Dont read any further if you are enjoying a good day...

I don't want to be responsible for depressing any of you, since the major attractions we have seen this week have been the graphic memorials of war and genocide.

The major tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City, our last stop in Vietnam, revolve around the "American War". The first historical site we visited was the Reunification Palace. It served as the office of South Vietnam's president until it was stormed by Northern tanks in 1975, effectively bringing an end to the war. The building has hardly been touched since its working days. It still contains its authentic 1970's burnt orange decor and archaic electronic devices. It was an interesting tour, and the first of which to offer a glimpse of the "American War" through the eyes of the Vietnamese as conveyed by the media on display and the local tour guide.

The next day is when things got heavy. We toured the War Remnants museum in central Ho Chi Minh City which showcases the war crimes of American soldiers during the war. Probably one of the most heart-wrenching things I have ever seen in my life. Vivid photos of torture and weapons of war are displayed along with descriptions from war correspondents and local Vietnamese citizens who witnessed the events. Victims of "Agent Orange" raids, and the My Lai (Son My) massacre were displayed on large posters covering the walls. It was very strange to see America in this horrible light. To say that the museum was biased would be a complete understatement, but still I was able to learn a lot from the stories and everything else that I wont describe in further detail.


We continued our war education the next day at the tunnels of Cu Chi. These tunnels were interesting to experience, since I have heard about them in relation to the war, but didn't realize how vast the tunnel network was, or how cramped and miserable the conditions must have been. It was especially sobering since the site was an actual war site. The tunnels were the same ones used by the Cu Chi to escape American raids, the massive holes in the ground from bombs still exist, and the trenches that were fought in still wind through the site.

Another aspect that made this experience so unique was the way the media and the tour guides explained the events. As soon as we arrive at the tunnels, we are crammed into a tiny movie viewing room to watch a half hour video describing the "crazy American devils who came thousands of miles from their homes to slaughter innocent women and children". I never heard that perspective from any history class I have taken in the States. Even the pictures on the walls tried to convey the same message. One picture was of an American soldier pulling another out of the tunnel who was looking gratefully at his fellow comrade. The caption below it read, "Cowardly American soldiers afraid of the tunnels". It was a weird experience through the eyes of the Vietnamese who saw the Americans so differently during that time.

Check out the video page for more crawling through the tunnels.

We left Vietnam the next day, and took a long bus ride into Phenom Phen, the capitol of Cambodia. The hostel we plopped down at was literally a pier built into this sweet lake. The sunsets were amazing, and it served as a great place to just relax for the next few days.

From this place, we booked a tuk-tuk driver to take us to all the major stops around town. First was a (shady) shooting range owned by some ex-military guys. We did some research to make sure we wouldnt be supporting anyone involved in the Khemer Rouge, and proceeded with caution. I'm not a huge fan of guns, but it was pretty fun to shoot an AK-47 and throw a grenade into a little pond (video is on its way...).

From here, we went to the two war memorial sites: the Killing Fields and the S-21 museum. It was definitely a good thing we went to the shooting range first, even though it still felt weird to do in the same day... The Killing Fields were just as in-your-face as the War Remnants museum, except it felt more real because we were walking around the actual site of the massacre of 8000 people. There are pieces of bone just laying out in the path ways, and a monument in the middle built to honor those who died, containing the skulls which were excavated from the graves.

I was pretty worked from seeing the killing fields, so the S-21 museum was sort of a blur. We watched another slanted video, and then toured the high school turned prison which Pol Pot used to hold anyone accused of opposing the Khemer Rouge. Women, children, and ex-officials alike were place in divided up classrooms that were turned into little cells and torture rooms. It was eerie, and overwhelming after already walking through the killing fields.

An interesting fact about the Khemer Rouge led genocide is that it began within months of the closing of the Vietnam war in 1975. It felt like we were on a chronological tour of horrible events: the war in the '60's and '70's, and the genocide into the '80's and early 90's.

Well, thats all I can write about this past week... We are now headed to Siem Riep where the famous temple complex of Angchor Wat is located.