I’m leaving Hanoi (and Vietnam) tomorrow, all too soon and with a bit of sadness. I know I’ll come back soon, to this beautiful country with lush forests, green fields, and warm people. And next time I do, it’ll be on a motorcycle.

Hue was Vietnam’s capital for about 200 years, during the reign of the mighty Nguyen dynasty. They built a citadel on the north bank of the Perfume River of impressive breadth which nowadays is being used for housing and agriculture. I was amazed by how quiet the city is, both inside the citadel and by the river’s south bank where the hotels and entertainment are. Wondering through the city, I almost forgot that I was in the 13th most populous country in the world. The imperial palace reminded me of a smaller version of the Forbidden Palace in Beijing. It’s hard to resist a smirk upon seeing all the Chinese influence in the architecture and language. I spent a good chunk of the afternoon there, skipping out when the mass amount of tour groups started coming through.

I took a boat ride on the Perfume River the next day (yesterday) and saw the tombs of Mihn Mang (who had 330 wives, one for everyday of the year minus the weekends, and over 150 children) and that of Tu Duc (who was rumored to be impotent because of the sphyllis he contracted while involved with prostitute). They were very impressive and picturesque.

I hauled butt back to my hotel to finish packing before my bus came. That journey was a 16 hour trial, involving extremely loud Vietnamese drama, temperamental air conditioning, and a traffic jam at 5 in the morning (during which we all got out because it was stifling in the bus). On the plus side, I met 3 new friends, and we probably annoyed all the locals by our chattering in hte back. Now I’m in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. It’s much cooler here and even drizzling a little outside. I’ll probably spend the next 2 days in Halong Bay, the weather barring, before chilling in Hanoi until the 10th. Then it’s off to the Motherland! I’m very excited about seeing my family and spending New Years in China. Hanoi is all decked out with banners and red lanterns, with traditional sweets (and Communist caps – but whatever) being sold at every corner. China is going to be incredible, though I can’t help wondering what I’m gonna do there for a month. Figure out my life? Hmm….there’s a possibility….

I’ve heard that the coastal city of  Nha Trang has great beaches, good diving, and all around good time. But since I felt I’ve beached enough in Thailand, I wasn’t planning on staying there very long.  I arrived in Nha Trang around 6:30am, booked a bus to Hoi An for 6pm that night, and went off searching for a dive shop. Most of them have already left for the day, but I did find one run by a French expat who sent me off with an island tour boat that will drop me off at his dive boat off Mun Island. It was a gorgeous ride out, blue water, green mountains, and beachy music. 

The dive site was great. The visibility wasn’t as good as off Ko Nanyuan in Thailand, but definitely has more than passable visibility. I also saw more fishes and coral here. I played catch with a giant starfish (which my Divemaster picked up and which I’m pretty sure wasn’t allowed), chased a barracuda, and swam with a school of fishes. On the way back, I swapped stories with 2 guys from Spain and the Netherlands. It’s always interesting to meet travellers and hear their crazy adventures.

I’ve been in Hoi An since early yesterday. It’s got an old town feel, very cute and laid back. It’s crazy hot during the day but much cooler during the evening time, especially by the river. I went to the Cham ruins in My Son today, to see the ancient temples  set against lush forests and meandering streams. It’s a beautiful location, and the temples, though not as interesting as others I’ve seen, were a testament to the ingenuity of the Chams (they used sugar cane and a certain tree oil for mortar) and the influences from other cultures (Shiva and Ganesh feature prominently here). Sadly, many of the temples were destroyed by US bombing during the war, something our tour guide was very quick to point out. We came back to Hoi An by boat, and it was probably one of the most enjoyable river rides I’ve taken. Now I’m enjoying my last evening here in Hoi An and then it’s off to Hue tomorrow.

I’m meeting some friends to hunt for roasted duck for dinner. My bus for Nha Trang leaves in 2 hours. I heard the weather is great there. Fingers crossed for some snorkeling!

In India: Kolkata –> Varanasi –> Agra –> Khajuraho –> Kolkata (–> Bangkok)

In Thailand: Bangkok –> Ko Samui (–> Penang)

In Malaysia: Penang (Georgetown) –> Cameron Highlands –> Kuala Lumpur –> Melaka (–> Singapore)

In Singapore: well…Singapore (–> Saigon)

I flew into Saigon on Wednesday, after spending the night at the Singapore airport. They had free internet at least and a cafe with passable toast and kaya butter. The flight was uneventful since I slept through most of it, but I woke up in time to see the aerial view of the Mekong Delta. It’s beautiful.

Saigon is a lovely place, surprisingly clean, very nice people, and terrific food. The guesthouse I checked into has all the amenities of a hotel, and for the first time since Thailand, I didn’t have to lay down my own sheets. I met up with Jen and Suz  the day I arrive, had lunch and caught up before they left for Dalat.

I went to the War Memorial Museum yesterday, which has a collection of photos and artifacts from the Vietnam War. It was hard to stomach and a very sobering experience. What impressed me the most as I walked through the exhibits was the tenacity of those involved – from the villagers who stood and died for what they believed in to their descendents who are still suffering from the effects of war today to the photographers who risked (and for some, lost) their lives to capture it all.  The inhumanity and senseless of war permeated. It didn’t matter who was right or wrong, or the reason behind it, war left millions dead, homeless, and forever deformed. That being said, it is wonderful to see Saigon at peace, its people, for the most part, happy. Perhaps the lasting legacy of such destruction was the cohesion of its people as they worked to rebuild what was lost.

Today, I visited the Cao Dai’s Holy See. A combination of Buddhaism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Confucianism, Vietnam’s new religion worships a number of gods and holy figures, including, interestingly, Victor Hugo. The grand temple was beautiful and unique, and their noon ceremony (they hold 45-minute long prayer sessions 4 times a day) was a meditative experience of song and chants.

After, I went to the Cu Cui tunnels where the Cu Cui guerillas once fought against the Viet Mihn and the US for the Viet Congs. Because the Cu Cui region was the gateway to Saigon, it was heavily bombed by the US to root out VC supporters. In response the guerilla fighters built a series of tunnels up to 6 meters deep underground, including kitchen bunkers, hospital bunkers, and fighting bunkers. Because these tunnels are meant to provide protection from bomb shockwaves, they were tiny, only big enough to army crawl through. We went through one that was enlarged for the “bigger Westerners” and even that was duck walk all the way. It would be fun to hold tkd workouts there  – the scrapes from the walls when you attempt to stand up would serve as a painful reminder.

Tomorrow, I’m taking a day trip to the Mekong Delta to see the rice fields and fisheries. Then coming back in time to catch my overnight bus north to Nha Trang. With any luck, the nice weather would hold and I’ll get to dive again, or maybe just laze on the beach

That’s it for now. I’m enjoying myself in Vietnam, eating lots of good food, drinking very strong, very sweet Vietnamese coffee, and trying to stay alive in the mad traffic. I’ll try to update more often, and start to recap what happened during my trip in India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. I’m crossing the border into China on the 10th, then flying to my father’s hometown on the 12th to spend New Years with them – the first time in 14 years. As for after my trip, it’s back to work, applications, and perhaps tkd – all this hopefully in the bay area that I’ve grown to love.

For now, take care everyone! <3

Number in Vietnam: 011-84-(0)933153494 [the '0' may or may not be needed]

Two things changed my plans. One, my Chinese Visa (a pain to get in the first place) posed a little problem since it’s only for 30 days and there’s no guarantee that it could be renewed. 30 days wouldn’t be enough to see South China and see both sides of my family.  And two, Suz and Jen, the two volunteers from the UK, found out that they weren’t going to be allowed back in India for two months after they leave for a vacation in Thailand.  Consequently they were looking into seeing more of Southeast Asia. Apparently flights are really cheap and even if they weren’t, so much of SEA is connected that traveling by land is entirely plausible. So now, I think I’ll ditch my plans for South China, and instead potentially see Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, and Cambodia. I still need to do a lot of planning and to get a proper backpacker’s backpack, but I’m really excited. The possibility of more travel coupled with the knowledge that Christmas is almost here is making me very happy.

We had a party for the school children last Sunday, complete with story, music, and a picture slideshow. It was a miracle that the projector worked, and I found it very fortunate that Ian, who was only with the program for 5 days, was able to use his computer skills to make it happen. The room was decked out with paper chains and our tiny Christmas tree was surrounded by a pile of presents. It was really heartwarming and full of holiday cheer.

Tomorrow is the last day of preschool and women’s group. And while I’m happy to be having a break, I am also sad that I wouldn’t be seeing the children anymore. It’ll be a sad good-bye, I’m sure. Suz, Jen, and I (none of us particularly religious) are going to midnight mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral tomorrow night for Christmas Eve. I’ve never been and I find it ironic that I’ve refused going all the times that H.’s invited me, only to attend one in India. I’m curious though, and looking forward to the feeling of community and celebration that the mass would hopefully provide.

We asked for the 25th off so we wouldn’t have to wake up at 6am to goto the station. Instead we’ll sleep in, dress up, and goto a nice Christmas lunch. It should be fun, and I can’t wait for some really good food.

Wounds: There’s been an increase in really bad wounds at Sealdah these past 2 weeks. Since it’s been getting colder, there have been fewer people at the stations and less wounded in general. But I don’t know what it is recently. We had a man with a huge hole on his heel that he claims was done by his shoe (bull). He had gone to someone who packed what looked like ash into the wound, which helped with the bleeding but made the infection worse. Another man came last week with his left foot and leg literally three times the size of the other one. I hope he went to the hospital for a proper check up after I did his dressing. And today a man scooted his away over on his hands and he was missing 4 toes on his left foot, which was hugely swollen. We told him to goto the hospital and I hope he doesn’t lose the foot. Gangrene man, who came to us when I first started with his entire shin black and smelling of rotting flesh, has since gotten the dead tissue removed and has been very diligent about coming to us and Mother Theresa’s House to get his dressing changed. He’s doing very well and I’m proud of his progress. On the other hand, heroin guy who only comes once in a blue moon (though he’s more regular now) and is usually so knocked out that he falls asleep as I’m doing his dressing, is hardly healing at all. At least he doesn’t take his dressing off anymore. Apparently he can get more money when he begs when he shows his wound.

New blood: Sam (from Holland) joined the program a month ago after a few weeks’ travel in the Himachal Pradesh region. She’s starting a business and organized the women of CRAWL to knit cushion covers using gamchha as stitching material. It’s a terrific idea and the samples look beautiful and unique.  Suze and Jen (from the UK) arrived in Kolkata 3 weeks ago, volunteering with CRAWL as a part of their 6 months trip in India. They’re a nice addition to the flat and it’s been very lively with the 5 of us. Suze has joined Jessica and Sam at school while Jen comes with me to Dum-Dum. Ian from Canada arrived a few days ago and his account of his room at Kolkata Lodge where all the male volunteers stay  gave me the chills (cockroaches falling onto his bed, him finding them inside his clothes).  He’s a nice guy and the children at the station and at the school seem to appreciate the addition of some testosterone.  

Preschool fun: I’ve been really enjoying preschool. My group is older and therefore more attentive. I’ve been doing Math and some vocabulary with them. They’re bright and catches on quickly once they understand what I want from them. I’m surprised by the words they know. One boy doesn’t know what “rain” is but knows “helicopter” and “dolphin”. Jen and I are having them do jigsaw puzzles regularly. At first they just cram any 2 random pieces together, regardless of color or fit, but now they’re thinking about it beforehand. I hope they continue to progress once I’m gone, and I think I’ll draft a lesson plan for future volunteers so they know what has been taught. I’ve grown really fond of them. It’s going to be sad to leave them.

Christmas cheer: there’s not much Christmasy stuff around Khardah, with the exception of miniature neon Christmas trees and Christmas cake in the stores, but Kolkata has pockets of bright lights and the occasional tinsel-decorated buildings. The square around New Market is hung with giant glittery snowflakes and a large blown-up Santa smiles merrily from Park Street. While the crazy Christmas and New Year parties are reputed to be in Goa, the sin city of India (have fun Kunal), I’m excited and very curious about Christmas in Kolkata. It should be fun and Park St and Sudder St where the foreigners gather should be quite festive. Alcohol and “plum pudding” may be involved. At our school, the children made ornaments and snowflakes, hung paper chains and trimmed our little tree. There’s going to be a Christmas party tomorrow with song and story and sweets and presents. The children are really excited and I’m happy that we can provide some holiday cheer for them.

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It’s going to be strange to spend the holidays away from family and friends, but I definitely appreciate what I have more now that I’m away. To everyone back home, I hope you’re finishing Finals strong, not cutting weight during the holiday season, and in general, having a wonderful time. I miss you all and am thinking about you. Happy Holidays!

The early mornings are my favorites – the rice fields with its young growth mysterious under the cover of mist, the blood red sun with its rays diffused to a gentle halo. The lakes are peaceful mirrors, reflecting here a steel bridge, and there a boy by its water’s edge. Under the soft light, the lush greenery of the countryside takes on a Monet-like quality – serene and dreamy.

At a stop, a man stepped on, a large bamboo basket balanced on his head. I see him almost everyday, and he smiled as he set the basket at the empty space near where I stood. The scent of guava permeated through the air, distinctive and tantalizing. I watched him skillfully slice the top off, quarter the green fruit in his hand, before smearing the inside with black salt and handing it to a customer. Not to be outdone, the banana seller by the other doorway makes his way through the aisle, holding out bunches of the yellow crescents.

The train is filling with women as they surged on in a pushing, gregarious mass. Brightly colored silks and cottons swirled about, the pallo of saris intermingling with the dupatta of salwar kameez. The red bindi and streak of vermillion in the parts of their hair marked the married women, while jeans and western tops graced the bodies of younger girls. Everywhere I look, jewels and sequence glittered, gold jewelry flashed, and bangles shimmered. It was a cacophony of sound as the rattle of the train harmonized the chattering voices of women as they greeted friends or shouted at someone taking up too much space. A woman caught my eye and pointed to an empty seat across from her in the nearly full train: “bosho”- sit. I shook my head and smiled, turning to lean my head out the door. I could guess her thought – “Silly foreigner, standing when there are seats to be had”.

All along the tracks are houses, shacks rather. Some made of bricks, other a woven plant material. A fleeting glance as the train raced by showed me a single room interior, dark walls and floor. A man and woman sat on the ground, playing with a young child. Outside these shacks, clothes hung drying in the sun, the bright fabrics flapping in the wind. It was almost like art – these swatches of color against the dullness of the hut, set against the vivid green of the trees. Men and boys walk amongst the tracks, dressed only in lungis, and when they caught sight of me, some called out “Hello Madame!”.

Some time later, under the noonday sun, men and women of the slums bathe in the lakes. the women still wearing their saris, the men stripped to the waist. Boys swam in the same water as buffalos, and women wrung out their long hair a stone’s throw away from heaps of garbage.

The train slowed at my station, and I stepped off into the crowd, my mind still dazzled by the sights I see everyday but that never fail to amaze me.

To everyone back home, Happy Thanksgiving!