Arts and Entertainment

The Hoa Lo Prison is better known to Americans as the “Hanoi Hilton” and where John McCain and other American POWs were held during the Vietnam War. It is called the “American War” in Vietnam. Vietnam has been invaded by the Chinese, French, and Japanese. The “American War” was the most recent and the shortest except for the five-year control by the Japanese. The major portion of the prison depicts the incarcerations of prisoners other than Americans.

There are a plethora of statues of Buddha throughout Asia. Many people view Buddhism as a religion but technically it is a way of life or a philosophy. Buddhism began in northeastern India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism is 2,500 years old and is followed by 350 million worldwide. Like most religions and philosophies understanding Buddhism is difficult to understand completely.

People are often surprised when I say it is less expensive for us to spend the winter in Southeast Asia than it is to stay at home. And certainly less expensive than spending the time in Florida or somewhere else where it is warm and sunny. Part of the plan is to stay where the Americans do not. Places charge what the market will bear and one thing that raises the price is if it is a popular destination for foreigners especially Americans.

There are very few places in the world where the culture has remained the same for years. Myanmar is one of those. But, now it is changing – too fast. We have visited Myanmar every year for ten years. There is much we love about the “Golden Country” but now we go mainly to enjoy Ngapali Beach. It, too, is changing. Now there are more hotels and many flights arrive every day.