The reason that (at least my portion) of the blog has been silent is that I've been afflicted with some sort of gastrointestinal nightmare with associated fever, rigors, sweats, and nausea. At least flow was unidirectional, if sudden, uncomfortable, and wholly unpleasant. As I was maintaining hydration (using the isotonic Revive from 7UP) and a small ability to eat I refrained from visiting any of the local medical facilities. Physician heal thyself. I'm hoping this is simply a bad bout of viral gastroenteritis and as my symptoms are improving this remains at the top of the differential. We had a sick one coming in, and a sick one coming out, but I'm glad that our sick casualties were to occur so fortuitously to only minimally affect our trip. I did however miss some happy, excellent meals with the in-laws by report. My loyal and loving wife remained at my side throughout this ordeal.
1.12.2011
Ho Chi Minh City Museum and the War Remnants Museum
Despite suffering from nausea, Lan was a trooper and went sight seeing with me in Ho Chi Minh City. This was certainly a day of challenging perspectives. The Ho Chi Minh City museum attempts to relate the history, geology, ecology, and economy of Ho Chi Minh City. There were several beautiful ceramic pieces that show the unique style and external influences of each dynasty. It was also interesting to see the state sanctioned historical perspective of the struggle against French colonialism by the communist movement which was subsequently turned into conflict to contain the spread of communism by the US. The version described in the museum is not quite the version I recall from grade school, and I'm fairly sure the truth lies somewhere in between.
Two Vietnamese beauties look on as I study the moves of a master.
Examples of Vietnamese pottery.
Attending a communist rally.
Model of the Cu Chi tunnels, the largest Viet Cong tunnel complex north of Ho Chi Minh City
The medical kit of a Viet Cong medic.
American service vehicles were captured by the Viet Cong who taught themselves how to operate them and then painted new colors on them for use toward the end of the war.
Outside the Ho Chi Minh City museum.
Despite the fact that I'm bigger than this car, private vehicles like this were used to ferry wounded, supplies, and weapons.
From the Ho Chi Minh City museum we walked north toward the Reunification Place, where the Southern Vietnamese surrendered. Unfortunately we didn't get to tour the inside because they were hosting a conference that day.
The Reunification Palace
The War Remnants Museum is a place of powerful emotion. The outside begins fairly benignly with captured implements of war by land and air. From there we walked through a replica of a prisoner of war museum which related stories of prisoners who were tortured. It showed cells, a real guillotine (with the biography of its last victim), and many photographs of the effects of torture. Some 4000 prisoners are still unaccounted for. While illuminating in highlighting similarities in torture techniques used then and now, e.g. "waterboarding", it is somewhat one-sided. Prisoners of war were tortured by both sides and kept in horrible surroundings.
Inside were different galley exhibits of photographs highlighting various atrocities of the American-Vietnamese conflict. One had the alleged victims of the effects of Agent Orange, a series of photographs of phenotypic deformities. While it is well acknowledged that this had more than herbicidal effects and presumably has carcinogenic and teratogenic effects a series a photos without epidemiologic correlation is shock value not science. Yes deformities are terrible afflictions and yes they could be presumably due to Agent Orange, but simply putting up pictures and slapping the label of Agent Orange victims is not a fair assessment, even if it might be true.
The floors above showed other collections of pictures. There was an exhibit of war correspondents pictures, some of whom were killed in action. War photographs are intensely emotional by their content alone, but there is something even more chilling when the picture is labelled "from the last roll of film shot by..." and the image recorded was minutes before their death.
Another exhibit showed the overall losses of the American-Vietnamese war, the numbers of killing and death. Another gallery showed the ravages of war on the cities and the regrowth that they have gone through today.
In all not the history I was taught and again I'm sure the truth lies between the two versions. War causes people to due inhuman things to one another and neither side is innocent of that. Perhaps we can learn from past mistakes, although more current history does not support that. The idea that one side is evil, or that Americans are always the good guys, might be a little too golden a perspective on our nation.
Captured air craft outside the War Remnants museum.
The exhibit featuring the prisoner of war prison used both by the South Vietnamese government, the French, and the US. Not a pleasant reminder of the inhumanity of humans during war.
Tiger cages were placed in the hot sun and often filled with offal, then not one but multiple prisoners would be thrust into them as punishment.
1.11.2011
Vietnamese History Museum and Water Puppets
Today we started the day by visiting the Vietnamese Museum of History. It detailed the history of the many peoples and dynasties of Vietnam from the Stone Age until the last of the Vietnamese kings. Each room tried to highlight one dynasty or people of Vietnam and by doing so showed how complex and multicultural this land really is. Vietnam has a unique cultural identity infused with contributions from every society that has ever touched it.
The Beautiful Young Vietnamese-American Women's Association of the Midwest touring the museum.
A door that is nearly a thousand years old.
Tablets from Oc Eo civilization
Posing with some statues. The thin giant seems to support the hypothesis that ancient man was visited by aliens.
The museum also featured water puppetry. I had never heard of this until I read about it in our guide book and was interested in checking it out. Apparently a traditional performance art form, the puppets are used to tell stories. What is particularly interesting is that the water is used to hide the poles, ropes, and whatever else makes the puppets work. The show was a spectacular wonder inducing series of more and more complex puppets, even for jaded 21st century eyes used to computer graphics. I spent most of the show entranced by the colorful characters and confused by how the puppeteers were accomplishing their performance. I just wish my nephews and young cousins have a chance to see a water puppet show in the future.
The Jade Emperor Pagoda
Many turtles in the pond adjacent to the Jade Emperor Pagoda
The Tran Hung Dao Temple
Eating a fantastic creme brulle at the Pat' a Chou near the Ben Thanh market after some shopping.
Our last event of the day was dinner with Uncles 4 and 9 and their families at the Mon Hué. Mon Hué has a collection of restaurants throughout Ho Chi Minh City (and allegedly in California) and serves Hué style cuisine. The food was fantastic.