Cambodia Calling

Right from the time we got on the bus in the early morning in Ho Chi Min City we knew that this border crossing was going to be very different from our last land crossing. I guess to be fair going from one capital city to another should be trouble free and it certainly was.

The bus conductor/ attendant/ guide spelled out the whole process in 2 languages as soon as the bus departed, then collected our passports and fees, filled in the forms and had them express processed for us at the border. There were trucks, semi-trailers, articulated transports with containers and all manner of freight as well as empty vehicles lining the road between the 2 countries. In that no-mans-land where you are already stamped out but not yet stamped in but our bus simply slid through the middle of the parked vehicles and deposited us right outside the checkpoint door on the Cambodian side. Our personal assistant called our names, as the procedure was complete and we simply walked through the check station with everything perfectly in order. A busload of 40+ passengers and 6 or 7 nationalities was done and dusted in less than 30 minutes. Now that is efficiency.

‘Nice start to the Cambodia chapter,’ thought I. The dusty road and auto-workshops that dotted the side of the road on both sides of the border gave way to rice paddies after the first 30 minutes and soon we were zooming through the usual mish mash of traffic on a surprisingly good road.

Having been in Siem Reap- Angkor Wat before we felt pretty comfortable about knowing how things work in Cambodia but Phnom Penh has a completely different atmosphere to sleepy Siem Reap, so we soon discovered we were in for a totally new adventure.

This is a sprawling, dusty, developing city with more sophistication and more diversity that we were expecting. It has its river view area with cafes, charity based handicraft shops and boutique outlets as well as a thriving market zone and embassy, NGO and ritzy precincts. Hives of local activity give way to construction without warning and palaces, temples, monuments and colonial relics abound.

Things began in a pretty sobering way. While I was happy not to spend too much time on the many war related sights in Vietnam, having lived that experience as the “Television War” I felt we had a pretty sound understanding of the history and the facts, which was supplemented by the reading we did as we travelled, the same cannot be said for Cambodia’s recent history. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge is a totally different thing. For me at least I feel it was the secret war. Not until it was over did the world really know and I feel that even now I don’t know much and cannot really comprehend it.

For this reason I thought that the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum(aka Office S.21) and The Choeung Ek Genocide Centre (aka The Killing Fields) were essential sights. There is something chilling about just being in these places. As the stories and testimonials unfold it is impossible not to reflect on what motivated it and what it hoped to achieve. At some point I was confronted with the knowledge of what was going on in my life at the time these atrocities were being perpetrated. How guilty one begins to feel about being unscathed. I still have no answer to the “why” but I have a lot more information.

In silence hundreds of people walk through these places each day and solemn introspection is the norm.  This is not the wow factor of Angkor, this is serious. Compelling and horrific at the same time, one somehow feels the need to put oneself through it. I think I would have felt I had not done Phnom Penh justice if I had not gone but at the same time it feels ghoulish to even be there. I have again embarked on a program of reading biographies that I hope will extend my understanding and maybe even answer some of the questions that still remain.

Just to add to this very somber note, a friend who we met for lunch here on the first day was attacked and robbed by 5 youths on the walk back to her hotel that night. It can happen anywhere but we are now even more cautious and a lot more wary. Whilst we do not suspect everyone we need to be vigilant and keep our wits about us on the streets and in Tuk Tuks and other transport.

Just when we thought it was all impossibly serious, yesterday was the 60^th anniversary of Independence Day. That is independence from French rule by the way. The military marches woke us before 6am that morning, the streets were lined with police, fire and army vehicles and there was a complete blockade of the riverfront directly in front of our hotel. We had to explain our presence to get back to the rooms after breakfast! So the ceremonies at least were not for the general public. In the evening it gave way to swarming masses strolling along the bund, balloons for the children and spectacular fireworks, which we delighted in witnessing from an openair bar on the third floor. So let the fun begin…

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

Without a doubt most of South East Asia is blessed with a climate that enables a proliferation of fresh produce to thrive. Vietnam is no exception.

Fabulously fresh ingredients

The markets are teeming with exotic fruit and a wide variety of vegetables all temptingly displayed and inviting purchase. Many are still unidentifiable to us but our knowledge and recognition of the more exotic was certainly expanded in Vietnam. I confess we are both addicted to markets and their bustling activity and I simply cannot resist fruit I have never seen or tasted before. New taste sensations were definitely a big part of the Vietnam experience.

Delicious drinks 

Invariably the central zone of the market is a cluster of stalls selling simple, cheap meals prepared on the spot and an incredible range of colourful and refreshing drinks that are concocted from fruit, tapioca, agar agar, coconut, milk, yoghurt, coffee or tea or a combination of them, blended or layered into tall glasses with or without ice and presented with a flourish seconds after you place your order. Vietnam must have the greatest variety of and be the number one producer of iced beverages.

Stunning street food  

Vendors in the markets, do a roaring trade from dawn until dusk and still spend every spare moment soliciting more customers. Those without the resources to set up a table and some stools, ply their trade from 2 baskets slung over a shoulder pole and walk through the markets, streets and alleys. These baskets could contain something as simple as a pre-prepared dessert and fruit or something a heavy and difficult to transport as a small coal burning brazier and all the ingredients to cook and assemble a piping hot meal of noodles in soup in seconds, in addition to the bowls to serve it.

Oodles of noodles

As vegetarians without local language skills, we are often wary of the broth or the condiments that go into these street foods and are therefore compelled to forgo tasting what look to be delicious snacks and treats. Peddling them through the streets ensures tempting aromas waft through the air as they are whisked by, on the shoulder of someone with much more developed crowd-maneuvering skills than us. Vietnam surpassed any other Asian food culture we have ever experienced and with a bit of patience and a keen eye we were quickly able to identify what was or was not kosher for us and satisfy our desire to taste.

Ridiculously cheap restaurant meals 

Restaurants were also a source a delicious new flavours. We loved the many establishments that provide training and apprenticeships to disadvantaged youth. They run hostels for their trainees and fund themselves through high class, low cost restaurants. “Koto” in Hanoi, “Baguette & Chocolat” in Sapa and “Streets” in Hoi An all impressed us as did the Buddhist vegetarian cafes where a bowl of noodles costs less than $2 and comes with as much tea as you want. Several colonial mansions lovingly restored and converted into cool, airy, open dining areas were also a delight. 

Ambient eating areas

Now, even after trying to limit our intake to 2 meals a day we are faced with how to lose the weight all this delicious food has caused us both to gain! Well OK the beer to wash it all down might also have played a part.

After just one day in Phnom Penh we can see this city is also up there as a foodie destination and we may need to head out to the provinces to curtail the consumption, sooner rather than later!

The face of Vietnam?

It has taken me a while to get a sense of Vietnam. At first it seemed that each place we visited had its own culture, heritage, history and atmosphere and that there wasn’t much that held them all together. Even adversity, war and struggling to survive and start again, again and again, had affected each in very different ways. Each place in its own way seemed unique and picturesque but I couldn’t sense the cultural connection. What makes Vietnam, Vietnam?

Recently it has dawned on me that it is the character of the people. Although there is no one defining type there is a multitude of characters and personalities that reappear with regularity, they are not definitively different from north to south. 

Well OK the food also connects the whole nation but there truly are regional and specific variations it is just that they all seem available in most places.  

The many faces, characters and mannerisms of the Vietnamese students I have taught over the years have come back to me at various times throughout this trip. When a certain similar expression or physical appearance flashed me back to a memory, or certain gesture or an almost identical pronunciation prompted the recollection of names and events from the past, it was with delight. That strong, independent, close-knit, resourceful and uncomplaining group students gave me the first glimpse of the character of the Vietnamese people and built my initial impression, which has expanded and developed into deep respect in the last month, just as it did for those first few individuals so long ago.

I can readily recall:

-Phuc’s fiery spirit and entrenched patriotism,

-Niem’s stylish and articulate ways,

-Anita Nguyen’s assuredness and benevolence

-(Khoi Quoc Lee) Kevin’s confident and outspoken manner and affability

-Mai’s grace and charm and emotional maturity

-Tim’s shy but determined application- I wonder now if his Vietnamese name was Toan. I cannot recall it as he always used this English pseudonym

-My Linh’s responsible, protective and diligent approach

-Phuong’s pensiveness and that overwhelmed expression that often appeared

-Minh’s wide-eyed innocence and eagerness to be part of the in crowd

-Bao Tran’s cheerfulness and zest for life

I have seen their faces in the crowds at the markets and the masses riding motorcycles in the streets. I have heard their voices in the calls of stall vendors, conductors and tour guides and the gentle melodic voices of hotel receptionists and strangers offering assistance. I thank those students for their initial lessons and feel glad to have a better understanding of where they came from and what shaped their characters.

Though here in Ho Chi Minh City I have only had the chance to meet one of them it was wonderful. I know that some are now proud to be Australians but some are also home here in Vietnam. Meeting successful adults, who have made their way in the world years later, is one of the greatest rewards of teaching, and it certainly was the icing on the cake for me in Vietnam.

I guess I’ll get back to the food in the next entry!