Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, & Tokyo – Intro

It’s been since last August since I traveled to a far-flung spot, so I couldn’t be more excited about where I’m headed – Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Tokyo.

My original gameplan was to only head to the first three countries (collectively named Indochina during the French colonial period) with a last 2 days in Bangkok, Thailand, where I’d been last year, but I realized, when investigating air-routes that I’d likely have to go through Tokyo. Japan’s always intrigued me (my dad was stationed there during the US Occupation following World War II), and not knowing when or if I’d get there for an extended visit, considering everything that’s on my list, I decided to cut my Bangkok visit to one day and spend a few full days in Tokyo before returning home.

In preparation for the trip, I took quite a bit of time to learn about the history of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and the rest of Southeast Asia, and also did a bunch of research on how best to spend my time in Tokyo. My familiarity with Indochina was probably limited in a way that is similar to a lot of folks around my age – we know about the Vietnam War and not much more. I of course knew this wasn’t the whole story and finally had a good reason to catch-up. I found a pretty detailed podcast on “A history of the lands between India, China and Australia” – the History of Southeast Asia. It’s over 130 episodes (and counting), and there’s absolutely no way I’ve retained a lot of detail from what I’ve listened to, but more than anything it has given me a deep appreciation for the rich history of the lands, the peoples, and the culture.

Armed with a bit more knowledge than previously, I’m ready to visit.