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The Country That Chose Me
By Karla Scott in Miami kjscott@bellsouth.net
October 2005
Although I pride myself on being on my way to becoming a world traveler, (as I have been overseas a hundred times to more than thirty countries), if anyone had told me a year ago that I would be in Viet Nam, I would have insisted they had the wrong person. And yet, I found myself along with 18 other Americans and Canadians in that mysterious, exotic land that we associate with communism, war defeat, anti-American sentiment and most recently, a feeder country for the predicted world pandemic avian flu. Surely, we must all be off our marbles to have chosen such an unappealing travel destination. And yet, we found ourselves in awe during every minute of our visit to this majestic country.
From our first encounter with our gentle knowledgeable tour guide, Tang, to our enlightening tour of the Cu Chi village, with its intricate underground network of tunnels that helped the Viet Cong win the French and American wars, Viet Nam exceeded all our expectations.
During the sixth night of our 12-day sojourn, (to Viet Nam and Thailand) the group had a “bonding, sharing experience” over dinner, and we realized with the exception of Marty, (our Viet Nam vet who was back for closure and healing), that none of us had actually chosen Viet Nam. In fact, we chose to embark on a spiritual vacation with Fr Leo Booth, a renowned author lecturer, and trainer on all aspects of spiritually and recovery. He also is a guest minister at Unity on the Bay in Miami and has spoken at our Unity three years in a row. We were each drawn to Fr Leo’s powerful message of healing and chose to join him on an international travel journey. After having taken groups to China for five years, he experimented with Viet Nam and Thailand last year (2004). It was so successful that he wanted another taste of these attractive cultures
Since none of us chose Viet Nam, I realize that it chose us. I now feel we have a duty to serve as ambassadors for this wonderful vacation destination.
Each day we met a full agenda that began with breakfast in our luxury hotel; morning prayer and meditation (including a spiritual word of the day to guide us) on our air-conditioned motor coach led by Fr Leo; and a full day of learning, meeting, feasting, shopping, and photographing God’s beauty.
Some of the Highlights were:
Excellent Tour Guides. Tang (Victory) smiling, gracious, knowledgble, patient, gentle and proud. His parents met on the HCM trail and gave birth to him in 1976. During the first ten years of his life, he has vivid memories of standing in line at month’s end with his mom for rice rations. He truly appreciates today’s free market enterprise system. He married and has an adorable 2-year old son.
Huynh, our Saigon guide, who shared moving story (in tears) about his Dad who fought with the US against the VC. For two years, his Dad was sent to a re-education camp after the fall of Saigon where he became embittered toward life. He died a miserable alcoholic death. Huynh gave a tour of the Cu Chi Village. He cherishes his family and knows his dad would be proud of his life choices. He hopes to marry in several years and wants a family.
Both Tang and Huynh sang us a good bye song en route to the airport. It was hard to say goodbye to both.
Halong Bay Breathtaking land/seascape, protected today as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its famous limestone cliffs and monoliths rising from the emerald green sea. There are caves to visit, and quiet enclaves for swimming and relaxing. A highlight for me was watching individuals in our group plunge into the bay for an invigorating swim when we dropped anchor in a serene cove. Some even swam to a nearby island. Even 68-year old Gerry participated in the great “swim over”.
Humanity Center. The True, the Good, and the Beautiful Company. A center, near Hanoi, created to employ and care for victims of Agent Orange, a known toxic defoliant that causes severe birth defects and cancer in humans. It has affected more than 4 million Viet Namese and continues to inflict families in Viet Nam 35 years after the war has ended. Between 1965-70, 12 million gallons were sprayed to destroy food supplies and expose base areas. Of note, the US began experimenting with herbicides to remove vegetation here in 1961 under JFK.
At this center, those born with severe physical disabilities are trained in crafts that financially support them and their families. They produce beautiful, seemingly flawless works of art including clothing, jewelry, pottery, woodworks, lacquer art, and embroidery. We were able to observe pottery making, embroidery, and silk weaving onsite. Although the prices of goods are higher than in town, all are willing to contribute to the cause for healing.
Water Puppet Show in Hanoi. Thang Long water puppetry is a traditional art form with distinctive culture identity of Vietnam. We viewed delightful performances of unique Vietnamese legends and traditions, these stories depict the lives of Vietnamese farmers and peasants. Hardworking farmers invented this unique art to satisfy themselves and their children. The puppets are controlled by puppeteers pulling strings and poles under water and are accompanied by live, traditional folk music and special lighting.
Rich History that includes blending of 54 ethnic groups, triumphs over conquerors, and recent political economic shift from traditional communistic lifestyle to free market enterprise.
Healthy Group Dynamics. Four couples, and 10 solo travelers, aged 40-80, from the US (California, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming and Florida) and Canada (Toronto). Many are in 12-step programs and attend a Unity church. There was one Viet Nam vet, Marty, a rehab counselor from Wyoming. He was one of the most gentle of all. Fr Leo, Michael, Toby and Jim; Janice and Walter; Linda and Louis; Helen and Bruce; Gerri; Johnny; Marty; Sheila; Deirdra; Caroline; Johnny; Margie; Elizabeth
Buddhism. Visiting a Working Buddhist monastery where Thicht Nhat Han stays during his South Viet Nam visits. The calm gentle demeanor of the Viet Namese is reflected in the Buddhist way of life. The head monk prayed with us, led us in a burning bowl ceremony, and gave us each a bracelet of prayer beads. I cherish these beads.
The Feasts. Each meal was multicourse composed of traditional dishes carefully selected by our local tour guide. Each tour guide would read our menu to us before the meal. The bests were the seafood sunset cruise on Halong Bay, buffet dinner at a popular local spot with hundreds of items, dinner in Hanoi the last night, lunch in Saigon when they gave us shredded mango salad Of note, chicken was a non-issue in Viet Nam as the government has outlawed chicken in restaurants (avian flu concerns). In Thailand, I simply avoided all chicken dishes, although they were visually enticing.
The Gentle, Vietnamese people. The people embraced us with hospitality we could never have imagined given our lingering guilt for having destroyed their cities and families, and having infected several generations with debilitating Agent Orange illnesses.
---Side note---What struck me most is the lack of animosity towards Americans demonstrated by the Viet Namese. They harbor no resentment. They are a country of people who have survived numerous invasions throughout their history and they have always triumphed, defeating their captors—independence was Ho Chi Minh's legacy as part of a long line of rulers who fought for a free Viet Nam. The Viet Namese believe The past is the past.
I realized we need only forgive ourselves.
The Low Prices and therefore, great shopping (gems, silk, embroidery, pottery, woodworks, art etc.)
Hanoi. Prior to going, I wondered why our tour included more time in Hanoi than in Saigon. By the end, we all realized that we liked Hanoi best. It was pure Viet Namese with few reminders of the strong influence that US culture has had on much of the world. (i.e. no Golden Arches or Gap stores).
Marty Da Bell. Experiencing Viet Nam thru the eyes of a wounded Viet Nam veteran. He found healing and forgiveness and closure. He has fallen in love with Viet Nam. He thanked us all for helping make this a positive experience. He will return.
Observing Respect. The seemingly chaotic traffic that worked because of faith and mutual respect that drivers have for one another. Hanoi has 4 million residents and 2 million motor scooters (the primary form of transportation), yet there are no official rules of the road and few traffic signals. They co-coexist alongside bicyclists, bus drivers, automobile drivers and rickshaws. Saigon’s numbers are twice that of Hanoi.
Reading The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. It is the story of a Chinese rice farmer during the early twentieth century. As we traveled thru rice farms en route to Halong Bay, I was connecting with the people via the characters in this Nobel Prize winning novel.
Fr Leo Booth. His enthusiasm was unstoppable. He led us in prayer and meditation each morning and ended our day with reflection and prayer. He insisted all our hotels had saunas, Jacuzzis, and steam rooms. He loves life.
Companions on a Spiritual Path/ Recovering. Most on the trip were in recovery, in the recovery field or were members of Unity Church. Therefore, I traveled with people who are on a spiritual path that involves acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, and willingness to work on character defects.
Thailand Highlights
Cruising the Cho Praya River to the ancient capital of Thailand. Along the way, our eyes feaster on myriad diverse vessels along the waterway. Riding elephants while there.
Participating on stage in a traditional Thai dance performance.
Five days after my return, I still dream of waking up and joining my group on the bus for another adventure packed day. I still think of translating dollars into another currency.
I now find that I have a new relationship with a subculture with whom I was entirely unfamiliar: Viet Nam veterans. I engage in conversations with them about their experience, their pain, and the views of war and of the US government on a much deeper level than I could have ever imagined. With this trip, as with all my trips, I study the history, culture, geography, etiquette, and government of any country that I visit. This time, I learned about a part of our history that was not at all a part of my consciousness.
Viet Nam dispelled many of the myths attached with this formerly closed country. Since 1994, Viet Nam that now enjoys free market enterprise, opened its gates to reveal to the world what a true gem it is.
I am grateful that Viet Nam chose me and I would like to return for a visit !!!!!!!!!!!
