And the Tour Begins

There was little that could prepare us for the trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. How could you possibly describe what these vastly different places would be like, what to expect? Pre-tour meetings made us a little nervous about going to such a faraway place. Unlike anything we’ve encountered before, would it be dangerous, would we constantly have to be on guard?

Rather than confine ourselves exclusively to hotels, we stayed in home stays to better immerse ourselves in the culture. They were tremendously eye-opening: not only were people happy to open up their homes to us and give us first-hand experience of life in Vietnam and Cambodia, we found this was the best way to rid ourselves of any stereotypes we had about the culture, people, and places. Many of us were initially hesitant, expressing concern about safety. We quickly saw that the best way to break down these kinds of barriers to new experiences was to dive in head first.

The first few days of the trip were a whirlwind. Ho Chi Minh, referred to by most as Saigon, was our first stop. The city is tremendous—there were thousands of people, all of whom seem to be on the streets at once, a blur of sights, sounds, and smells. In between tours of historical buildings like the Cathedral of Notre Dame and City Hall, we made stops at the War Remnants Museum and Organization for the Support and Education of Disadvantaged Children. In retelling the horrors that have occurred in the past few decades, it seems that survivors, though sometimes appearing upset and resentful, have found the strength to forgive and move forward. The lesson of forgiveness and moving on is definitely a huge take away from the trip.