Vietnam & Cambodia

Vietnam Our next stop was Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We spent only two days there, the first and last in port. In between we spent three days in Cambodia. The downtown part of Ho Chi Minh City is still called Saigon by many people there. The most immediately remarkable thing is the traffic. Streets are filled with motor bikes and scooters, cyclos and bikes, and a few cars and buses. It is a challenge to cross the street. Once you head out just keep on going and do not hesitate or change your pace. The drivers plan their routes around you. Many drivers wear face covers and often gloves that go all the way up and over the elbows. Helmets are required but are often not used. Some male drivers smoke while they move. Again we saw 2, 3, or 4 people to a cycle, sometimes an infant wedged between two adults. The first stop on our City Orientation was Thien Hau Pagoda, known for its profusion of incense coils that burn for as long as one month. We traveled to the History Museum that documents the evolution of Vietnam’s various cultures. It also featured a water puppet performance, a traditional Vietnamese performing art that dates back to the 11th century. Lunch was wonderful; dish after dish enjoyed by our group. We also visited the Presidential Palace where everything has been left much as it was on April 30, 1975 when the North Vietnamese military tanks crashed through the front gates and overthrew the South Vietnamese government. That night Hóg and I went to dinner and then to the Sax ‘n Art Jazz Club. A friend on the ship was to play there with the regular house jazz quartet. We thoroughly enjoyed the show. When the regulars took a break the Semester at Sea group members, who were all in the house, took over. The sax player, and club owner, joined them for a bit. He can play two saxophones at once with great energy. Our musicians were thrilled to play in Saigon.
On our last day in Vietnam we met some of our extended family for lunch. We went to Phó2000 and all enjoyed phó, the ubiquitous noodle soup, which was wonderful. I will be searching for more in Philadelphia. Bill Clinton ate there and we sat under his photo. Shopping in Vietnam is just too much fun. Currency is the dong with an exchange rate of 17,000 to the USD. Our lunch bill for 7 people was 444.000! As we walked the city I was offered a shoe shine while I was wearing flip flops! We bought several more things and are now concerned with how to get everything off of the ship as our pile grows.
Lectures and classes before this port focused on the American War. They call it the American War while we still call it the Vietnam War. Some SAS participants visited the Cu Chi tunnels, two hours away from HCMC. Many people lived and operated out of the Cu Chi tunnels, the 200 kilometer network of underground tunnels. The tunnels were built by the Viet Cong and used in wars against the French and the Americans. The Viet Cong could launch strategic attacks from the tunnels and then seemingly disappear into thin air. Within the tunnels were kitchens, a hospital, and meeting areas. Some people spent years in the tunnels. Babies were even born there. All of our memories of the Television War were stirred by this visit. We told students about the lottery for the draft, the protest movement, and conscientious objectors who moved to Canada. One sees many civilians with missing limbs getting around the city.
We were able to see Gran Torino on the ship, the new Clint Eastwood movie about the Hmong of Cambodia who fought as mercenaries for the US and then were abandoned when the US lost the war. Many now live in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin. See it if you can.


Cambodia Some of the shipboard community took a three day trip to the Kingdom of Cambodia. It is getting to be a joke on ship that the most recent country visited is always the new favorite; but it seems to be true this time again. Parents were invited to join the voyage in this port and many chose to do so. We were on the excursion with many parents; Hóg and I adopted the kids on our trip who did not have parents visiting and we thought they were great. We flew from Tan Son Nhat airport to Phnom Penh on March 23. We visited the Royal Palace with the beautiful Silver Pagoda. Most of the buildings have many tiered roofs that are topped by towers which symbolize prosperity. The King of Cambodia uses the Palace and its many buildings. Sihanook, who you will remember, has cancer and diabetes and is being treated at the age of 88 in China. His son is the new King of Cambodia since October 29, 2004. We moved on to the National Museum and then went for a sunset cruise on the Mekong River. Later that evening we visited the Palm Tree Orphanage which was started by two SAS graduates and is now partly staffed by SAS grads. 86 orphans from 3-17 years old greeted us. They grabbed each of us by the hand and showed us their home. We brought coloring books, stickers and toys for them but they gave us so much more in their warm smiles and immediate taking to us. It was a really wonderful experience. Still later we had a wonderful dinner and then checked into our hotel for the night.
On the second day in Cambodia we went to the Killing Fields of Choeng Ek. This was a frightening and horrifying experience and will be disturbing to read. Briefly, Pol Pot headed the Khmer Rouge beginning in 1975. He ordered the killing of all intellectuals, killing more than 2 million of his own people. That included teachers, doctors, monks, priests, and even people who wore glasses. He proceeded with the genocide until 1979 when the Cambodian Liberation Party with support from South Vietnam finally overtook him. Choeng Ek was just one of 343 such killing places in Cambodia. UNESCO built a 17 level monument on site to those who were disinterred there after the killing stopped. Skulls are displayed in the monument, separated by age and sex. Clothes are piled on the bottom level. More clothes and even some bone fragments are still visible as you walk through. We went on to Tuol Sleng called the Genocide Museum. It was a school turned into a detention and torture center for innocent and intellectual prisoners. Huge displays of photographs of the thousands killed there, mostly children, are displayed. Seven survived and one of the survivors was there on the day of our visit. The survivors have told the story of what happened. No one was unaffected by the action of the Khmer Rouge. Our guide lost three younger brothers and five aunts and uncles but feels fortunate because his parents survived. War criminals still live among the Cambodians, unidentified. The few trials that have taken place were a sham. The real questions were not asked. The same Prime Minister is now in office. Corruption and nepotism are big problems. There is an outward appearance of change but as our guide said, “there is a new bus but the same driver.” Many people wear a t-shirt that says Same Same on the front and But Different on the back. There is much more to tell here. It was all a very difficult and significant experience for us. Since the genocide of intellectuals, there are not enough teachers for all of the young students. School is held in two half day sessions to maximize the teaching resource. It is the goal at the orphanage to educate so that many of the orphans will become teachers. After return to the ship students and adult passengers have reflected on why and how it happened. The movie The Killing Fields is a good representation of the events. One aspect of this holocaust that we did not remember or were not told about was the exceptional cruelty and degree of personal violence involved. This was no Nazi killing machine and bullets were not to be wasted. People were stabbed, hanged, beaten to death; babies were bayoneted or smashed into trees. All performed by someone who looked you in the eyes and could have been a neighbor.
Also that day we went to the Russian Market for some shopping and bargaining and to lunch. We then flew to Siem Reap, which means Siam (Thailand) Defeated. Siem Reap is the location of Angkor Wat Temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. After a brief evening visit to Angkor Wat we went to dinner and a cultural dance show. Finally we checked into our hotel and joined others for drinks there. Cambodia and Vietnam are extraordinarily hot and we were not even there at the hottest time of year.
On the last day we got up very early to see sunrise at Angkor Wat then back to our hotel for breakfast. Over that day we saw several more Buddhist temples from the 10th to the 12th century. One was Ta Prohm Temple, the jungle temple where the Anjolina Jolie movie Tomb Raiders was filmed. Trees that are several hundred years old have grown in over the ancient walls. The photo shows what I mean. Another was Bayon Temple, an edifice of 54 towers, each carved with the four enigmatic faces of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. We made our third trip to Angkor Wat to see the whole interior in the afternoon. It was quite amazing. It took 30 years to build. The building was done by slaves and volunteers. As Buddhists the volunteers thought they were developing good karma by working on the project. Sculptors had to demonstrate and perfect their skills before they were allowed to work on the interior bas-reliefs.
We thoroughly enjoyed Vietnam and Cambodia and would love to return to Southeast Asia if only we can determine a cooler season. Hope you are all well. We're now in Hong Kong harbor. Happy birthday to Tara!

Thailand

Next stop on the voyage was Thailand, a favorite port for us. The country was beautiful, the people were charming and relaxed, and the ambience was excellent. As you know Thailand was called Siam until 1939. It is the only country in Southeast Asia that was never a colony. The population is 64.3 million. We used yet another currency in Thailand, the baht; 33.5 baht is the equivalent of $1USD. Thailand is led by a king. His pictures are everywhere and people are very proud of him. The second leader is the Prime Minister. There have been 4 PMs in the last three years. One was a billionaire who is still very popular with rural people. Though he was ousted by a coup in 2006 the country is still divided into groups of his supporters and detractors. He is on the run now, perhaps in London. The next PM was in office for 8 months and put out for taking money for appearing on a Thai cooking program! The next was in office for 3 months and removed due to election fraud. The next was impeached 4 days before we arrived. Debate will follow and possibly a new constitution. Thailand has had 3 new constitutions in the past 10 years.
Wherever we went we found evidence of the 26/12/04 Tsunami and people willing to talk about where they were on the day of the event. You may remember that the tides were low and large fish could be found close to the shore line. Then the tsunami hit and flooding was quick and massive. People ran for higher land and tried to help each other through it. Roads were destroyed and over 130,000 were killed. Escape routes for future tsunamis are now marked on the streets.
AIDS and commercial sex workers are prevalent in Thailand as they are in India. One significant difference is that Thailand worked to reduce the AIDS spread on multiple fronts with good results. Medications were made readily available as were condoms. Results were good until financial support for the programs was withdrawn. Under the new government in 2006 the funding was restored and positive results returned. You cannot travel in Thailand without being aware of the sex trade. Girls as young as 10 but more often late teens take up the work, often to support their families. Some are sold into it. The risks for this illegal activity are great, including abuse, medical complications as well as mental health and addictions issues.

We signed up for an excursion that took up our whole time in Thailand. When we arrived at port we bussed to Bangkok and then flew to Phuket. Phuket is the largest island of Thailand and is one of its 76 provinces. Phuket is known for its great beaches, rocky capes mountains, forests and farmlands. We stayed at the very nice Duangjitt Resort and Spa for 3 nights. Dinners each night were on our own so we tried the fabulous Thai food in three different restaurants. On one day we traveled through Phang-Nga province to Khao Sok. There we rode elephants (again!), trekked through woods to see rubber trees, and took in the natural scenery as we were paddled down a river in an inflatable canoe. On another day we had a great adventure, discovering the sea caves, Hongs and tunnels. A Hong is an open-air, cliff-lined, cylindrical tidal lagoon connected to the outside world only through stalactite-filled caves. This was a wonderful experience. We did not even know that such places existed. At high tide you would not be able to get into the Hongs as the entrances would be filled with water. We went when the tide was close to high and often had to lie down in the canoe in order to fit through the openings. Some of the larger caves were filled with hundreds of bats. A wonderful and full lunch was prepared and served on our boat. In the afternoon we took in Lawa Island. Many of us (including me!) jumped off of the top deck on our boat and swam to shore for some sun and relaxation.
The last night in Phuket was St. Patrick’s Day. We had massages at one of the many massage shops. Hóg’s heavy set masseuse crawled on his back with her knees and elbows pressing into him. After another wonderful dinner, that included satay with peanut sauce, crab relleno and mussels with lemon grass, we headed for Molly Malone’s Irish pub. As this was our second late evening there we knew what to expect. Entertainment was provided by a Thai band, featuring two singers wearing pleated plaid skirts and singing all of your favorite Irish tunes. They did very well with Tina Turner and the Cranberries. We were hysterical and it was a great time. About 100 SAS kids must have come through that night, drinking kamikazes and car bombs. Some things do not change. Several students had suits made at the superb tailoring shops. One had a Kelly green suit made for that night. I think it paid for itself in free drinks. (I still can’t understand why we didn’t go to the ping pong ball show the Super Pussy club.)
The next day our hung over crowd traveled back to Bangkok. We had dinner with several faculty couples at a seafood restaurant where we were the only Westerners. Fabulous squid in chili paste was our favorite. We walked through the night market which was bordered on both sides by the red light district. Some students described the shows they saw and at least two girls revealed their new tattoos to us. The last day included a trip to the Grand Palace which I thought was as spectacular as the Taj Mahal. It was built beginning in 1782 under order of King Rama I to be his home and the center of his administration. It holds the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Phra Kaew. The Buddha was carved from a single piece of jade in the 15th century. It sits on a Thai-style throne made of gilded-carved wood. Many interior walls are decorated with mural paintings. The coronation and diplomatic receptions are held in the Grand Palace. I think we took 200 pictures in the walled complex and look forward to sharing them when we get home. After I had a manicure, pedicure and massage for only 550 baht we headed back to the ship.
March 13 was the halfway point of the trip for us. We are still enjoying it all and can see that the end of the voyage will be a sad and emotional time for us all. Last night was the Crew Talent Show, a regular event that raises funds to improve crew life and accommodations on ship. The singing, dancing, and comedy acts were great. Next port, tomorrow, is Vietnam. The lectures, movies and music presented now are largely focused on the war that changed so many things in our lives. More on that next week. Thanks for reading. We love emails from home.

India

“There exists no politician in India daring enough to attempt to explain to the masses that cows can be eaten” – Indira Gandhi

Whatever you say about India, the exact opposite is also true. The magnificent image of the Taj Mahal is not enough to erase the memory of poverty and filth. These are some common sights in the parts of India that we saw: cows on the streets, people sleeping on the road dividers, men urinating openly, hard hats worn with flip flops, women in colorful saris working in the fields and at industrial sites, no doors on the trains, 70 people packed on a bus, three to five people on a moped with no helmets and one on a cell phone, very young and dirty children begging, people sweeping dust with handmade brooms at their small stands, crushing traffic slowed by cows, horses, camels, elephants, and goats, several people squatting and conversing. It is hard to stop the list; there is so much more to tell.
India is the oldest surviving civilization in the world. The population is 1.2 billion. After traveling there for 5 days it feels as if we saw all of them but we only traveled in the North. Crowds are everywhere. It seems that rush hour never slows down. Driving in India is something I have to tell you about. Drivers honk constantly. The horn is a button on the dashboard. They drive on the left and pass on the right. When they pass they honk to gain the right of way. The honking is incessant. When more than one truck is trying to pass at the same time the driver who honks most and is the most aggressive goes first. I told our guide that I can go weeks without using the horn but here a driver does not go for two minutes without honking. It was wild for us. There are pedestrians on the larger highways as well as the animals. In the cities they use bicycles, pedaled rickshaws and three wheeled tuk tuks, similar to a golf cart but not as substantial. Drivers pull right up to each other, within inches, to prevent someone else from cutting in. Traffic lanes are just suggestions, not followed. Our guide told us that to be a good driver in India, you need 3 things: good brakes, good horn & good luck.
The diversity of India is its most impressive trait. In 1991 it was estimated that there were 1576 languages in India, including dialects. A current estimate is over 300 languages, leaving out the dialects. 29 languages have over a million speakers. In 1968 a law was passed declaring that all people receiving secondary education must speak three languages, English, Hindi and the state (local) language. This proved idealistic and unworkable. Religious diversity is remarkable and harmonious: 42% Hindu, 37% Muslim, 13% Christian, 2% Sikh, less than 1% Jainism, Buddhism and others. The Hindu religion accepts one god but that god’s traits are displayed in its many different images, including the familiar Krishna and Ganesha. The goal in Hindu life is to reunite the soul, the atman, with Brahman. The soul is reincarnated until mokshe is achieved. Only those who have not reached the goal are still on earth. Sikh is a derivative of the Hindu faith that does not worship statues and has no caste system. Our driver was a Sikh; he wears a turban and in his turban are a comb, a knife for protection and a bangle to keep evil spirits away.
We arrived in the port of Chennai and participants in our excursion were immediately taken to the airport to fly to Delhi, the second largest city in India, after Kolkata. We met our guide and bus there and were given garlands of marigolds. Our first stop was the Qutub Minaret and Muslim Mosque. Next we traveled to a rug shop and then on to the LaLit Hotel that was extraordinary, maybe 4-5 star. After a lovely dinner, night and breakfast there we had bus tours with stops of Old and New Delhi and then traveled to Jaipur, the capital of the state of Rajahstan. We checked into our next hotel and then went to the City Palace and Observatory. The Observatory fit in perfectly with Hóg’s two classes on calendars and physics. On the third day we went to Amber Fort. Hóg and I rode an elephant to this walled Mughal city. On the way sellers tried to engage us by throwing things up to us. I bought a t-shirt and threw down the rupee note to pay. The bill blew all around, almost over the wall and finally landed on elephant dung. Next I was thrown a wooden Ganesha which I threw back down immediately. The vendor threw it back at least four times, lowering the price each time! It was a funny scene. Amber Fort was beautiful inside, especially the mirrored section. After taking many pictures we rode jeeps down and then bussed on to Fatehpur Sikri, a favorite for me. This was a petrified sandstone city and palace that were built but abandoned due to difficulties with the water supply. It is now a beautiful tourist stop. You have to be careful in the palaces as unauthorized guides try to engage you and then push to be paid. (I, Hóg, got suckered in by 1 of these guides here but he did take me to an area that we weren’t scheduled to see and I delayed our group by 10 minutes or so.) We were also approached constantly by people asking for money, children begging for food, money, and shampoo, disabled and badly crippled people with a hand out, and by vendors asking us to come to their stores. This was the most oppressive part of the trip for us. It was difficult to respond in the beginning and after several days it just became frustrating. Later we drove on to Agra and our third hotel for one night.
Early in the morning we headed out for the Taj Mahal. It was truly a breathtaking sight that gave me chills. It took 22 years to build in the 15th century. Shahjahan had it built for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth with their 14th child. She is buried there and he is also, arranged by his son who betrayed him. We took endless pictures and loved the memorial as well as its gardens, pools and surrounding buildings. Even here people try to show you exactly where to take photos and then request payment. It will be hard to limit the blog to five pictures.
On our last day in India I went shopping in Chennai with some students. We rode the tuk tuks and went to a silk shop and to a mall. I enjoyed the students and had fun making purchases. Again, it was a challenge to get the drivers to only go where we wanted to go and not to stop at shops where they were receiving commissions. Back in the port three children had their hands in the vehicle, begging for money, before we paid the driver.
One more lesson on India: AIDS was discovered in 1981 and since then 25 million people have died from it. By 1984 there was no AIDS in India. In 1986 AIDS was first found in Chennai in the commercial sex workers. By the 1990s AIDS had spread through every population in India. Now 2.4 million people of India have HIV. Education efforts have been largely unsuccessful as the subject is not discussed openly and because there is no common language to use for educational tools. India is one of the biggest producers of Antiretrovirals which have been very effective in slowing the progression of the disease but the drugs are largely unaffordable and inaccessible to its own citizens who are infected.
Hóg’s addendum: On the bus ride to the Taj Mahal, all of us on the bus were like a bunch of excited school children going to the zoo for the first time. Our first glimpse of it (well before we arrived) brought on squeals of delight. I can’t imagine seeing a more beautiful human monument than the Taj Mahal. Pictures certainly show how pretty it is but you have to be there to feel the grandeur of it. The grounds, pools and monuments surrounding it also contribute to its glory. It is truly spectacular.
When Lisa went shopping in Chennai, I stayed on board. I couldn’t take another day of the constant press of so many people and the detritus that comes from them. The air pollution got to me by the 2nd day, bringing watery eyes and a constant cough. Rumor has it that just breathing in the cities is equivalent to smoking 6 cigarettes a day. The ship itself was covered in black soot after the 5 days in port.

Minor news

I had some password issues and couldn't log on or administer the blog for a while but that is now resolved. Until now all the posts appeared to be posted by Lisa, whether or not it was Lisa, and I couldn't see the comments. I have now reviewed all the comments and approved all but the most person specific. You will also see the author at the bottom of the post, although the big posts are a joint effort. Thanks for listening!

Mauritius

If you are looking for a new beach to try with beautiful sand and the bluest water that goes as far out from shore as you can see then you should consider a trip to Mauritius. This tiny country east of Madagascar has a population of 1.2 million. Independent since 1992, it is a parliamentary democracy led by President Sir Anerood Jugnauth and Prime Minister Paul Berenger. Prior to independence Mauritius was ruled over four and a half centuries by the Dutch, then the French and then the British. Currency is the Mauritius Rupee, about 33 to the US dollar now. 13 languages are recognized on Mauritius; most common are French and English. The country has become a popular tourist destination for France, India, and South Africa. The borders are full of hotels.
Of special significance are the coral reefs and the now extinct Dodo bird. Coral reefs are under stress and reducing in size for a number of reasons. Sugar is the primary crop of Mauritius. Excess fertilizer from sugar production is running off the land and into the ocean, decreasing coral production. Global warming also takes its toll with more and larger storms as well as heat waves that all increase erosion. Conservation efforts have been in place since 1954 to protect the reefs. We took the opportunity to travel 35 meters beneath the sea in the cabin of a submarine to see the bottom of the ocean which was pristine with coral reefs and various fish species. A Japanese fishing ship was sunk purposely to encourage the development of more coral on its hull. This trip took us to a beautiful beach and out on to the water on a beautiful sunny day. Other students enjoyed a day at the beach, kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling and travel on a catamaran.
The story of the Dodo bird fits with many themes of the voyage including migration and evolution. (We had a birthday celebration for Charles Darwin on ship.) The Dodo evolved on Mauritius. It adapted to not having any mammalian predators. The Dodo became larger and larger, up to 40 pounds, until it could no longer fly. This made the Dodo vulnerable to invading species. It was a revelation in 1840 when the locals realized that the Dodo had become extinct. Now there are Dodos for sale everywhere in every medium. Check our Christmas tree in ’09 for our souvenir. An interesting failed experiment in Mauritius involved trying to get rid of rats. Rats were attracted to the sugar cane and multiplied. In order to get rid of rats the mongoose was introduced. The problem was that rats are nocturnal and mongoose (mongeese?) are diurnal. No rats were eaten by the mongoose and later they had a mongoose proliferation problem too!
After our beautiful morning we enjoyed lunch with friends at an Indian restaurant called Namasté. The population is largely Indian, many first brought in as slaves or indentured servants. Later we did some shopping on the Caudan waterfront and then back to the ship. Mauritius was our only one day stop, an island paradise worth returning to.

Shipboard life: Immediately on the night of return from Mauritius the Sea Olympics started. This was a 26 hour event that was a competition among all participants, divided into teams called Seas. A Sea is comprised of students from one living area of the ship. Names and colors are assigned; we use actual sea names such as Adriatic, Baltic, and Caribbean. Our sea community is made up of faculty, staff and life-long learners. We were asked to come up with a sea-like name and chose the name Odyssey but elected to spell it Oddies-C. First night competition had to do with team building, best flag, best mascot and best cheer. Then came a full day of competition with no classes. Some events were volleyball, dodge ball, and relay races. Less physical events were Pictionary, a spelling bee and Sudoku. My favorite to participate in was synchronized swimming in teams of ten which, of course, was hysterical. Ours was choreographed to an opening Flamenco and then busted into James Brown’s I Feel Good. Oddies-C took gold for the cheer and the spelling bee, won by a prof for whom English is a second language! We also medaled in the scavenger photo shoot, the human knot, and the paper boat float. Of special note was the mashed potato sculpting. The winning group sculpted the Taj Mahal from only mashed pots and food coloring. I have attached a photo of the work in progress. It was a fun day, lots of screaming and craziness. Now we are back to classes and midterms. Midterms give life-long learners a free class session since we do not take exams, a notable benefit for being an old head on ship.
Last night the Dean and Academic Dean hosted a tasting of South African wines. We sampled eight wines in the faculty lounge, an area of the ship reserved just for seniors. Hogan favorites were the reds, specifically a pinotage and a shiraz. We extended the event in our cabin where we shared a shiraz that we bought in South Africa.
We have started lectures in preparation for India, our next port. Arrival is on Thursday. Thanks for reading and thank you to all who have sent us email. News and comments from home are wonderful to receive. We are especially curious to read of the snowstorm due to hit Philadelphia on the 2nd as we are near the equator.
Whew, it’s hot out!