It’s a great new year. Travel is on the immediate horizon as we plan to board a Holland America cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong on February 4. That gives us the chance to follow our own advise. I’ve already read Ayutthaya: Venice of the East, and Angkor and the Khmer Civilization. Next up will be Vietnamese History, as told by the Vietnamese. My wife has been dutifully running through the Bhagavad Gita, for an introduction to Hinduism.
This is a part of the world that is very different from our own. We learn very little of its history and customs, except the most recent tragic episode of the Vietnam War, which they refer to as the “American War”. It seems these countries are on an upswing. The end of the Cold War and the emergence of China as a world leader has brought the rest of Asia into the spotlight. This will continue as Myanmar (formerly Burma) also awakens to connect with the outside world. These countries had some of the most significant ancient civilizations in history, though far removed from western influence until the Portuguese launched the Age of Exploration and the period of Colonialism that followed.
It’s going to be a fascinating trip. I keep threatening to come home with a porcelain elephant. Wouldn’t you?
Bon Voyage,
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