I think this is the first time I've struggled to start a post. I think because it is and isn't my final post. It's final in the sense that it will be the last post I do whilst I'm technically still away, but I still want to do one last one summing up the past four months. But for now...
The last three days of Vietnam...
After leaving Hanoi we took a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. The trip then took a bit of an unexpected sombre and emotional turn. We all know of the Vietnam war but I'll admit that I knew nothing about it. I even had to google it before I got there as I didn't even know why there was a war in the first place. We can see from our own countries wars how much it can change a country and shape the futures of the many generations that come afterwards so I was interested to find out more about it. However I really wasn't expecting to find what we did.
The War Remnants Museum documents the war mostly through photography demonstrating how the war was carried out and also the after effects including the famous 'Girl in the Picture'. When I think of war I think of the films that were shown on the news of fighting between soldiers and I thought for some reason, being that this was a fairly recent war in historical terms that this would be similar. Soldiers fighting between themselves with the tragic inevitability that civilians would have got caught up in the cross fire from time to time. However I was literally horrified to discover how much of the hostility was directed at civilians. It was some of the most graphic photography I have ever seen. There was one particular image and caption beneath it that definitely stuck with me...I started writing about it here but I didn't feel right so I decided to delete it. The whole museum was emotional but this particular image nearly brought me to tears. I can't believe it happened only twenty years before I was born.
This then developed into a discussion over dinner about what we'd seen, how uneducated we were about this particular war (I think the phrase "I knew it was bad but I didn't realise how bad" was used a lot) and how war affects us today. I know it's a cliche but it also opened my eyes to how much Vietnam is still suffering. You can see it in all the temples and palaces that are being restored from bomb damaged and all the people suffering from birth defects as a result of chemical warfare. Despite it being a bit of a heavy day it was good to have a bit of serious moment with the group (and to find out I wasn't the only soppy git who wanted to shed a tear).
The positive part of the day...the displays of all the anti war posters from so many countries. Just when you're having a 'people suck' moment, it can take something small to restore your faith in humanity again.
The next day we went a bit further south to the Mekong Delta for a nights home stay again. It was completely different to the last one in that we were sleeping outside under a bamboo cover. I got a feeling of child like excitement at the prospect of sleeping outside...until what I thought was a cockroach flew into my mosquito net. Cue me screaming...then everyone else screaming...then discovering it was a (massive) dragon fly. The woman and her small daughter came and removed it for me *shame* and mr dragon fly went on his way.
The night also wasn't complete without a few shots of some kind of vile Vietnamese spirit, the banana wine we were served wasn't quite as horrific as rice wine but the 'I'm not gagging face' was prevalent in most of our faces again. Personally I always think that one should stick to the things they are good at. For example, if you can't sing...don't try to be a singer. Equally if you a carbohydrate based accompaniment to many Asian dishes, don't try to be a spirit. It makes perfect sense to me...and anyone else who has tasted rice based spirits.
Before heading back to Ho Chi Minh we went and visit the Cu Chi tunnels, a series of tunnels that people lived in during the war and were also used to ambush the Americans. Going down into the tunnels was quite something, most of us had issues fitting our big western asses into the tiny holes and I was completely shattered after shuffling along them bend double for five minutes. It was hot, cramped, smelt damp and would have been completely pitch black at time. I can't comprehend spending years of my life down there.
We had the last supper and a few drinks back in Ho Chi Mihn to round off the trip and say goodbye. Something that tasted suspiciously like a rice based spirit masquerading as vodka cropped up again...I will forgive it this time though as it definitely did the trick!
We made a group decision to get up and have breakfast together at 7:30am the next day as the Luis' were leaving to go to Cambodia early (nope, not jealous at all). Although I begrudged getting up at the time I'm glad we did it as it was a nice but sleepy eyed way to end the trip.
Thank you Ellen, Emily, Barbara, Luis Junior, Luis Senior, Edda and Nigh for an amazing two weeks, it was the perfect end to my time away.
I'm now sitting in Doha airport (feeling like I've spent 4 months, 1 week and 3 days travelling) waiting for my flight back to the UK. So far I've been here for 9 hours so only 2 more to wait. Up until now it's just felt like I'm travelling onto somewhere else in Asia but it's now starting to hit home that I'm actually going home (pardon the pun). Dad was showing me some pictures he's printed off of me and he said he'd printed off a couple of me with the kids from India. I got a sudden pang of emotion and realisation of how much I'm going to miss it all (cue playing a bit of Bollywood music on the iPod).
Words cannot describe how fantastic this part of my life has been, it literally has been the best thing I've ever done. I'm not quite ready to try and sum it all up yet but when I do I'll give it my best shot.
For now it's goodbye to the amazing Asia and onto home sweet home! To all the people I've met...thank you, you've truly made my time away and to everyone at home, I can't wait to see you again!
See you in the UK!
Love always from
Holly
xxx
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