads crisscrossing this way and that with little regard for traffic lights or simple road rules.
Two, the size of the city. Saigon seems to stretch in all direction forever. There are no skyscrapers tearing apart the sky though. Most building are usually no more than 5 or 6 storeys.
Our bus dropped us all off on Bui Vien road which is also like the Khao San Road of Bangkok. It is a road full of back packer Guest Houses, travel agencies, and restaurants. No touts attacked us when we got off the bus. I was surprised. And as I went on my search for a Guest House with the friends I had traveled with in my bus we all found the Vietnamese to be very pleasant and apathetic of trying to sell us anything. As a result I immediately began to like Saigon. All through out Thailand and Cambodia I was harrassed to get into a Tuk Tuk or buy some illegally copied book, or T-shirt, or whatever. In Saigon there is far less of that.
After showering up in my immaculately clean single room I decided to walk around Saigon to see what I would happen upon. I found millions more scooters parading around all the streets, beautiful Vietnamese school girls wearing their traditional Vietnamese uniforms, Vietnamese food vendors - with their thatched cone hats - walking around and carrying two large steel pots that hung from the opposite ends of a long stick they placed on their shoulders. I also found two unusual buildings that I believe served as brothels. The buildings were extremely dark within but there was a neon sign on the outside advertising it as an Ice Cream store. But it was an uninviting place to get ice cream. As I stood watching the activity around these two buildings I realized that for its size (4 storeys), layout, and the men and women working outside of it that it was an up-scale brothel of some sort.
I walked a bit more and soon enough I ended up in a French Cafe eating a baguet sandwich and drinking some ice tea. I then retired to my room for the night.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
The bus journey was pleasant. There were no flat tires or rebel pirates attacking our bus to steal our backpacks full of dirty clothes. On the journey with me were a couple from England and a fellow American who I had met in my Guest House back in Phnom Penh. We chatted away about a certain individual that we were happy to leave behind and hopefully never seen again. I wont go into details but to give you an idea - this individual backpacker did not even know where the hell Saigon was.
That is all I will say about that.
The border crossing of Moc Bai looked like a bomb had destroyed the area. I felt as if the Vietnam War had never ended. There were muddy roads and scattered shack buildings. We got our exit stamps on our Cambodian visa's and then walked over into Vietnam to get our passport stamped for entry. The entire process took nearly 2 hours. And the afternoon sun and the humid heat did not add to our enthusiasm to go through this tiring immigration process.
In Lao and Cambodia I had heard from fellow backpackers of how ruthless and pushy the Vietnamese were. I had heard horror story after horror story of how backpackers had been cheated in many elaborate ways out of their money. As a result I was not looking forward to arriving into Saigon.
But before I get talking about Saigon I should mention that I had my money changed at the border. Since I was not careful at all at counting my Vietnamese dong I latter realized that the lady who changed my U.S. dollars had shorted me about $5 worth of dong.
Ohh well . . .
The first two thing that will shock you upon your entrance into Saigon are: One, the unbelievable number of scooters overcrowding all the roads crisscrossing this way and that with little regard for traffic lights or simple road rules.
Two, the size of the city. Saigon seems to stretch in all direction forever. There are no skyscrapers tearing apart the sky though. Most building are usually no more than 5 or 6 storeys.
Our bus dropped us all off on Bui Vien road which is also like the Khao San Road of Bangkok. It is a road full of back packer Guest Houses, travel agencies, and restaurants. No touts attacked us when we got off the bus. I was surprised. And as I went on my search for a Guest House with the friends I had traveled with in my bus we all found the Vietnamese to be very pleasant and apathetic of trying to sell us anything. As a result I immediately began to like Saigon. All through out Thailand and Cambodia I was harrassed to get into a Tuk Tuk or buy some illegally copied book, or T-shirt, or whatever. In Saigon there is far less of that.
After showering up in my immaculately clean single room I decided to walk around Saigon to see what I would happen upon. I found millions more scooters parading around all the streets, beautiful Vietnamese school girls wearing their traditional Vietnamese uniforms, Vietnamese food vendors - with their thatched cone hats - walking around and carrying two large steel pots that hung from the opposite ends of a long stick they placed on their shoulders. I also found two unusual buildings that I believe served as brothels. The buildings were extremely dark within but there was a neon sign on the outside advertising it as an Ice Cream store. But it was an uninviting place to get ice cream. As I stood watching the activity around these two buildings I realized that for its size (4 storeys), layout, and the men and women working outside of it that it was an up-scale brothel of some sort.
I walked a bit more and soon enough I ended up in a French Cafe eating a baguet sandwich and drinking some ice tea. I then retired to my room for the night.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
May 25th, 2004 - Happy Pizza Relaxing Day
Today was uneventful and restful. The Happy Pizza I had had the night before had made me extremely tired and sluggish. I was in no mood to do anything today. I just wanted to rest and attempt catching up on my digital journal.
After breakfast at Tara's Guest House - Tara is a Canadian girl I had met back in Siem Reap - I went to the internet cafe. I typed and typed but found my ability to focus a bit off and slow. After that I returned to Tara's Guest House and simply took a nap on a hammock on a porch terrace over looking Boeng Kak Lake.
After that it was more pleasant sleeping.
And that was simply my day.
I should mention that Tara's Guest House is at the end of a ruined street. On my walks to her Guest House at night I was always approached by a Cambodian teenager who wanted to sell me either Marijuana or Cocaine.
Don't worry, I didnt buy anything :)
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
P.S. I will never have another Happy Pizza again.
Today was uneventful and restful. The Happy Pizza I had had the night before had made me extremely tired and sluggish. I was in no mood to do anything today. I just wanted to rest and attempt catching up on my digital journal.
After breakfast at Tara's Guest House - Tara is a Canadian girl I had met back in Siem Reap - I went to the internet cafe. I typed and typed but found my ability to focus a bit off and slow. After that I returned to Tara's Guest House and simply took a nap on a hammock on a porch terrace over looking Boeng Kak Lake.
After that it was more pleasant sleeping.
And that was simply my day.
I should mention that Tara's Guest House is at the end of a ruined street. On my walks to her Guest House at night I was always approached by a Cambodian teenager who wanted to sell me either Marijuana or Cocaine.
Don't worry, I didnt buy anything :)
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
P.S. I will never have another Happy Pizza again.
May 24th, 2004 - The Shooting Range, The Killing Fields, S-21, and Happy Pizza
I arrived at a shooting range far outside the city of Phnom Penh in a group of three - Shane, Annie, and I - upon scooters navigated by Cambodian men.
I had first heard about this shooting range while I was living in Japan; and now there I was in the middle of an open field sitting at a table looking over a menu of firearms that I could rent and shoot.
The Menu of Fire-arms read as follows:
RIFLES:
AK-47 - 30 bullets - $20 U.S.
M16 - 30 bullets - $30 U.S.
UZI - 30 bullets - $30 U.S.
K50 - 30 bullets - $30 U.S.
Shotgun - 5 bullets - $20 U.S.
HANDGUNS:
CZ75 - 13 bullets - $26 U.S.
K59 - 8 bullets - $16 U.S.
K54 - 8 bullets - $10 U.S.
45ACP - 7 bullets - $10 U.S.
Revolver 38 - 6 bullets - $12 U.S.
Rager 22 - 10 bullets - $12 U.S.
Hand grenade - 1 grenage - $20.00
MACHINE GUNS:
M60 - 100 bullets - $100.00
RPD (Russian) - 150 bullets - $100.00
Rocket Launcher - 1 missle - $200.00
I had heard from backpackers in my Guest House that for an extra hunderd dollars - on top of the $200 for the rocket launcher - you can attempt to blow up a live cow.
Sitting at the table I asked one of the men working at the Firing Range if I could attempt to incinerate a cow if I rented the rocket launcher. He nodded his head yes. A man from Holland then asked, "Can we keep the meat?" The man said no but that they would cook the cow and I could eat it after I blew it up.
I could not believe it. Still now I dont believe it. But the next day I heard from other backpackers explain that they saw other travelers shooting ducks and chickens at the same Firing Range.
So, as a perk to traveling to Phnom Penh you can rent guns and rocket launchers and kill innocent animals ???
I was not going to kill any animals but I did want to experience firing an automatic weapon, so for $20 U.S. I rented an AK-47 loaded with 30 rounds of bullets. I was escorted into an enclosed brick building with an extremely long hall. At the end of the hall was my target. One of the Cambodian men working at the firing range prepared my gun and after I put on my headphones to protect my ears I shot my first round. I turned to Shane who accompanied me into the building with a face filled with shock. Firing this weapon was one of the scariest experiences I have ever had. The gun kicked back with extreme speed and the bullet was invisibe . . . it is simply amazing to see with your own eyes how incredibly fast a bullet is. I could never imagine being shot by a bullet - feeling it tear through your skin, throwing you back by its force and speed. I then looked into the gun's sight and fired again and again trying to hit my target. My sight was no good. I missed and missed. I then changed my aim by interpreting where I had seen the bullet hit the target on the mounds of dirt behind it. Then the Cambodian man changed my AK47 setting to automatic. From then on it was chaos - simply holding down the trigger and feeling the weapon spit out the rest of my bullets in less than a few seconds.
It was then Shane's turn to shoot a Colt Revolver. For his first shot I didnt have my headphones on and as a result my right ear went slightly deaf with a constant ringing within it.
Guns are incredibly loud. After firing a weapon you will find that all Hollywood movies are a load of crap. By the time you fire your weapon three times you will be completely deaf in both ears. They are that loud! Just imagine sitting in a fox hole during a war with three other soldiers all firing their weapons. You will be completely deaf by the end of it. And you will need to scream at the top of your lungs to communicate with the man just next to you.
Shane and I both found that the sights on or guns were useless. We found that we eventually hit our targets by adjusting our aims based on seeing where our bullets hit. Im sure over time your aim improves.
It was an interesting experience to fire a weapon. It is something that I hope to never do again. I will use the experience in my future fiction writings for my Dark Legacy books.
From there Annie, Shane, and I headed to the Killing Fields - Choeung Ek. In 1980 - a year after the fall of the demonic Pol Pot regime - 86 mass graves were opened and 8,985 bodies found. These bodies were found blind-folded, beheaded, and bound and beaten to death - in an effort to save bullets. There are still 43 mass graves that have yet to be opened. The majority of those brought to these killing fields were brought from the S-21 prison which I will discuss in just a moment.
When you enter the fields you will first see a Memorial Stupa filled with human skulls organized and separated by age and sex. You will notice that many skulls have a sizable hole at the side of it. This was caused by a hammer or a farm tool such as a plow. Cambodian prisoners were forced to sit on their knees blindfolded. A Khmer Rouge soldier would then execute them by slamming a hammer into their skull and then throwing them into a giant mass grave pit 4-6 meters deep. Other prisoners were beheaded not with a sword or with a sharp man-made implement but with the sharp edges of palm tree branches - I have pictures of these palm tree branches for I cant really describe it appropriately. These palm tree branches found near the top of a palm tree have very course but sharp edges. The Khmer Rouge used these to slice and cut and slice and cut into the necks of live prisoners.
There is also a hanging tree where many prisoners were hanged. And there is another tree and a mass grave pit just next to it. It was here that the Khmer Rouge grabbed the legs of babies, lifted them, and slammed their heads straight into the trunk of the tree to kill them, and then throw them into the mass grave pit like a piece of garbage.
As you walk amoung these mass graves you will find just below your feet fragments of bones, teeth, and clothing still seeping up from out of the ground. And you will see these bones, and teeth and bits of clothing from the victims exterminated here nearly 25 years ago in all directions. You are literally walking over the decayed remains of corpses. So many people were killed here that it was not possible for all their bodies to be excavated from the ground. Many were simply left in the ground. And there you are walking over this place that was once filled with the horrific cries of mother's who saw their own infant children smashed against a tree, husbands beheaded, daughters gang raped, grandfathers poisoned, and gandmother's electricuted to death. It is a tortured place. And in the night locals say that they hear the screams and cries of the ghosts that haunt this wicked place.
This is my understanding of events in the early 1970's- for more information please investigate for yourself:
In the early 1970's the Nixon/Kissinger administration launched a "secret war" in which they decided to begin bombing Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. They were targetting the Ho Chi Minh trail which swerved in and out of Laos and Cambodia from Vietnam. As a result 2/5th of Cambodia was heavily bombed. This left unexploded ordinances (UXO) all over the country. As a result Cambodian farmers and members of their families fell victims to land mines or bombs that shreded them to pieces.
2 million refugee Cambodian running from the carpet bombings of the U.S. fled to Phnom Penh. Many, in their attempt to reach Phnom Penh, came across landmines and bombs and were either killed by them or lost limbs to them. These 2 million refugees lived in refugee camps all around the capital city. As a result of the horrible and unsanitary conditions they were living in TB (tuberculousis) began to spread.
During this time (1970) there was a Coup d'etat against Cambodian Prince Sihanouk. In an effort to reclaim his "kingdom" the Cambodian Prince formed a guerrila army later known as the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge was backed by Communist China but once they had sacked the capital of Cambodia - Phnom Penh - they told the Prince to F$%K Off and then began the reign of Pol Pot from 1975 to 1979. In 1979 the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia and freed millions of Cambodians who had been working in concentration camps at near starvation levels from the brutality of the Khmer Rouge.
From The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek I went with Annie and Shane to the Genocide Musuem of Tuol Sleng (which was the former Khmer Rouge S-21 Prison). This prison was formerly a high school. It was here that Cambodian intellectuals were brought after the fall of Phnom Penh to be interrogated, tortured, imprisoned, and executed. From 1977 to 1978 it was estimated that the prison held on average about 1,200 to 1,500 prisoners at any one time. Prisoners were kept there any where from 2 to 4 months. Some political prisoners were kept there from 6 to 7 months.
"The prisoners were kept in their respective cells and shackled with chains fixed to walls or the concrete floors. Prisoners held in large mass cells had one or both of their legs shackled to short or long pieces of iron bar. The short bar was designed for 4 prisoners and the longer bar was designed for 20 to 30 prisoners. Prisoners were fixed to the iron bar on altering sides, so they had to sleep with their heads in opposite directions.
"Before the prisoners were placed in the cells they were photographed, and detailed biographies of their childhood up to the dates of their arrests were recorded. Then they were stripped to their underwear. Everything was taken away from them. The prisoners slept directly on the floors without any mats, mosquito nets or blankets.
"Every morning at 4:30 a.m., all prisoners were told to remove their shorts, down to their ankles, for inspection by prison staff. Then they were told to do some physical exercise just by moving their hands and legs up and down for half an hour, even though their legs remained restrained by iron bars.
"The prisoners had to defecate into small iron buckets and urinate into small plastic buckets kept in their cells. They were required to ask for permission from the prison guards in advance of relieving themselves; otherwise, they were beaten or they received 20 to 60 strokes with a whip as punishment.
"Unhygienic living conditions caused the prisoners to become infected with diseases like skin rashes and various other diseases. There was no medicine for treatment.
" . . . The number of workers in S-21 complex totaled 1,720 . . . within each unit, there were several sub-units composed of male and female children ranging from 10 to 15 years of age. These young children were trained and selected by the Khmer Rouge regime to work as guards at S-21. Most of them started out as normal before growing increasingly evil. They were exceptionally cruel and disrespectful toward prisoners and their elders."
Although the vast majority of prisoners at S-21 were Cambodians there were foreigners imprisoned and later executed there or at the "Killing Fields". These foreigners came from Vietnam, Lao, Thailand, India, Pakistan, England, the U.S.A., Canada, New Zeealand, and Australia.
If you would like to learn more a good place to start is at this website:
http://www.dccam.org/
This day ended among backpacker friends at a Happy Pizza restaurant. Yes, I ate a Happy Pizza. A Happy Pizza is a pizza with bits of marijuana within it. While we were all waiting for our pizza'a the waiters gave us two "joints". We passed it around smoking - "yes, I inhaled" - and ate our pizza's as we watched a couple of pirated DVD's on the restaurant's TV screen.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
I arrived at a shooting range far outside the city of Phnom Penh in a group of three - Shane, Annie, and I - upon scooters navigated by Cambodian men.
I had first heard about this shooting range while I was living in Japan; and now there I was in the middle of an open field sitting at a table looking over a menu of firearms that I could rent and shoot.
The Menu of Fire-arms read as follows:
RIFLES:
AK-47 - 30 bullets - $20 U.S.
M16 - 30 bullets - $30 U.S.
UZI - 30 bullets - $30 U.S.
K50 - 30 bullets - $30 U.S.
Shotgun - 5 bullets - $20 U.S.
HANDGUNS:
CZ75 - 13 bullets - $26 U.S.
K59 - 8 bullets - $16 U.S.
K54 - 8 bullets - $10 U.S.
45ACP - 7 bullets - $10 U.S.
Revolver 38 - 6 bullets - $12 U.S.
Rager 22 - 10 bullets - $12 U.S.
Hand grenade - 1 grenage - $20.00
MACHINE GUNS:
M60 - 100 bullets - $100.00
RPD (Russian) - 150 bullets - $100.00
Rocket Launcher - 1 missle - $200.00
I had heard from backpackers in my Guest House that for an extra hunderd dollars - on top of the $200 for the rocket launcher - you can attempt to blow up a live cow.
Sitting at the table I asked one of the men working at the Firing Range if I could attempt to incinerate a cow if I rented the rocket launcher. He nodded his head yes. A man from Holland then asked, "Can we keep the meat?" The man said no but that they would cook the cow and I could eat it after I blew it up.
I could not believe it. Still now I dont believe it. But the next day I heard from other backpackers explain that they saw other travelers shooting ducks and chickens at the same Firing Range.
So, as a perk to traveling to Phnom Penh you can rent guns and rocket launchers and kill innocent animals ???
I was not going to kill any animals but I did want to experience firing an automatic weapon, so for $20 U.S. I rented an AK-47 loaded with 30 rounds of bullets. I was escorted into an enclosed brick building with an extremely long hall. At the end of the hall was my target. One of the Cambodian men working at the firing range prepared my gun and after I put on my headphones to protect my ears I shot my first round. I turned to Shane who accompanied me into the building with a face filled with shock. Firing this weapon was one of the scariest experiences I have ever had. The gun kicked back with extreme speed and the bullet was invisibe . . . it is simply amazing to see with your own eyes how incredibly fast a bullet is. I could never imagine being shot by a bullet - feeling it tear through your skin, throwing you back by its force and speed. I then looked into the gun's sight and fired again and again trying to hit my target. My sight was no good. I missed and missed. I then changed my aim by interpreting where I had seen the bullet hit the target on the mounds of dirt behind it. Then the Cambodian man changed my AK47 setting to automatic. From then on it was chaos - simply holding down the trigger and feeling the weapon spit out the rest of my bullets in less than a few seconds.
It was then Shane's turn to shoot a Colt Revolver. For his first shot I didnt have my headphones on and as a result my right ear went slightly deaf with a constant ringing within it.
Guns are incredibly loud. After firing a weapon you will find that all Hollywood movies are a load of crap. By the time you fire your weapon three times you will be completely deaf in both ears. They are that loud! Just imagine sitting in a fox hole during a war with three other soldiers all firing their weapons. You will be completely deaf by the end of it. And you will need to scream at the top of your lungs to communicate with the man just next to you.
Shane and I both found that the sights on or guns were useless. We found that we eventually hit our targets by adjusting our aims based on seeing where our bullets hit. Im sure over time your aim improves.
It was an interesting experience to fire a weapon. It is something that I hope to never do again. I will use the experience in my future fiction writings for my Dark Legacy books.
From there Annie, Shane, and I headed to the Killing Fields - Choeung Ek. In 1980 - a year after the fall of the demonic Pol Pot regime - 86 mass graves were opened and 8,985 bodies found. These bodies were found blind-folded, beheaded, and bound and beaten to death - in an effort to save bullets. There are still 43 mass graves that have yet to be opened. The majority of those brought to these killing fields were brought from the S-21 prison which I will discuss in just a moment.
When you enter the fields you will first see a Memorial Stupa filled with human skulls organized and separated by age and sex. You will notice that many skulls have a sizable hole at the side of it. This was caused by a hammer or a farm tool such as a plow. Cambodian prisoners were forced to sit on their knees blindfolded. A Khmer Rouge soldier would then execute them by slamming a hammer into their skull and then throwing them into a giant mass grave pit 4-6 meters deep. Other prisoners were beheaded not with a sword or with a sharp man-made implement but with the sharp edges of palm tree branches - I have pictures of these palm tree branches for I cant really describe it appropriately. These palm tree branches found near the top of a palm tree have very course but sharp edges. The Khmer Rouge used these to slice and cut and slice and cut into the necks of live prisoners.
There is also a hanging tree where many prisoners were hanged. And there is another tree and a mass grave pit just next to it. It was here that the Khmer Rouge grabbed the legs of babies, lifted them, and slammed their heads straight into the trunk of the tree to kill them, and then throw them into the mass grave pit like a piece of garbage.
As you walk amoung these mass graves you will find just below your feet fragments of bones, teeth, and clothing still seeping up from out of the ground. And you will see these bones, and teeth and bits of clothing from the victims exterminated here nearly 25 years ago in all directions. You are literally walking over the decayed remains of corpses. So many people were killed here that it was not possible for all their bodies to be excavated from the ground. Many were simply left in the ground. And there you are walking over this place that was once filled with the horrific cries of mother's who saw their own infant children smashed against a tree, husbands beheaded, daughters gang raped, grandfathers poisoned, and gandmother's electricuted to death. It is a tortured place. And in the night locals say that they hear the screams and cries of the ghosts that haunt this wicked place.
This is my understanding of events in the early 1970's- for more information please investigate for yourself:
In the early 1970's the Nixon/Kissinger administration launched a "secret war" in which they decided to begin bombing Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. They were targetting the Ho Chi Minh trail which swerved in and out of Laos and Cambodia from Vietnam. As a result 2/5th of Cambodia was heavily bombed. This left unexploded ordinances (UXO) all over the country. As a result Cambodian farmers and members of their families fell victims to land mines or bombs that shreded them to pieces.
2 million refugee Cambodian running from the carpet bombings of the U.S. fled to Phnom Penh. Many, in their attempt to reach Phnom Penh, came across landmines and bombs and were either killed by them or lost limbs to them. These 2 million refugees lived in refugee camps all around the capital city. As a result of the horrible and unsanitary conditions they were living in TB (tuberculousis) began to spread.
During this time (1970) there was a Coup d'etat against Cambodian Prince Sihanouk. In an effort to reclaim his "kingdom" the Cambodian Prince formed a guerrila army later known as the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge was backed by Communist China but once they had sacked the capital of Cambodia - Phnom Penh - they told the Prince to F$%K Off and then began the reign of Pol Pot from 1975 to 1979. In 1979 the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia and freed millions of Cambodians who had been working in concentration camps at near starvation levels from the brutality of the Khmer Rouge.
From The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek I went with Annie and Shane to the Genocide Musuem of Tuol Sleng (which was the former Khmer Rouge S-21 Prison). This prison was formerly a high school. It was here that Cambodian intellectuals were brought after the fall of Phnom Penh to be interrogated, tortured, imprisoned, and executed. From 1977 to 1978 it was estimated that the prison held on average about 1,200 to 1,500 prisoners at any one time. Prisoners were kept there any where from 2 to 4 months. Some political prisoners were kept there from 6 to 7 months.
"The prisoners were kept in their respective cells and shackled with chains fixed to walls or the concrete floors. Prisoners held in large mass cells had one or both of their legs shackled to short or long pieces of iron bar. The short bar was designed for 4 prisoners and the longer bar was designed for 20 to 30 prisoners. Prisoners were fixed to the iron bar on altering sides, so they had to sleep with their heads in opposite directions.
"Before the prisoners were placed in the cells they were photographed, and detailed biographies of their childhood up to the dates of their arrests were recorded. Then they were stripped to their underwear. Everything was taken away from them. The prisoners slept directly on the floors without any mats, mosquito nets or blankets.
"Every morning at 4:30 a.m., all prisoners were told to remove their shorts, down to their ankles, for inspection by prison staff. Then they were told to do some physical exercise just by moving their hands and legs up and down for half an hour, even though their legs remained restrained by iron bars.
"The prisoners had to defecate into small iron buckets and urinate into small plastic buckets kept in their cells. They were required to ask for permission from the prison guards in advance of relieving themselves; otherwise, they were beaten or they received 20 to 60 strokes with a whip as punishment.
"Unhygienic living conditions caused the prisoners to become infected with diseases like skin rashes and various other diseases. There was no medicine for treatment.
" . . . The number of workers in S-21 complex totaled 1,720 . . . within each unit, there were several sub-units composed of male and female children ranging from 10 to 15 years of age. These young children were trained and selected by the Khmer Rouge regime to work as guards at S-21. Most of them started out as normal before growing increasingly evil. They were exceptionally cruel and disrespectful toward prisoners and their elders."
Although the vast majority of prisoners at S-21 were Cambodians there were foreigners imprisoned and later executed there or at the "Killing Fields". These foreigners came from Vietnam, Lao, Thailand, India, Pakistan, England, the U.S.A., Canada, New Zeealand, and Australia.
If you would like to learn more a good place to start is at this website:
http://www.dccam.org/
This day ended among backpacker friends at a Happy Pizza restaurant. Yes, I ate a Happy Pizza. A Happy Pizza is a pizza with bits of marijuana within it. While we were all waiting for our pizza'a the waiters gave us two "joints". We passed it around smoking - "yes, I inhaled" - and ate our pizza's as we watched a couple of pirated DVD's on the restaurant's TV screen.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
May 23rd, 2004 - My Mom's B-day and travels from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, Cambodia
On the bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh I met Jacky from South Africa, and James, Shane, and Tina from England. We spent the first half of the bus journey joking around about our experiences in Cambodia and in Southeast Asia. About two hours from Phnom Penh we stopped for about half an hour in a town called Skuon. There we saw women selling basket plates piled high with fried spiders. These werent small spiders but big furry creatures that were fried in some kind of cooking oil. The locals in Skuon are famed for eating these spiders for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Yummy!!! It is believed that this unique taste for spiders evolved from the work camps during Pol Pot's regime in which enslaved Cambodians, who were all in a constant state of starvation, began eating insects, spiders, and rats to survive.
We arrived in Phnom Penh around 2:00 or so. We crossed the Tonle Sap river via the Chruoy Changvar bridge. Our bus stopped somewhere along the river and as soon as we all stepped off the bus we were all immediately attacked by touts trying to take each one of us to their Guest House. Jacky, James, Tina, Shane, another girl named Annie, and I all teamed up to take separate moto drivers to search for a Guest House over looking Boeng Kak Lake. This was the second time that Jacky, James, Tina, and Shane had been to Phnom Penh and so Annie and I simply followed them from one Lake Side Guest House to the other until we finally found the one that they had stayed at before.
The street that our Guest House was on is just south of Monivong Boulevard. This street is filled with Guest Houses all over looking the Boeng Kak Lake. The street itself is a dirt road and there are a few travel agencies, Happy Pizza restaurants, and internet cafe's as well. It is sort of the "Khao San Road" of Phnom Penh. After getting settled a bit in our Guest House and eating a bit on the deck that sits right on the lake Annie, Jacky, and I decided to explore the city.
Annie wanted to buy some pants and so we all decided to walk to the Central Market. The Central Market is located within a giant concrete circular building that has four long "legs" filled with shops selling anything from clothing to toys to shoes to food. The food section is always a curious one in Southeast Asia for you will find cut up pieces of pig, cow, or chicken flesh hanging out in the open humid air with flies all over them. Again . . . Yummy!!!
Annie spent a good hour looking at, trying on, and bargaining for pants. Jacky and I were patient. Soon enough we were off and traveling further south into the city. We found a few "massage parlors", food vendors, more shops and plenty of people on scooters traveling this way and that in a city that seemed nearly devoid of traffic lights. We came across a small Chinese temple and then another local market but this market was dedicated to food. Within it we found more chickens - alive and dead - and more cut up pieces of rotting meat hanging from hooks waiting to be bought. There was plenty of fish being cut up and fruits and vegetables.
Soon enough we arrived on Sisowath Quay which is a street that runs parrallel to the Tonle Sap river. After seeing this street along the river with all of its upper scale hotels and restaurants catering to tourists I immediately fell in love with Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh in my opinion is a hidden gem in Southeast Asia. It has tremendous potential to continue to grow and soon become a very romantic city. The private view of the Boeng Kak lake from my Guest House combined with the wonderful walking path between Sisowath Quay and the Tonle Sap river really make Phnom Penh a pleasant city. I felt safe, curious, and extremely relaxed in Phnom Penh. But, there is the poverty. It is everywhere but I have become used to it. It does not affect me as much as it used to.
As Annie, Jacky, and I continued our pleasant walk along Sisowath Quay we found an incredibly skinny and weak boy - who was perhaps 17 years old - laying on the grass beside the side walk. Annie pointed to him and I looked down to his side and saw something I have never seen before in my life. The area just beneath his ribs on his left side had a massive hole. There simply was no skin or flesh. There literally was a hole - the size of my hand from finger tips to the base of my palm - on his left side. I could actually see into his body from this hole and see his lungs. Flies were hovering above him and nesting within his hole. Jacky, Annie, and I all freaked out. We simply did not know what to do although we wanted to help him out. We couldnt even bare to look down at his wound. We decided to run to a hotel and figure out how to call an ambulance or a hospital for help. The day before I had gone to the concert that Dr. Richner was giving on behalf of his non-profit hospitals. I knew that his hospitals were free so I looked the two up that I knew were in Phnom Penh and called but no one answered; it was Sunday. Jacky and I then looked through out Lonely Planet book and decided that the Calmette Hospital was our best bet. I called them and spoke to a doctor who thought I was sick. I tried to explain that I was bringing in someone. But he didnt understand. I then tried to find out how much it would cost to bring someone in but of course the doctor did not know. He would have to see the patient himself. I then told him I was on my way. From there Jacky, Annie, and I left the hotel and I grabbed a bicycle rickshaw. I told him to cross the street. On the other side of the street I found another bicycle rickshaw. The homeless boy with the giant hole in his side was helped up by a few of his homeless friends. They put him on the bicycle rickshaw and away we went to the Calmette Hospital. I had to leave Jacky and Annie behind.
The ride took about 15 minutes. Once we arrived I got out of my rickshaw and then led the other rickshaw that was carrying the boy into the hospital emergency area. There two men came out of the hospital with a stretcher and we all lifted the boy and placed him on it. Then the two men took the boy inside. I gave the rickshaw driver $4. I told him that $2 were for him and the other $2 for the other rickshaw driver. I repeated those instruction to him several times. He just smiled and walked away.
I then went into the emergency room and saw 4 other extremely poor patients that had been brought in. Most of them were with their families. The boy I brought in had no one to comfort him. I waited to speak to the doctor and when he was free I took him over to the boy I had brought in. He looked at the hole in the boy's left side and asked him a few questions. The doctor then turned to me and thanked me for bringing him in and that I could go. I asked what was going to happen to the boy. The doctor said that he would undergo surgery to have his left lung removed. He said that the boy would spend several nights in the hospital free of charge. I then asked if there was anything else that I could do. The doctor simply said that I could give the boy some money so that he could eat when he left the hospital. I then walked to the boy and gave him $10 U.S. He thanked me and I stepped back and away. I then left.
When I walked out of the hospital I saw the rickshaw driver who had taken me to the hospital but who had not entered in with me. I asked him if he got $2 from the other rickshaw driver. He didnt really understand me but when another local stepped in to translate I discovered that the other rickshaw driver had run off with $3 and had only given this driver $1. I was pissed that this rickshaw driver had cheated one of his own people.
From there I walked back to my Guest House to rest. Later that night Jacky, Annie, James, Tina, Shane, and another Shane from Australia, and I decided to go for dinner back on Sisowath Quay. We all got along wonderfully. It was a pleasant way to end an unusual day.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
On the bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh I met Jacky from South Africa, and James, Shane, and Tina from England. We spent the first half of the bus journey joking around about our experiences in Cambodia and in Southeast Asia. About two hours from Phnom Penh we stopped for about half an hour in a town called Skuon. There we saw women selling basket plates piled high with fried spiders. These werent small spiders but big furry creatures that were fried in some kind of cooking oil. The locals in Skuon are famed for eating these spiders for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Yummy!!! It is believed that this unique taste for spiders evolved from the work camps during Pol Pot's regime in which enslaved Cambodians, who were all in a constant state of starvation, began eating insects, spiders, and rats to survive.
We arrived in Phnom Penh around 2:00 or so. We crossed the Tonle Sap river via the Chruoy Changvar bridge. Our bus stopped somewhere along the river and as soon as we all stepped off the bus we were all immediately attacked by touts trying to take each one of us to their Guest House. Jacky, James, Tina, Shane, another girl named Annie, and I all teamed up to take separate moto drivers to search for a Guest House over looking Boeng Kak Lake. This was the second time that Jacky, James, Tina, and Shane had been to Phnom Penh and so Annie and I simply followed them from one Lake Side Guest House to the other until we finally found the one that they had stayed at before.
The street that our Guest House was on is just south of Monivong Boulevard. This street is filled with Guest Houses all over looking the Boeng Kak Lake. The street itself is a dirt road and there are a few travel agencies, Happy Pizza restaurants, and internet cafe's as well. It is sort of the "Khao San Road" of Phnom Penh. After getting settled a bit in our Guest House and eating a bit on the deck that sits right on the lake Annie, Jacky, and I decided to explore the city.
Annie wanted to buy some pants and so we all decided to walk to the Central Market. The Central Market is located within a giant concrete circular building that has four long "legs" filled with shops selling anything from clothing to toys to shoes to food. The food section is always a curious one in Southeast Asia for you will find cut up pieces of pig, cow, or chicken flesh hanging out in the open humid air with flies all over them. Again . . . Yummy!!!
Annie spent a good hour looking at, trying on, and bargaining for pants. Jacky and I were patient. Soon enough we were off and traveling further south into the city. We found a few "massage parlors", food vendors, more shops and plenty of people on scooters traveling this way and that in a city that seemed nearly devoid of traffic lights. We came across a small Chinese temple and then another local market but this market was dedicated to food. Within it we found more chickens - alive and dead - and more cut up pieces of rotting meat hanging from hooks waiting to be bought. There was plenty of fish being cut up and fruits and vegetables.
Soon enough we arrived on Sisowath Quay which is a street that runs parrallel to the Tonle Sap river. After seeing this street along the river with all of its upper scale hotels and restaurants catering to tourists I immediately fell in love with Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh in my opinion is a hidden gem in Southeast Asia. It has tremendous potential to continue to grow and soon become a very romantic city. The private view of the Boeng Kak lake from my Guest House combined with the wonderful walking path between Sisowath Quay and the Tonle Sap river really make Phnom Penh a pleasant city. I felt safe, curious, and extremely relaxed in Phnom Penh. But, there is the poverty. It is everywhere but I have become used to it. It does not affect me as much as it used to.
As Annie, Jacky, and I continued our pleasant walk along Sisowath Quay we found an incredibly skinny and weak boy - who was perhaps 17 years old - laying on the grass beside the side walk. Annie pointed to him and I looked down to his side and saw something I have never seen before in my life. The area just beneath his ribs on his left side had a massive hole. There simply was no skin or flesh. There literally was a hole - the size of my hand from finger tips to the base of my palm - on his left side. I could actually see into his body from this hole and see his lungs. Flies were hovering above him and nesting within his hole. Jacky, Annie, and I all freaked out. We simply did not know what to do although we wanted to help him out. We couldnt even bare to look down at his wound. We decided to run to a hotel and figure out how to call an ambulance or a hospital for help. The day before I had gone to the concert that Dr. Richner was giving on behalf of his non-profit hospitals. I knew that his hospitals were free so I looked the two up that I knew were in Phnom Penh and called but no one answered; it was Sunday. Jacky and I then looked through out Lonely Planet book and decided that the Calmette Hospital was our best bet. I called them and spoke to a doctor who thought I was sick. I tried to explain that I was bringing in someone. But he didnt understand. I then tried to find out how much it would cost to bring someone in but of course the doctor did not know. He would have to see the patient himself. I then told him I was on my way. From there Jacky, Annie, and I left the hotel and I grabbed a bicycle rickshaw. I told him to cross the street. On the other side of the street I found another bicycle rickshaw. The homeless boy with the giant hole in his side was helped up by a few of his homeless friends. They put him on the bicycle rickshaw and away we went to the Calmette Hospital. I had to leave Jacky and Annie behind.
The ride took about 15 minutes. Once we arrived I got out of my rickshaw and then led the other rickshaw that was carrying the boy into the hospital emergency area. There two men came out of the hospital with a stretcher and we all lifted the boy and placed him on it. Then the two men took the boy inside. I gave the rickshaw driver $4. I told him that $2 were for him and the other $2 for the other rickshaw driver. I repeated those instruction to him several times. He just smiled and walked away.
I then went into the emergency room and saw 4 other extremely poor patients that had been brought in. Most of them were with their families. The boy I brought in had no one to comfort him. I waited to speak to the doctor and when he was free I took him over to the boy I had brought in. He looked at the hole in the boy's left side and asked him a few questions. The doctor then turned to me and thanked me for bringing him in and that I could go. I asked what was going to happen to the boy. The doctor said that he would undergo surgery to have his left lung removed. He said that the boy would spend several nights in the hospital free of charge. I then asked if there was anything else that I could do. The doctor simply said that I could give the boy some money so that he could eat when he left the hospital. I then walked to the boy and gave him $10 U.S. He thanked me and I stepped back and away. I then left.
When I walked out of the hospital I saw the rickshaw driver who had taken me to the hospital but who had not entered in with me. I asked him if he got $2 from the other rickshaw driver. He didnt really understand me but when another local stepped in to translate I discovered that the other rickshaw driver had run off with $3 and had only given this driver $1. I was pissed that this rickshaw driver had cheated one of his own people.
From there I walked back to my Guest House to rest. Later that night Jacky, Annie, James, Tina, Shane, and another Shane from Australia, and I decided to go for dinner back on Sisowath Quay. We all got along wonderfully. It was a pleasant way to end an unusual day.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
Monday, May 24, 2004
May 22nd, 2004 - The Beatocello Concert
I wanted to get caught up on my digital journal today so that was what I did but before I went to the internet cafe I met a couple from California while having breakfast. The came with me to the internet cafe and for most of the day I was with them.
For lunch we went to the Dead Fish Bar and talked about our travel's, California, how they met, and their plans since they were going to be returning to the U.S. to move from San Francisco to L.A.
In the evening I went to a free concert a the Jayavarman VII Children's Hospital. Dr. Beat Richner - who started and runs the Kantha Bopha Foundation (www.beatocello.com)- plays his cello before tourists and travelers alike every Saturday night in Siem Reap. Between his performance of several musical pieces the good Doctor educated us on the health conditions and problems in Cambodia. This is what I learned from the good Doctor.
Last year there was not one tourist that came to his hospital in Siem Reap to give blood or make a donation. The reason for this was the SARS scare. Dr. Richner explained that since SARS was affecting financial capitals such as Hong Kong and Singapore it was a Western 1st World Nation concern. As a result the media paid heavy attention to the SARS epidemic. But, there was not one single case of SARS in Cambodia. Nevertheless the number of tourists traveling through Cambodia dropped significantly due to the SARS scare. For once Cambodia was the safest place to be in Southeast Asia during the SARS scare but no one came. At the same time there was a massive Dengue Fever epidemic in Cambodia. There were 9,000 children's cases of the fever in Cambodia but yet CNN and the BBC paid no attention to that fact. Instead they focused on SARS, SARS, SARS because it was affecting Western capitalist cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore.
Poor nations such as Cambodia have no lobbying power in the West. Their problems are simply not the concern of 1st World Nations and Organizations such as UNICEF and WHO.
Last year there were 67,000 children who were admitted to the Kantha Bopha Children's Hospitals in Cambodia. That is about 120 to 240 severely sick children a day. The Health Care system in Cambodia is a disaster. 80% of these children would not have survived if it wasnt for these three Kantha Bopha hospitals.
The number one killer in Cambodia is TB which is due to three things: Pol Pot's regime, Western attitudes toward how to handle health care in 3rd World nations, and the July 2003 Dengue Fever epidemic. A child needs a blood transfusion for Dengue Fever but health organizations such as WHO and UNICEF explain that it is simply too expensive for 3rd World Nations to receive funds to check their blood supply properly for STD's and the HIV virus. As a result for every 100 blood transfusions 7 children will contract the HIV virus - simply because WHO and UNICEF does not condone the spending of money to check the blood supplies in third world nations of STD's and the HIV virus.
In 1970 Nixon/Kissinger launched a "secret war" in Cambodia which resulted in the bombing of 2/5th of the country. 500,000 Cambodia civilians were killed as a result. Also as a result the refugees from these bombings flocked to the capital city of Phnom Penh. There were 2 million Cambodian refugees in Phnom Penh seeking refuge from the bombings. These refugee camps were the breeding ground for TB. Then during the Pol Pot regime TB began to spread more within the extremely horrible and poor conditions the Cambodians were living and working in within Pol Pot's concentration and work camps.
Today 45% of the children hospitalized in Cambodia have TB. TB weakens the child and although it is a common virus it can prove fatal for children. TB can lie dormant within an individual and as a result even though a mother may have a dormant TB virus within her she can easily pass on TB to her child through her milk.
85% of the families that take their child to one of the Kantha Bopha hospitals in Phnom Penh are too poor to afford hospital fees. In Siem Reap 95% are too poor. The Kantha Bopha Foundation receives 50 million dollars a year and 90% of that is from private donations. As a result no family or child is ever turned away from the Kantha Bopha hospitals. All patients are treated and given prescription drugs for free. With these private donations Dr. Beat Richner keeps a very high standard for his hospitals. The hospitals are state-of-the-art and incredibly modern. The hospital's 1,400 staff are paid. 35% of the donations are used to pay the staff and 45% if used on modern medicine that is imported from 1st World Nations. They have sophisticated equipment. One instrument that they have in particular is able to detect TB in healthy children by using computer topography of the brain. This device in particular was not condoned by WHO or UNICEF. They argued that a poor nation such as Cambodia should not have such a device . . . yet.
Over and over Dr. Richner said, "Every child has the right for the correct drug, the correct procedure, the correct treatment." He does not understand why western organizations such as WHO and UNICEF try to prohibit 3rd World Nations from receiving the exact same kind of medical treatment that people in 1st World Nations receive. Dr. Richner also explained that the WHO and UNICEF recommend drugs that are prohibited in the West for their side-effects to be used to treat patients in the 3rd World.
After the concert I made a donation to the hospital. Although Dr. Richner at the beginning of the concert asked for the young members of the audience to give blood instead of money I was more than happy to simply give money - for I have never given blood before. I left the hospital relieved that no one after the concert who worked for the hospital approached any of the travelers to give blood. When I met up with my driver I expressed how unusual I thought it was that no one asked the members of the audience to give blood. My driver misunderstood me and thought I said that I wanted to give blood. The next thing I knew my driver was leading me to the hospital gate and then a security guard was leading me through the hospital to the blood bank. I was very nervous. I filled out all the paperwork and then I found myself lying down about to be poked with a needle to begin the "Giving Blood" process. I was uncomfortable but 5 minutes later it was over and I walked out of the hospital with a bag full of cookies and a T-shirt.
From the hospital my driver drove me to a restaurant. I said goodbye to him and then sat down outside for a bite to eat. A poor Cambodian girl came up to me asking for money. I didnt want to give her any money because I knew she would give it to her parents who were not too far from us. So instead I gave her the cookies that I got from the hospital. I then decided to buy her a sandwich from the restaurant. I told her to wait and there I sat at my table. The girl then sat on the ground before me like a dog waiting for food. I thought it cruel that I have her wait sitting on the ground. I then pointed to the chair infront of me and she got up and sat down at the table with me - she was my date for the evening. I was served the Coke that I had ordered but the girl pointed to it. I then gave it to her and with a smile she drank and drank my Coke. Soon enough my sandwich was served as was the girl's. Together we ate until Tawnya - Kent and Tawyna were the married couple from California I had spent the early part of the day with - saw me and sat down with us. When the girl had finished her meal she left. Then, later, more and more people I had met in Siem Reap passed by and sat down with me and Tawyna.
After eating and talking with everyone I went back to my hotel to rest.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
www.beatocello.com
I wanted to get caught up on my digital journal today so that was what I did but before I went to the internet cafe I met a couple from California while having breakfast. The came with me to the internet cafe and for most of the day I was with them.
For lunch we went to the Dead Fish Bar and talked about our travel's, California, how they met, and their plans since they were going to be returning to the U.S. to move from San Francisco to L.A.
In the evening I went to a free concert a the Jayavarman VII Children's Hospital. Dr. Beat Richner - who started and runs the Kantha Bopha Foundation (www.beatocello.com)- plays his cello before tourists and travelers alike every Saturday night in Siem Reap. Between his performance of several musical pieces the good Doctor educated us on the health conditions and problems in Cambodia. This is what I learned from the good Doctor.
Last year there was not one tourist that came to his hospital in Siem Reap to give blood or make a donation. The reason for this was the SARS scare. Dr. Richner explained that since SARS was affecting financial capitals such as Hong Kong and Singapore it was a Western 1st World Nation concern. As a result the media paid heavy attention to the SARS epidemic. But, there was not one single case of SARS in Cambodia. Nevertheless the number of tourists traveling through Cambodia dropped significantly due to the SARS scare. For once Cambodia was the safest place to be in Southeast Asia during the SARS scare but no one came. At the same time there was a massive Dengue Fever epidemic in Cambodia. There were 9,000 children's cases of the fever in Cambodia but yet CNN and the BBC paid no attention to that fact. Instead they focused on SARS, SARS, SARS because it was affecting Western capitalist cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore.
Poor nations such as Cambodia have no lobbying power in the West. Their problems are simply not the concern of 1st World Nations and Organizations such as UNICEF and WHO.
Last year there were 67,000 children who were admitted to the Kantha Bopha Children's Hospitals in Cambodia. That is about 120 to 240 severely sick children a day. The Health Care system in Cambodia is a disaster. 80% of these children would not have survived if it wasnt for these three Kantha Bopha hospitals.
The number one killer in Cambodia is TB which is due to three things: Pol Pot's regime, Western attitudes toward how to handle health care in 3rd World nations, and the July 2003 Dengue Fever epidemic. A child needs a blood transfusion for Dengue Fever but health organizations such as WHO and UNICEF explain that it is simply too expensive for 3rd World Nations to receive funds to check their blood supply properly for STD's and the HIV virus. As a result for every 100 blood transfusions 7 children will contract the HIV virus - simply because WHO and UNICEF does not condone the spending of money to check the blood supplies in third world nations of STD's and the HIV virus.
In 1970 Nixon/Kissinger launched a "secret war" in Cambodia which resulted in the bombing of 2/5th of the country. 500,000 Cambodia civilians were killed as a result. Also as a result the refugees from these bombings flocked to the capital city of Phnom Penh. There were 2 million Cambodian refugees in Phnom Penh seeking refuge from the bombings. These refugee camps were the breeding ground for TB. Then during the Pol Pot regime TB began to spread more within the extremely horrible and poor conditions the Cambodians were living and working in within Pol Pot's concentration and work camps.
Today 45% of the children hospitalized in Cambodia have TB. TB weakens the child and although it is a common virus it can prove fatal for children. TB can lie dormant within an individual and as a result even though a mother may have a dormant TB virus within her she can easily pass on TB to her child through her milk.
85% of the families that take their child to one of the Kantha Bopha hospitals in Phnom Penh are too poor to afford hospital fees. In Siem Reap 95% are too poor. The Kantha Bopha Foundation receives 50 million dollars a year and 90% of that is from private donations. As a result no family or child is ever turned away from the Kantha Bopha hospitals. All patients are treated and given prescription drugs for free. With these private donations Dr. Beat Richner keeps a very high standard for his hospitals. The hospitals are state-of-the-art and incredibly modern. The hospital's 1,400 staff are paid. 35% of the donations are used to pay the staff and 45% if used on modern medicine that is imported from 1st World Nations. They have sophisticated equipment. One instrument that they have in particular is able to detect TB in healthy children by using computer topography of the brain. This device in particular was not condoned by WHO or UNICEF. They argued that a poor nation such as Cambodia should not have such a device . . . yet.
Over and over Dr. Richner said, "Every child has the right for the correct drug, the correct procedure, the correct treatment." He does not understand why western organizations such as WHO and UNICEF try to prohibit 3rd World Nations from receiving the exact same kind of medical treatment that people in 1st World Nations receive. Dr. Richner also explained that the WHO and UNICEF recommend drugs that are prohibited in the West for their side-effects to be used to treat patients in the 3rd World.
After the concert I made a donation to the hospital. Although Dr. Richner at the beginning of the concert asked for the young members of the audience to give blood instead of money I was more than happy to simply give money - for I have never given blood before. I left the hospital relieved that no one after the concert who worked for the hospital approached any of the travelers to give blood. When I met up with my driver I expressed how unusual I thought it was that no one asked the members of the audience to give blood. My driver misunderstood me and thought I said that I wanted to give blood. The next thing I knew my driver was leading me to the hospital gate and then a security guard was leading me through the hospital to the blood bank. I was very nervous. I filled out all the paperwork and then I found myself lying down about to be poked with a needle to begin the "Giving Blood" process. I was uncomfortable but 5 minutes later it was over and I walked out of the hospital with a bag full of cookies and a T-shirt.
From the hospital my driver drove me to a restaurant. I said goodbye to him and then sat down outside for a bite to eat. A poor Cambodian girl came up to me asking for money. I didnt want to give her any money because I knew she would give it to her parents who were not too far from us. So instead I gave her the cookies that I got from the hospital. I then decided to buy her a sandwich from the restaurant. I told her to wait and there I sat at my table. The girl then sat on the ground before me like a dog waiting for food. I thought it cruel that I have her wait sitting on the ground. I then pointed to the chair infront of me and she got up and sat down at the table with me - she was my date for the evening. I was served the Coke that I had ordered but the girl pointed to it. I then gave it to her and with a smile she drank and drank my Coke. Soon enough my sandwich was served as was the girl's. Together we ate until Tawnya - Kent and Tawyna were the married couple from California I had spent the early part of the day with - saw me and sat down with us. When the girl had finished her meal she left. Then, later, more and more people I had met in Siem Reap passed by and sat down with me and Tawyna.
After eating and talking with everyone I went back to my hotel to rest.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
www.beatocello.com
May 21st, 2004 - The Temples of Angkor Wat
The day began at 5:00 a.m. The reason Robert and I left our hotel so early was so that we could catch the sun rise over the towers of Angkor Wat.
We drove through Siem Reap watching the sky turn from the black of night into the light blue of early morning. Other backpackers were converging upon Angkor Wat for the sunrise as well. Local vendors trying to sell anything from T-shirts to flutes approached us all trying to sell or invite us to their outdoor cafe for breakfast.
Robert and I walked down the stone bridge leading into Angkor. We were both heavily impressed with the size and scale of the moat around Angkor Wat.
Hmmm . . . for this entry Im not going to go into extreme details about all the temples that I saw today. I think that I will stick to my impressions and observations of the temples instead. A good book to read about Angkor is one called The Civilizations of Angkor by Charles Higham. There is simply too much history to cover in a single journal entry about these temples so I will not attempt to do so.
My Impressions: I have never come across another archaeological marvel such as the Temples at Angkor. The size and scale of these temples are beyond belief. The temples were built from about 700 A.D. to 1400 A.D. I was most surprised to find that these temples had strong Hindu motifs and relief carvings. The successive Kings of Angkor would either follow a Hindu inspired religion or a Buddhist one. Upon the walls of all the temples you will see stone relief carvings of dancing Khmer women wearing elaborate head-dresses and dresses. All are bare-breasted and in the hand found in a pose near their lower stomach you will see that they are holding a flower - possibly a fertility symbol. It is rare to find a stone relief carving of men in the temples of Angkor. But, in a very large temple called The Bayon you will find a continuing series of stone reliefs all around the temple that tells a story of the Kingdom of Angkor. Here you will see relief carvings of the Kings and all the tribute paid to them by merchants and farmers and lords. You will also see carvings of men fishing and hunting and of crushing victories over enemies in far off lands.
A common motif for the entrance gates to certain temples is a short or long path lined on its two sides with a series of statues of Khmer men holding the long tail and body of a 5 headed serpent. The majority of the temples are in excellent condition, which is amazing considering that there are a few temples that have a two to three to four to five hundred year old trees growing over its stone roofs and walls.
Two temples that I saw in particular have been completely overcome by nature with the long roots of trees digging deep into its temple walls, breaking them down. An archaeological buff could spend a week to a month carefully looking at all the temples around Angkor. There are many to see and plenty of architectural details to investigate.
As I went from temple to temple I began to enjoy the selling verses and techniques that the children used to sell me a drink or a T-shirt or a flute or trinket. Over and over from little girls and boys I heard, "Hello, Where are you from? Ohh, Chicago. Your country's capital is Washington D.C. There are 285 million people in your country. You buy sir. You see, you buy. I have Cambodian T-shirt for you. Very good. You buy, you buy. 'Im sorry' doesnt get me anything. You buy. I sell this T-shirt for $3. 2 T-shirts for $5. No! It's not expensive. Please, sir. You buy. If you buy I pray good luck for you everyday. If you dont buy I pray bad-luck for you everyday. You buy, you buy. No! You are a bad man."
These children could say all this in not only English but in Spanish, Japanese, Thai, and even Chinese. They were all very bright and very clever children. They had a great sense of humor and a strong determination to sell their goods. They were excellent little sales children. I simply ended up buying drinks for my driver and myself.
At times I came across children trying to sell scarves and books in these temples but then suddenly they would run away. The tourist police did not allow locals to go into the temples to sell their goods. Most of the children and adults that were selling souvenir goods did so just beyond the temples. It was funny to see them swarm around a foreigner using every line they knew to sell and to then see the foreigner cross over an invisible line into the temple that these locals could not cross.
Funny enough later in the day I ran into two Americans I had met in Luang Prabang, Laos. Since we were in one of the "Jungle Temples" we decided to search for the doorway that serves as the cover for the Lonely Planet: Laos book. We searched and searched and met a group of Canadians that joined us in our search. Finally, one of us asked a guide about the door and we found it, we took plenty of pictures of it.
I spent about 12 hours looking at all the sites around Angkor. I took plenty of pictures - perhaps over 100 or so with my digital camera. I am still reading about the history behind these temples so when I return to the U.S. I should be able to talk a bit more than I can now about these temples.
Later that night the Americans and Canadians - I met in the temples around Angkor - and I decided to meet up for dinner at the Dead Fish Cafe.
The Dead Fish is a fantastic bar and Guest House. Their website is http://www.deadfish2000.com
The Dead Fish bar is probably one of the most unique bars I have ever been to. Next to the bathroom there is a pool in the floor filled with crocodiles that you can feed if you buy bits of chicken. There is also a baby monkey that you can play with. The bar has this elaborate pulley system that can send drinks up to the second floor of the bar and to the windows of its Guest House rooms. There is also a blind man with Ray Charles sun glasses playing lounge music - and he takes requests. The food and drinks are good and there is also free internet.
That night I simply sat with my banana milk shake talking and listening to the Americans and Canadians. We all had dangerous and funny traveler's stories to tell. One of the most shocking stories came from the two Americans and their friend Sarah from England. When they returned to their hotel in Siem Reap just the day before they discovered two hotel staff having sex on top of one of their beds.
It was a long day and I retired for the night at around midnight.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
The day began at 5:00 a.m. The reason Robert and I left our hotel so early was so that we could catch the sun rise over the towers of Angkor Wat.
We drove through Siem Reap watching the sky turn from the black of night into the light blue of early morning. Other backpackers were converging upon Angkor Wat for the sunrise as well. Local vendors trying to sell anything from T-shirts to flutes approached us all trying to sell or invite us to their outdoor cafe for breakfast.
Robert and I walked down the stone bridge leading into Angkor. We were both heavily impressed with the size and scale of the moat around Angkor Wat.
Hmmm . . . for this entry Im not going to go into extreme details about all the temples that I saw today. I think that I will stick to my impressions and observations of the temples instead. A good book to read about Angkor is one called The Civilizations of Angkor by Charles Higham. There is simply too much history to cover in a single journal entry about these temples so I will not attempt to do so.
My Impressions: I have never come across another archaeological marvel such as the Temples at Angkor. The size and scale of these temples are beyond belief. The temples were built from about 700 A.D. to 1400 A.D. I was most surprised to find that these temples had strong Hindu motifs and relief carvings. The successive Kings of Angkor would either follow a Hindu inspired religion or a Buddhist one. Upon the walls of all the temples you will see stone relief carvings of dancing Khmer women wearing elaborate head-dresses and dresses. All are bare-breasted and in the hand found in a pose near their lower stomach you will see that they are holding a flower - possibly a fertility symbol. It is rare to find a stone relief carving of men in the temples of Angkor. But, in a very large temple called The Bayon you will find a continuing series of stone reliefs all around the temple that tells a story of the Kingdom of Angkor. Here you will see relief carvings of the Kings and all the tribute paid to them by merchants and farmers and lords. You will also see carvings of men fishing and hunting and of crushing victories over enemies in far off lands.
A common motif for the entrance gates to certain temples is a short or long path lined on its two sides with a series of statues of Khmer men holding the long tail and body of a 5 headed serpent. The majority of the temples are in excellent condition, which is amazing considering that there are a few temples that have a two to three to four to five hundred year old trees growing over its stone roofs and walls.
Two temples that I saw in particular have been completely overcome by nature with the long roots of trees digging deep into its temple walls, breaking them down. An archaeological buff could spend a week to a month carefully looking at all the temples around Angkor. There are many to see and plenty of architectural details to investigate.
As I went from temple to temple I began to enjoy the selling verses and techniques that the children used to sell me a drink or a T-shirt or a flute or trinket. Over and over from little girls and boys I heard, "Hello, Where are you from? Ohh, Chicago. Your country's capital is Washington D.C. There are 285 million people in your country. You buy sir. You see, you buy. I have Cambodian T-shirt for you. Very good. You buy, you buy. 'Im sorry' doesnt get me anything. You buy. I sell this T-shirt for $3. 2 T-shirts for $5. No! It's not expensive. Please, sir. You buy. If you buy I pray good luck for you everyday. If you dont buy I pray bad-luck for you everyday. You buy, you buy. No! You are a bad man."
These children could say all this in not only English but in Spanish, Japanese, Thai, and even Chinese. They were all very bright and very clever children. They had a great sense of humor and a strong determination to sell their goods. They were excellent little sales children. I simply ended up buying drinks for my driver and myself.
At times I came across children trying to sell scarves and books in these temples but then suddenly they would run away. The tourist police did not allow locals to go into the temples to sell their goods. Most of the children and adults that were selling souvenir goods did so just beyond the temples. It was funny to see them swarm around a foreigner using every line they knew to sell and to then see the foreigner cross over an invisible line into the temple that these locals could not cross.
Funny enough later in the day I ran into two Americans I had met in Luang Prabang, Laos. Since we were in one of the "Jungle Temples" we decided to search for the doorway that serves as the cover for the Lonely Planet: Laos book. We searched and searched and met a group of Canadians that joined us in our search. Finally, one of us asked a guide about the door and we found it, we took plenty of pictures of it.
I spent about 12 hours looking at all the sites around Angkor. I took plenty of pictures - perhaps over 100 or so with my digital camera. I am still reading about the history behind these temples so when I return to the U.S. I should be able to talk a bit more than I can now about these temples.
Later that night the Americans and Canadians - I met in the temples around Angkor - and I decided to meet up for dinner at the Dead Fish Cafe.
The Dead Fish is a fantastic bar and Guest House. Their website is http://www.deadfish2000.com
The Dead Fish bar is probably one of the most unique bars I have ever been to. Next to the bathroom there is a pool in the floor filled with crocodiles that you can feed if you buy bits of chicken. There is also a baby monkey that you can play with. The bar has this elaborate pulley system that can send drinks up to the second floor of the bar and to the windows of its Guest House rooms. There is also a blind man with Ray Charles sun glasses playing lounge music - and he takes requests. The food and drinks are good and there is also free internet.
That night I simply sat with my banana milk shake talking and listening to the Americans and Canadians. We all had dangerous and funny traveler's stories to tell. One of the most shocking stories came from the two Americans and their friend Sarah from England. When they returned to their hotel in Siem Reap just the day before they discovered two hotel staff having sex on top of one of their beds.
It was a long day and I retired for the night at around midnight.
Domenico
www.thedragonbone.com
www.banromsai.gr.jp
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