My 3 Cents “Seeing is Believing”
Who knows what is real anymore? With AI, the printed word should be questioned. (Am I REALLY writing this column?) With the ease of Photoshop, I might be seen in a spacesuit on my way with a few other celebs on a multi-million-dollar publicity stunt (never gonna happen). Now, even the uniqueness of my voice can be manipulated to present entirely different opinions than I espouse. (Only to be debunked if you know me at all.)
That’s why my recent trip to Southeast Asia was such an eyeopener. I wasn’t relying on the internet or any social media to shape my day. There was a flat screen TV in every hotel we stayed at over the three weeks, but I never felt the need, or had the desire, to turn it on.
I had been to Asia before. The first time was in 1983 with an amateur women’s soccer team. The only way to enter China at that time was either with a sports group or a musical ensemble. [I have written an account of that adventure. If you’re interested in reading it, let me know.) In 2004 and 2005, I was fortunate to be involved with the Bangkok Film Festival as a film critic. I would hardly call it work because I was doing what I loved. Then in 2012, I traveled with a friend to Vietnam on a Mekong River Cruise. Every day of that trip remains vivid in my mind and the draw to return to that part of the world and share it with Kay, my wife, was strong.
Traveling with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) had been successful for us in the past (Tanzania and New Zealand), so when the “Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand Laos Cambodia Vietnam” tour came to our attention, we didn’t hesitate to sign on.
Fourteen strangers, an OAT guide, plus an additional guide with each new country, immediately meshed as a troupe of likeminded travelers. Bangkok was a bustling city with lots of activities, particularly since they were celebrating their new year. The memo said, “Be prepared to get wet!” It was not a joke.
The water celebration continued to Laos with even more intensity. Since the average temps were in the mid-90s, most of us welcomed the sometimes-surprising drenching!
Avoiding the usual travel diary (“today I did this – tomorrow we go here”) format (you can visit the OAT site to relive the journey vicariously), suffice it to say each day offered a new location, incredible food, and a lesson in history.
One of my strongest memories from 2012 was visiting Angkor Wat in Cambodia. This magnificent temple should be on everyone’s “must see” list. It’s difficult to type the following: the experience has changed. During the first visit I remember walking through the wooded area on a dirt path with lots of local vendors, children selling pencils or trinkets to tourists, and lots of monkeys searching for treats of any kind. I walked up the long path to the front of the temple trying to imagine centuries ago what it must have been like.
Thirteen years later, I certainly recognized the temple, but there was a difference. The bus approached the temple from the back, and we walked past manicured lawns being watered by an automated sprinkler system. After visiting the temple which now has wooden stairs installed in several places, I crossed a floating bridge (next to the original walkway) to a paved area with lots of tables and chairs, formal souvenir shops, and a variety of cool beverages for sale.
When I mentioned to our guide how much the area had changed, he said, “the Chinese had invested monies to make it more presentable.”
So, even though the history hadn’t changed, the surroundings had. Except for one very important factor. The people.
The absolute best part of the journey was being welcomed into homes, sharing meals, exchanging ideas. Never once did I feel uncomfortable. Particularly in Saigon. We spent the last four days of our tour in a city that was preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of the end of the American War. (Most of us in the US refer to as the Vietnam War.)
Hundreds of thousands of people from every town and city in Vietnam converged on the city, most dressed in red with a gold star in the middle, symbolizing the Vietnam flag. As Anglos, we stood out as tourists and yet smiles greeted us wherever we went. Streets jammed with scooters and sidewalks crowded with citizens could be intimidating, but individual space was respected. No one bumped into me, no one uttered a cross word.
What’s real? Being there. Seeing for myself, feeling the intensity of the heat, eating delicious rice dishes, meeting terrific people that, alas, I will never see again, and tasting for the first time a fresh mango smoothie!