Vietnam highlights

Whats up, family and friends back at home! I hope you guys had a good St. Patricks Day! I have been having a blast on this trip, and I am kind of bummed that we only have a week and a bit with each other before we all part ways.

So far, I think my favorite part of the trip was the time we spent in Hanoi. Hanoi is a crowded, polluted city with tons of traffic, but it also has an irresistible charm that I can't quite explain. When our bus first rolled into the city, I immediately fell in love with the bright neon lights, tall buildings and narrow streets. At first it was pretty stressful navigating the city because the sidewalks are usually so narrow and crowded with street vendors, parked motorcycles and overflowing shops. You need to walk on the streets, where there is a constant flood of motorbikes that never stop for pedestrians. But I soon learned to love the chaos, and it turned out to be a lot of fun bobbing and weaving through the traffic to cross the street.

We also got a chance to try egg coffee, a Vietnam specialty that Lee and Kate were raving about. Egg coffee is basically a shot of espresso with this really sweet frothy whipped egg on top. We found a little hole-in-the-wall spot that served the beverage and also had a beautiful view that overlooked the lake. The egg coffee was awesome. When the time came to get on the night train to Hue, I was sorry to leave this awesome city. I had a blast in Hanoi, and I hope that one day I get a chance to come back!

Another part of the trip I really enjoyed was going to Saigon, now officially called as Ho Chi Minh City, and visiting the War Remnants museum which talks about the Vietnam war. When you first step into the courtyard outside the museum, you are surrounded by tanks, jets, helicopters and artillery devices used during the Vietnam War, known here as the American War.

Adjacent to the main museum building is a replica POW prison which has pictures and images describing both the harsh living conditions that the VietCong endured and the various torture methods used by the US and South Vietnamese. Inside the museum, there were various exhibits that show different aspects of the war. On the first floor, there were pictures of protests against the war from different countries. The 2nd floor consisted of graphic images accompanied by quotes from soldiers that detailed the many war crimes and atrocities that occurred during the war.

One such atrocity was the My Lai massacre, where a group of US soldiers entered the village of My Lai looking for VietCong soldiers and ended up executing over 500 villagers, including women and children. This incident was not isolated, and there were many more massacres throughout the war.

Another exhibit talked about the use of Agent Orange, an extremely toxic defoliant, by the US on Vietnam. Agent Orange has caused many deaths and horrible birth defects among both Americans and Vietnamese. It was really hard for me to look at all the pictures of the people who were born with birth defects as a result of Agent Orange.

Everyone in the group was moved deeply after reading all the stories of people who had suffered as a result of the Vietnam war. It was really interesting to see the war from a different perspective. Prior to coming to this museum I did not know much about the war or the reasoning behind it, and it really upset me when I learned more about the war and the horrible crimes that occurred on the battlefield. I am really glad I got the opportunity to visit this museum, and if you guys at home ever get the opportunity to come to Saigon, I highly encourage you to pay this museum a visit!

Arjun Mandyam