My final days in Vietnam were spent in Ho Chi Minh City and various locations in and around the Mekong River Delta. Southern Vietnam is quite different than Hanoi and the other parts of north Vietnam that I visited. The traffic is even more chaotic, the street scenes have many more American based stores / fast food chains, and the trash situation is totally out of control.

The tour group I joined in Ho Chi Minh City included a retired couple from Istanbul and two high school grads from South Africa. The young ladies from South Africa seemed so much more self assured and capable than I think I felt at that age, and I was quite impressed that they were travelling on their own, even with the help of some tour guides and a detailed itinerary. From Ho Chi Minh City, we visited the Reunification Palace, simple on the outside, yet mammoth sized and quite elaborate on the inside, adorned with rugs, curtains and other trimmings in rich colors of red and gold.

We also visited the War Museum, where I experienced a dramatic shift in perspective for which I was hardly prepared. Our first stop in the War Museum was a small exhibit demonstrating the tiny cages in which prisoners of war were held, and my mind went to the Deer Hunter where Christopher Walken and some other guys were in a cage mostly submerged in water, with rats swimming around them. As I continued through that exhibit, though, there were depictions through paintings of prisoners in the cages, and it hit me that these prisoners were all Vietnamese. I checked with the guide to be sure I was understanding correctly, and he confirmed that the cages were built and guarded by American soldiers, and that the prisoners were from north Vietnam / Viet Cong. Thus began two hours of confusion and a bit of horror as I began to understand the messages that the guide was offering to our group. He kept referring to the "Vietnam War" as the "American War," and describing the conflict as one between the Americans and North Vietnam. He explained that South Vietnam "belonged to" the Americans, and the south Vietnamese were supporting the Americans in their war with the North. I'll confess that I have done little reading about the war (but I have done a little!), but this perspective on the conflict took what I thought I understood (that we went in to help keep North Vietnam from taking control over the south, on behalf of the south and, of course, our own misguided objective of stopping the spread of communism, and flipped it on its head. I suspect the truth is a mix of both viewpoints.

As I continued through the museum, I understood that the three story building was singularly focused on the atrocities committed against the people of Vietnam by America, and there was no focus on the difficulties faced by the American troops, which is where America, at least Hollywood, keeps its attention. Of course I came to understand why, but wow - traveling really widens one's aperture. The exhibits included photos of the ruined land, crops and farms burned to the ground by napalm, photos of people burned to a crisp by napalm, and photos of the next generation of shocking and debilitating birth defects attributed to the widespread use of agent orange throughout the land. There were babies born without limbs, with enormous tumors on their face, cleft palates, microencephaly, disfigured body parts of all sorts, the list goes on and the stark photos were seemingly endless. It was hard to take in, and hard to look away. In the end, America withdrew and the north moved in anyway.

Our next visit was to the Cu Chi tunnels, used by the Viet Cong (after entiring south vietnam via the ho chi minh trail) to hide out in underground barracks in South Vietnam, moving among the barracks through the smallest of tunnels, connected like the mazes of ant nests we used to look at in the 80s through plexiglass tabletop ant farms that some disturbing people had in their homes. Some South Vietnamese who were sympathetic or aligned with the north helped keep the locations of these tunnels a secret, and the entrances were cleverly camouflaged. This helps explain why our soldiers were suspicious of all Vietnamese, even in the south. We were able to climb through some of the tunnels, but you had to do so stooped over with knees bent. In addition to the strain on my compromised knee, I found it quite uncomfortable to be in a line with other stooped over sweaty Americans, so that we were basically nose to butt. There were three possible exit points, and I chose the first one. :)

Also in this location were a number of exhibits of "traps" set by the Viet Cong - not only land mines, but also hidden traps into which a soldier might step, only to have his leg or body impaled by sharpened bamboo sticks. These would not kill the soldier, but would cause him to yell for help. Once his troop was surrounding him, the Viet Cong would emerge from the tunnels and ambush the American soldiers, killing them all. War is Hell, indeed.

My next trip was through the Mekong River Delta, where my group visited a place where coconut candy (which is surprisingly delicious) is made. This is not a factory with four walls and a roof, it is a home / farm / candy making venture with thatched roof and open sides, supported by bamboo and similar locally sourced supports.

We took a sampan ride down a tributary, which certainly evoked memory of numerous war movie scenes. Once I managed to banish those images from my mind, the ride was peaceful and quiet, a respite that was increasingly difficult for me to find. Finally, we visited the larger area of the lower Mekong River, visiting a floating market, where farmers would row up next to the bigger boats, attach their rowboat via a bungee cord sort of thing, and sell you stuff - hot tea, all sorts of produce, even some smaller livestock and fish. The wild scene was packed with boats and activity, and many people shouting things over the din of boat engines.

Of course this leg of our journey also brought us to some delicious lunch stops, where I enjoyed Pho, spring rolls, sea food, noodles, etc. I loved the food in Vietnam, especially when I asserted that I was a vegetarian to ensure I was not served animal organs or river rat.

Speaking of river rats, none of the hotels in Vietnam had hair conditioner or body lotion, all of which I had left behind in Hong Kong, assuming I'd just use the hotel's stash. I get that this is a first world problem, and a minor issue in the big picture of the world's present day problems, but the struggle was still real. The thing I left behind inadvertently was my hairbrush. I made my way through the country with matted hair and flaking skin, somewhat sweaty because of the constant heat and humidity in the south, basically looking more like a feral local beast than a spoiled American tourist. I'm lucky they didn't catch me on a stake and roast me at a street side food spot.

Thus marked the end of my Vietnam trip. I returned to Hong Kong and spent another delightful few days with Jordan, including a dramatic, steep, and beautiful hike up and across Dragon's Back on the "Hong Kong Trail." My last night here was last night, and I'm killing time now until I head to the airport to come home. There were more protestor/police clashes not far from my hotel last night. I guess I didn't fix everything as I'd hoped to do.

A few more notes on Vietnam and traveling in general:

• The tour guides referred to the restrooms as the "Happy Room."
• When asking for tips, several tour guides said, "no money, no honey." And then I saw the same saying on a sign in some random spot.
• There are so many stray dogs. Don't pet them. they have fleas. And they don't want to be pet. They just want your food and then for you to f-ck off.
• Traveling forces you outside of your comfort zone and to use tiny little pieces of your brain to learn new skills like how to open a can of beer, which is surprisingly not universally the same process.
• Some countries really do make you show your luggage claim ticket before you can leave baggage claim. It would make my Mom happier if they would do this in America.
• Stay off the streets if there's a big futbol win.
• If English is taught in school and recognized as a second language, that does not mean that you will find many people who speak much English. Try to learn a few local phrases. It's not all about us.
• Education isn't free in some places
• There are people who smile at you simply because, and not because they want something from you.
• There are people who will glare at you. You may never understand why. Try to learn more about local culture and to be sensitive, but also get comfortable feeling uncomfortable.
• Two weeks of travel might teach you as much as two years studying almost anything else.
• Perhaps it is YOU who is rude.
• If you are confident, you can resist being pressured or rushed. If you are not confident, practicing resistance will build that muscle
• Give of yourself, your possessions, and your money freely - to people, to animals, to experiences - without knowing whether it is considered culturally necessary or expected, and without demanding or expecting anything in return.
• No matter how stoic you may be, we need one another to get around and through things.
• And, finally, the people and processes that you are certain cannot survive without you, can.

Thank you for accompanying me on my journey! Wishing all a peaceful 2020.