SEOUL - DECEMBER 15, 2000
Life without a telephone. Believe it or not, I've been in Seoul now for nearly three months, and been working, living, socializing, and existing in the land of mobile phones (everyone has one here), but I don't use one.
Its not to much of an issue though, because I can usually find a handful of friends in different places. If its absolutely essential, I will make the effort to find a public phone. Normally, this 'phone thing' isn't too big of a deal. But I just finished a weekend where I've met a few people who I really should have contacted (because there isn't any way to contact me besides email), and they were a little disappointed in me. I've never really been that much of a 'phone' person. As soon as I come back in January, I think it will be time to buy a handphone, and perhaps a computer too (as cheap as the PC-Bangs - Internet Cafes - are, if you spend enough time there as I do, it begins to add up, or subtract from, the finances).
Well, I bought my ticket to Vietnam. I'll be leaving in a few days, the next entry will be posted from Saigon. I've been spending alot of time planning where I'm going and what I'm doing. Just in case, a reader isn't up to the latest news on Vietnam and Cambodia. I am going to spend this entry briefly discussing what the current situation of the countries.
VIETNAM
Well, Vietnam is Vietnam. Land of conical hats and rice paddies, and the buzz and excitement of Saigon. The Mekong Delta and the battleground of the world's greatest powers who fought over two ideological economic theories. The last few years overseas investment has been pouring into Vietnam with a vengeance for missed time. The city is exploding with skyscrapers and construction. Now is definetely the time to see it. Supposedly, Sunday night is the best night, as everyone rides throughout the wide city streets to see and be seen in their latest clothing fashions while cruising on motorbikes, mopeds, and bicycles. Friends and fellow travelers, who have experienced it, have told me the energy is incredible.
Also, Vietnam has had such an interesting influence from foreign cultures. The most obvious is China, but its also very southeast asian, which extends across from India going eastward. Some of the more interesting influences I'll be looking out for is the French influence on Vietnamese cuisine. Supposedly, Vietnam makes some incredible French baguettes which can be found throughout the country, and many of the architecture is French colonial style. You can't underestimate how much influence they've had in this country. The French had a significant influence from the 1860s until 1954 when they were defeated by the Vietnamese at the end of the French-Vietnam War which lasted from 1946-1954 when the Vietnamese were demanding their independence from long French colonial rule. The influence of French food and architecture is still visible.
But with the freedom from the French, and a divided Vietnam between political ideologies, the next foreigners to set foot would arrive in 1965, and be the Americans to begin what the Vietnamese call the "American War". 13 million tons of bombs were dropped in this region, equivalent to 450 times the energy of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Agent Orange was extensively used and Napalm which is still effecting the Vietnamese with high rates of cancer and mutated birth defects.
Some interesting statistics during the war, was the Korean effort who also sent 50,000 soldiers to help fight for America's economic ideology. They fought in Vietnam between 1965 to 1971, and were well known for their extreme brutality and exceptional fighting ability.
One of the more interesting casualties of the American War are the large number of Euroasians born during the war. Marriages between American soldiers and Vietnamese women as well as from prostitutes. When the Americans left the war, many of them abandoned their wives or mistresses, leaving the women to support half black or half white children. Many of these children were abondoned or left to live in the streets. They were often denied education and other opportunities in a country which wasn't tolerant of such racial integration. At the end of the 1980s, the United Nations tried to help these Euroasians, and now many have been able to become re-educated mainly in the USA, among other places. I have however, read and observed some other travel journals, and many of these Euroasian-Vietnamese also still live in their home country of birth - Vietnam. Their odd existance and presence is another interesting aspect of travel in Vietnam.
Well, I'll write more about Vietnam once I'm there in a few days with first hand impressions. Now lets move on to Cambodia.
CAMBODIA
Once in Vietnam, I plan to get my visa for Cambodia, and be there within several days after my arrival to Vietnam. The plan is to be back in Vietnam for New Years Eve though.. For the unknowing, Cambodia has long been an extremely unpredictable and dangerous place for foreigners and Cambodians alike. Its probably one of the most lawless societies on the planet. One of the most incredible books I've ever read is called "Off the Rails in Phnom Pehn: Into the Dark Heart of Guns, Girls, and Ganja" by Amit gilboa, published in 1998. I'll quote part of the back cover from this book to get a sense of this place:
"Phnom Pehn is a city of beauty and degradation, tranquility and violence, and tradition and transformation; a city of temples and brothels, music and gunfire, and festivals and coups. But for many it's simply an anarchic celebration of insanity and indulgence. Whether its the $2 wooden-shack brothels, the ganja-pizza restaurants, the AK-47 fireworks displays, or the intricate brutality of Cambodian politics, Phnom Pehn never ceases to amuse."
Just to get a sense of the background of the place before I get into the insanity of the place. Angkor Wat of Cambodia was one of largest and most important world cities of its time. It is still one of the most awe-inspiring sights to see. Its probably a good idea for me to record my future journey through this country in this journal now (just someone out there has a sense of where I am, in case the journal suddenly ceases to be written). Hey, you never know! Anyhow, the plan is to go from Saigon in Vietnam to Phnom Pehn in Cambodia. Then its a six-hour boat ride from the capital of Phnom Pehn to Siem Riep, which is right next to the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat. You can also take a bus, but there are so many police checkpoints and leftover heavily armed Khmers which have a long history of violence, robberies, and kidnapping. Once I get to the city of Angkor Wat, you can literally take days and days to explore the ruins. Supposedly, you have to be somewhat careful though, because Cambodia is one of the world's most heavily land-minded countries. An amazing statistic is 1 out of every 250 Cambodians is an amputee from stepping on a land mine. There are still somewhere between 4 million to 6 million landmines still awaiting their victims. Phnom Pehn and Angkor Wat is supposedly somewhat cleared of these, although they still exist, but most of the country, you really don't want to walk around too much and become another statistic.
From most expats and traveler stories, it seems as if most long-terms expats or travelers, have a pretty high chance of being heldup by gunpoint at some point in there stay. Particularly late at night, but its not uncommon during the middle of the day earlier. Most travelers stay in the same hostel areas, and can easily be found if one of the many armed locals decide they need a little extra cash. Guns are extremely prevalent, and the corruption is unbelievable. Foreigners are a good source for some extra dollars in a land where most people's salaries might be only about $30/month, which is probably about the same amount of money many travelers might have stashed somewhere, hopefully hidden, on their body.
Its also not uncommon to hear gunfire at night, as most Cambodians seem to settle their disputes this way. Its also, from what I hear, a very magical mesmerizing place, which scares off even some of the hardiest of travelers, and definetly isn't for the feint of heart and definetely not for anyone looking for a holiday vacation. Its pretty much hardcore travel at its very most intense. I am actually really looking forward to going here, and more excited about this visit moreso than perhaps anywhere else I've ever been.
To read the Next Journal Entry in VIETNAM:
December 20, 2000
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