Random thoughts on War (unfinished)

Throughout Vietnam, you feel a certain heavy pressure about the American War. Partly because it's an obvious draw for tourists - to understand what happened, and because it is a big piece of many people's living history. You can also feel like the Vietnamese would like people to know them for more than that - to know their country more than one war. But it's hard - it's hard because it's not that easy to forget.

For example - I took a trip from Hoi An (central/South Vietnam - the place with all the tailors) to Mi Son - "the Beautiful Mountain" an ancient religous site of the Cham people (Chams were conquered by the Vietnamese). The temple complex is quite impressive, and the guide that is leading us around tells us how the temples looked before it was bombed. 2 of the complexes were leveled by 2-3 B-52 bombs, a third is only a shadow of it's former self. The gaping craters from the bombs have still not been filled in. It's just sad. Here the temples have stood for hundreds of years - and are removed in a puff of smoke.

I left some notes on the blog... I can't type fast enough, or have reflected enough to say what I really think - but we spent a lot of time in Saigon at the War museums, and the Cu Chi Tunnels. And to follow it up, our first day in Phnom Penh, Cambodia was a trip to the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng (S-21) Prison of the Khmer Rouge. It's a whole lot of awful death and destruction all at once.

Coming to Cambodia, it is painfully obvious how the Khmer Rouge have gutted their own contryman's ability to have a life for themselves or their children. For a reign of less than 5 years of real power it is hard to conceive the mayhem and total destruction Pol Pot and his henchman were able to effect - they abolished currency, "equalized" the citizens (no school/education system), and slaughtered the Vietnamese who formed the bulk of their skilled trades class. Today, sanitation is poor to non-existant, corruption abounds, roads are built for tourists (we traveled the residential areas of Phnom Penh and the local streets in Siem Riep - people told me paved roads are only built for tourists - now I believe them), education is expensive and the government is still full of Khmer Rouge - not enough educated people left alive to take the reins.

I don't know what to think. Cambodia is a very special place - more laid back than Vietnam, the people are friendly and honest, they work very, very hard for what little they have. They are trying to rebuild what was torn from them by their own countymen, but they are very honest and forthright about the loss of their family members to the Khmer Rouge. I am amazed at how willing to talk about their problems and the realities of life in Cambodia.