At the same time that Tamar was on a business call with her client in Ho Chi Minh City, I was watching a documentary on National Geographic about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. The memorial was designed by Maya Lin and I saw another documentary about the preparation and construction of the monument several years ago. This documentary, however, was equally fascinating and in some ways even more touching to watch.

There are 58,260 names listed on the wall of the memorial. The only criteria is that the names be of men or women who were either killed or remained missing in the war.

What I found the most interesting was the in depth discussion of all of the many items left at the wall by visitors to the site. These items include flowers, notes, flags, and photographs and other items that we’ve now come to expect at similar memorial sites. Seeing these immediately reminded me of the items left after the September 11 attacks and even at some sites following terror attacks in Israel. The narrator explained that this tradition has largely been shaped over the years by the practice of thousands of visitors to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memoral, the second most visited site in Washington D.C. after the White House.

However, beyond the usual items, people have left and continue to leave much much more. There were personal items as well as military items, especially medals for service. There were collectible items such as memorabilia, sports items, clothing, etc. I remember seeing a cigarette that was “not wet”, something that meant a whole lot more to a soldier fighting in the tropical forests of Vietnam than it ever would to an average person today. The most popular alcohol left is a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. There was also a bullet that killed a particular soldier. Many of these military items were brought by fellow soldiers and left for the memory of their fallen comrades. In one instance a letter was left by a man who was then a young soldier at the time offering an apology for taking the life of the very soldier the letter was left for. The largest single item left was a custom made motorcycle assembled by veterans of Wisconsin made of donated parts and artistically crafted and painted in memory of missing POWs from that state.

At first these items were simply picked up and discarded but their importance was soon realized. They are now collected and stored safely and they make up a museum collection where they are prominently displayed. These items are like those in a time capsule representing an entire era in American history, a generation of war and those people who have lived on but with wounds unhealed. This museum collection is unlike any other in that it has been collated and offered up by ordinary people and has been given meaning by them because it truly has meaning for them.

Without a doubt it is to the thousands of soldiers whose names are carved into the black granite that the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, also known as The Wall, is dedicated. However, it is the constant stream of visitors who keep alive their memory and the memory of such a sad time in America’s past. On this Veterans Day, as is the case every year, I’m most reminded of the war in which I was born but in which so many others lost their lives. Whether through visits to the Wall, items left behind for loved ones, or trips to Asia for business or pleasure, Americans will surely continue to visit Vietnam over and over again for many years to come.

A real added bonus to working in tech while in Asia is being able to skip NY winter. I am dilligently researching beach options. Mmmm, I can almost taste that fruit shake!

At the end of my project with MSS, Kevin will come and meet me in HCMC where we will start our trip to Singapore, north Thailand and the islands. We are both so psyched!

One idea that I am excited about is renting a motorcycle and traveling through north of Thailand. From reading online, it sounds like the roads are in good condition both in the east and west, and lead you through stunning views. The challenge will be, of course, avoiding the masses of young travelers who flock into Chiang Mai area.

I really wanted to finally make it to China. I have been trying to go to China for 4 years now and every time, something else comes up. People seem to think that backpacking through China in winter is a bad idea (a Chinese friend of mine has confirmed it) and since I think NY Fall is cold enough, we decided to  skip that plan. We have been known to change our minds (and route) many times but, for now, it is looking like:

Hong Kong>Thailand (north and islands)>Singapore>Vietnam

To be continued…

I’ve come to the conclusion that the perfect subject to blog about will never be found so here is something that at least caught my attention and something that appealed to my love for animals…the hairy-nosed otter! A couple of these folks were just sighted in Vietnam after many years. Here’s a link with another hairy-nosed otter photo from the Phnom Tamau Wildlife Sanctuary where we visited last January

I’ve never written about otters before so it’s not a subject I’m prepared to expand on here. But the fact that these guys have particularly hairy noses definitely makes me question my previous views regarding the amount of hair normal otters have on their noses.

Tamar and I also like hearing about nature sanctuaries like U Minh Ha National Park and we’re curious about these places. Perhaps we’ll swing by on our next trip.

So, when is our next trip and where will we go? We’re working on that right now!

Articles included:

Halfway from rags to riches
Vietnam has made a remarkable recovery from war and penury, says Peter Collins. But can it change enough to join the rich world?

A bit of everything
Vietnam’s quest for role models

Two wheels good, four wheels better
The rich are ever more visible - but where are the poor?

Entrepreneurs unbound
Business of all kinds is booming

The return of the boat people
Former refugees bring back skills and money

From basket case to rice basket
Can the agricultural miracle last?

Revealing its hidden charm
Tourism could do a lot of good if Vietnam handles it properly

We want to be your friend
And yours, and yours, and yours too

How long can the party last?
The communists have relaxed everything except their grip on politics. Might that be next?

A country briefing on Vietnam is at: www.economist.com/vietnam

Man and his boat on the Mekong

The first episode of a new 4-part series entitled, Mekong: Soul of a River, will premier tonight on Discovery HD Theater.

The four parts of Mekong: Soul of a River will be:

Part 1: Enter the Nine Dragons/Vietnam (Feb 10)
Part 2: The Great Water/Cambodia (Feb 17)
Part 3: Mothers of Waters/Laos & Thailand (Feb 24)
Part 4: Source of Life/Burma & China (Mar 2)

Each part will be premiered on the dates listed above at 8pm and at 11pm and will also be replayed throughout each week.View schedule information here.

Kevin and Tamar Blogging by the Nam Khan River in Luang Prabang, Laos

Our five-week adventure to Vietnam, Laos and Camboda is over but our journey through Asia will continue. Stay with us for ongoing content related to Asia including news, more reviews, cultural commentary and, of course, information about our upcoming trips. Now is the perfect time to subscribe to AsiaSteps.com by RSS feed or email to receive periodic notification of our ongoing blog posts.

With the start of the New Year, we wish you all the best and hope that you’ll continue to join us as we discover Asia one step at a time!

Kevin & Tamar

Ho Chi Minh City

Here are some new photos taken in Ho Chi Minh City. Hopefully the energy and beauty of the city will come through in those images.

Enjoy!

Cuggits Isn’t Letting Us Travel Anytime Soon

After 24 long hours of flying, we’re finally back home. We went from 34 Celsius degrees and sunny to minus 4 and windy. We’ve missed our little Cuggits so much and are taking turns kissing and petting her. We’re going over our photos and are seeing them for the first time on a big screen. What a wonderful trip this has been!