Journeys through Reality
October 4th, 2005 @ 7:49 pmThe group woke up this morning and left the town of Kom Tum at 8:30am. We basically embarked on a full day bus ride through some of Central Vietnam’s most untamed places. Parts of the road were still made of dirt, which made the ride very bumpy. It reminded me of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, except without seatbelts.
However, such excitement did not last the entire trip, as the bus soon got on the Ho Chi Minh Highway. It is a 2-year-old highway in every sense of the word, especially by American standards. The ride was exceptionally smooth, and at some points, we were less than 15 kilometers away from Cambodia. Given the proximity of this country, as well as the large concentration of ethnic minorities, the Vietnam Army has many bases located around here. It is a common sight to see military trucks driving around here.
However, that has not stopped many people from illicit activities. Gerard tells us stories of how towns along the border are deathly quiet during the day. However, at night, all you hear are huge convoys of trucks rolling through the town. They are carrying lumber from a specific tree species indigenous to Southeast Asia but on the verge of extinction. However, this type of wood is in high demand, which makes it a very popular, and profitable, commodity to smuggle across the border.
The group exchanged those kinds of stories, especially fun ones of our homes in America, to pass the time on the bus. We played mind games and word games. We read. We slept. Many times we simply looked out the window and enjoyed the view. We watch in a collective silence, as the scenery is breathtaking.
This part of Vietnam is quite hilly. The road twists and turns around the hill, usually following some sort of river or stream that has been carving its path between the hills for centuries. Small farming communities dot the surroundings, but they seem to be the exception in a hilly area that is heavily forested. Some wooden houses are situated right against the highway, and you have opportunities to get a glimpse of the occupants inside. They are usualy ethnic minorities wrapped in colorful clothing and wearing equally colorful head turbans. Every now and then, there are waterfalls hidden behind the foliage. Because these waterfalls are seen only at certain angles from the road, we only catch glimpses of them. As always, cattle, goats, and other livestock roam the edge of the highway and in the distance, apparently without supervision. Some graze right at the edge of the hill’s cliffs.
As we pass each village, we can see people farming, driving livestock, or selling their produce to each other right on the highway. There are usually groups of children walking home from school. Some of them like to walk on the rails of the bridges we drive over, oblivious to the sharp drop to the small stream below. We drive over many bridges, as the area is very hilly.
Central Vietnam is quite peaceful, even rustic. Many of us thought it would be amazing if we could live here for a while. It seems like a simple life, farming all day and growing your own food. A hard life, but a rewarding life. Every village has access to motorbikes and electricity, so it would not be as hard a life as the term “rustic” implies. In comparison to the high-strung, stressful life of America, such a paradise has great appeal. But behind every paradise is reality.
At one point in the trip, one of our friends suddenly exclaims, “OH SHOOT!” (I edited that comment for the younger audience). We all looked at him. He explained, “I just saw a sign that warned the people about landmines.” The Vietnam War ended 30 years ago, but its legacy continues to touch Vietnam. In this case, it is a legacy of death.
Landmines continue to be a major international problem. Our language teacher says it is still common to read a story every now and then about an innocent farmer from the Central Highlands tilling his fields, and suddenly become brutally killed by landmines. Landmines do not discriminate between friend and foe. They do not discriminate between military and civilian. And as the sign on the road can give testament to, landmines do not stop killing simply because a war is over. That is the reality of this paradise called the Central Highlands.
Want to know another story of reality? The United States of America is one of the few countries left in this world that has yet to sign the international treaty agreeing to a total ban on the use of landmines.
But for now, the reality of this program is one long bus ride. Strange things happen when you put random strangers together for extended periods of time. In this case, we all became good friends. We joke, we tease, we even make sure everyone is as comfortable as you can get when you sleep on a bus that drives on a dirt road. Wherever this bus takes us, I think the best thing about our reality is our frienship.
October 4th, 2005 at 9:21 pm
http://forum.d3net.net
Really good writing, as always.
From a regular reader
October 5th, 2005 at 2:08 am
Your descriptions of the region are so pictorial. Wish I was on that bus ride.
Central Highlands hold a special place for history buffs of Viet Nam War. There were many many bloody battles in the region, where both sides tried out new tactics and new weapons and ordnances. The most recent popular was perhaps portrayed by Mel Gibson in We were soldiers.
Sadly, I think this area would be the place in Viet Nam where you say and relate to the fact of an average yearly income is less than USD 400. Not to mention inadequate health providers.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
http://www.earth-kind.com/
journey time We played mind games and word games. We read. We slept. Many times we simply looked out the window and enjoyed the view. We watch in a collective silence, as the scenery is breathtaking.