Announcer: Welcome to Joseph Rosendo's "Travelscope," where you join us as we accept the world's invitation to visit.

Ha ha ha!

Joseph Rosendo: Today on "Travelscope," I continue my journey through Cambodia and Vietnam.

From riverside villages and floating markets to rice fields and killing fields, I follow the Mekong River to Southeast Asia adventures.

Announcer: Joseph Rosendo's "Travelscope" is made possible by EVA Air.

Premium economy class in its own separate cabin serves both business and leisure travel.

EVA Air--a Star Alliance member.

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Joseph: My Southeast Asia adventure has led me from the temple mountains of Angkor, the ancient capital of Cambodia's Khmer Empire, where vine-choked world heritage structures tower above the faces of kings and buddhas, through artisan villages of stone and silver, to the Mekong River.

Born on the Tibetan Plateau, the roof of the world, the Mekong, which courses through Cambodia for 300 miles, has carried me to the banks of Cambodia's modern capital of Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh has been the capital of Cambodia since 1432.

From the legendary days of Grandma Penh and her Buddhist sanctuary on the hill, now Wat Phnom, which created the namesake and the epicenter of the beginnings of the city, through the times of the French protectorate and the days of devastation and abandonment of the city by the Khmer Rouge to today's resurgent city struggling to enter the 21st century, Phnom Penh has always been the repository of the past, the present, and the future of Cambodia.

I'm hitting the highlights and taking in the sites by a tuk-tuk with my driver Mr. Van.

And here's one of those sites, the Royal Palace.

Joseph, voice-over: Phnom Penh's Royal Palace with its stupas, pagodas, and pavilions represents Cambodia's promising future.

Although the city was founded in the 14th century, Phnom Penh didn't become the country's permanent capital until 1863, and the Palace didn't grace its skyline until the late 19th century.

The latest edition to Phnom Penh's cityscape is the new riverfront promenade, where locals and visitors congregate.

That's the Mekong River, and a lot of people from like Vietnam and the Muslim people, they do fishing in this area.

Joseph: So they have fishing villages.

They're floating villages.

How many people live in Phnom?

Probably 2.5 million people.

2.5 million.

Yes.

This is a nice addition to the city.

Joseph, voice-over: 95% of Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists.

Hinduism and Buddhism became entwined during the reign of King Jayavarman VII in the 12th century.

Hello.

Hello.

This is a gift to the Buddha?

I get them both.

You get them both, yes.

Now, why do I need two?

Because we have to pray to the Buddha to make more good luck.

More good luck, OK. Joseph, voice over: Even during the days of the Khmer Rouge when Phnom Penh was abandoned and religion banned, Cambodians never gave up their connection to their ancient spiritual roots.

Buddhists pay their respects rather than worship the images of Buddha.

Mr. Van, I traded in my coconuts for lotus flowers.

Mm-hmm.

Just like this.

Wow.

Now wash your face.

Wash my face.

Yeah.

That mean you have good luck for your vacation and good luck for your business.

Beautiful.

OK. And you can throw to the water.

Ah, beautiful.

Yeah.

Is it hard to be a tuk-tuk driver in Phnom Penh?

Uh, is a little bit harder.

There's a lot of traffic.

The ever-present tuk-tuk is a modern outgrowth of the oxcart, a passenger carriage pulled by a huffing and puffing engine.

It's a fun, leisurely way to get around town.

If you meet the right tuk-tuk driver, like Mr. Van here, they'll soon become your nearest and dearest friend.

And we're on the way to the market, right, Mr. Van?

Yes, of course.

Joseph, voice over: On my travels, I've discovered that a country's heritage is expressed through its religion, dress, crafts, dance, and the most native of all cultural icons--food.

From street vendors to upscale eateries, from market stalls to roadside stands, food is often a window into a people's soul.

Van: That's a spider, and this is a cockroach.

Joseph: Do you like these?

I like it.

Also, my family like it.

Do you want to eat one?

I'll buy one for you.

Which one do you want?

You want a spider?

I want a spider.

OK, one spider, please.

[Speaks Khmer] Coming right up, a tarantula.

OK, how much are they?

[Speaking Khmer] Only 50 cent, like 2,000 riels.

What a deal.

There's a spider.

I want to eat him right now.

This is a real-life spider.

No, it's a dead spider, but that's-- Dead spider.

That's fried spider.

OK, well, you take--OK. Let's just eat it.

[Crunch] Go ahead, take another bite.

It tastes nice.

It does?

Yeah.

What does it taste like, chicken?

Hmm, yes.

It is very, very similar.

Very similar.

Like chicken.

That's funny.

OK, let's go get something that I can eat, all right?

OK, yeah.

Come on.

Oh, look at all the dried fish.

Van: Yeah, there's a lot of dried fish.

Cambodia has this many different kinds of fish, huh?

Yes.

Oh, there's the lobster.

Lobster.

It's from the sea.

This is crab.

Sayoan sous-dey.

Sayoan sous-dey.

Then there are all the vegetables you have here, too.

What is the most popular vegetable in Cambodia?

We have too many.

Rice is very popular.

Oh, rice, very popular.

We have the best rice in South Asia.

It called jasmine rice.

You know, being here and seeing all this food, all the vegetables, all the seafood, it's hard for me to remember that at one time Cambodians were being starved to death during the Khmer Rouge time.

Yes.

Things are much better now.

Yeah.

And all this food is making me a little hungry.

I think I have heard about a restaurant that helps people and also has food for you and me.

Since my time here, I've noted that the NGOs, the non-government organizations, of Cambodia have a real mission to help people.

How does your organization help?

We build future for young people like him, age from 15 up to 24.

The most popular training is cooking.

So that's where the restaurant comes into play.

It's part of that vocational training.

Yes, it is.

So they are coming here and getting the skills that will allow them to go off and create their own livelihood.

Yeah.

So you're not just training an employee, you're training a person.

That's what we do.

So how long have you been a part of the program?

I have been here for 8 months.

8 months.

Has it helped you?

Yes.

I feel so proud of myself when I cook for my family.

And I hope one day I can have a good job or I can make my own business.

Fabulous.

And we as tourists can help by actually coming to the restaurant and enjoying the wonderful cuisine here.

And I understand even buying some things in your gift shop.

Thank you so much.

It's such wonderful work.

Yeah.

Orkun.

Thank you as well.

Joseph, voice over: While Cambodia continues to recover from the lethal legacy of the Khmer Rouge, the ghosts of its crimes against humanity linger over the country.

In Phnom Penh, the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide, a former high school turned slaughterhouse, documents the torture and murder of the 14,000 people who passed through its doors during the 3 years, 4 months, and 12 days of Khmer Rouge rule.

Though horrific in its depiction, it is simply a prelude to the horror at Choeung Ek killing fields 9 miles away.

A former orchard, it is the most famous of the thousands of mass gravesites throughout the country where the bodies of more than 20% of the population, massacred or starved women, men, and children, were dumped.

Cambodia got sucked into the Vietnam War on March 18, 1969 when the United States began a 4-year carpet bombing operation that ultimately dropped 2 1/2 million tons of explosives on the country.

The operation destroyed the countryside and caused a social political upheaval that ironically, ultimately led to the Pol Pot Khmer Rouge communist regime, which from 1975 to 1979 killed between 1.7 to 2.5 million Cambodians.

Cambodia and Cambodians are still recovering from that period.

Colonial France held sway in Cambodia for 67 years until independence was finally declared in 1953.

Now, although much of the French colonial architecture was destroyed or damaged during Khmer Rouge days, you can still get a sense of the French influence in the section known as the French quarter, where no doubt you could still find a good chocolate croissant and a cup of café au lait.

Mr. Van.

Yes?

I think it's time for tea.

Well, I didn't find a café au lait, but I did find a chocolate fountain at a very French colonial hotel.

Joseph, voice over: Originally opened in 1929, the Raffles Les Royal offers traditional French and Cambodian ambiance and cuisine.

In 1975, the Khmer Rouge victory in the Cambodian civil war forced the hotel to close.

It wasn't restored and reopened until 1997.

Today in the famous Elephant Bar, you can once again enjoy classic Colonial Era cocktails like a handmade gin and tonic.

Choul mouy.

Choul mouy.

It's been great visiting Phnom Penh by tuk-tuk.

Phnom Penh is an exciting capital, and like Cambodia and the Cambodians, it has overcome many trials and tribulations.

It is becoming more cosmopolitan.

It is becoming more prosperous.

It is becoming more able to take care of itself with a little help from its friends.

So as the Buddhists might say, all things shall pass.

Things do get better.

The universe is conspiring for our good as long as we do good.

Joseph, voice over: The Mekong River forges its way through 6 countries for 2,700 miles.

In Vietnam, the river is called Cuu Long, the Nine Dragons River, because of its tributaries which flow together to form the expansive Mekong Delta.

[Indistinct chatter] We're in Vietnam now where the Mekong River becomes the Mekong Delta and covers 15,000 square miles of southwestern Vietnam-- 10% of the country.

It's also Vietnam's rice bowl.

Produces 50% of the rice as well as much of its fish, fruit, and other agricultural crops.

It's considered a biological treasure trove, with a thousand species of animals, including 450 species of birds.

Not to mention that it's home to 17 million people, including Viet, Khmer, and ethnic Chinese cultures.

This is truly the river and the delta of life.

People have lived in what is now Vietnam for 500,000 years.

And since the second century BC when the land was taken and occupied by the Chinese for a thousand years, the Vietnamese have struggled for their national and cultural survival.

Just a cursory glance at their history will show that while many have tried-- the Chinese, Khmer, the Mongols, the Japanese, the French, the Americans-- no foreign power has ultimately conquered the Vietnamese.

Ho Chi Minh said that, "As long as the grass "shall grow on the soil of this land, people shall continue to resist the invaders."

While today daily challenges may be less threatening, their ingenuity, resourcefulness, and perseverance still come in handy.

Joseph, voice over: While there have been great strides in the Vietnamese standard of living, 20% of the population still lives below the poverty line of $2.25 per person per day.

Xin Chao.

Xin Chao.

Xin Chao.

More than 66% of Vietnam lives in rural communities where agriculture is king.

And while rice is the main staple, the villagers grow many other crops.

I never realized how rich Vietnam was in agriculture.

What is this here?

This eggplant, and right over here is chili.

And over there?

That's tiger grass.

For the cows?

For the cows.

I saw bananas.

How many people live here?

There's a thousand people.

Joseph, voice over: From 1961 to 1972, during Operation Ranch Hand, the United States dropped 20 million gallons of defoliants and herbicides over rural areas of Vietnam.

The object was to destroy forests, jungles, and crops.

Walking through the hamlet of Vinh Hoa, I could imagine the impact such a policy would have on its farmers.

So now when you were a kid and you lived in Vietnam, did you live in houses like that?

Yeah, that kinds of house, I used to live in.

They're bamboo, thin, and thatch roof.

What was it like?

Was it comfortable?

Yes, comfortable.

It was the way it is.

Here's another crop, lemon grass.

Lemon grass.

I've had that in Thai food.

Vietnamese food, they use it, too?

Yes, we do.

And right here is peanuts.

So many crops here.

And what was the name of this village again?

It's Vinh Hoa village.

Is there a translation for that in English?

In English, means peaceful forever.

Peaceful forever.

From your mouth to God's ears, huh?

[Joseph Speaks Vietnamese] [Speaking Vietnamese] Oh, he said why aren't I wearing pants.

No, he said, "Are you still strong in your knees?"

Oh, OK, yeah.

Still strong.

He's very...

He uses... [Speaking Vietnamese] He's very weak now.

So he's using the-- The stick.

Well, it sounds like-- looks like a good stick.

[Speaking Vietnamese] He puts his thumb-- Just put the thumb here.

Yeah, look at that.

That's ingenious.

Ingenious.

This is from bamboo.

Let me see.

Beautiful.

Perfect.

[Speaks Vietnamese] [Speaks Vietnamese] [Speaks Vietnamese] Joseph, voice over: While 35% of Vietnam is devoted to agriculture for food, in the river workshops of the Mekong Delta town of Tan Chau-- Xin Chao.

Xin Chao.

they specialize in weaving jute floor mats.

Nguyen: This is the kind of weave we call jute.

Joseph: So this is yet another agricultural crop, but they figured out a different way to use it.

That's fabulous.

And you see all of this business all located along the riverside.

So they have this, they have the mat weaving.

I see they have scarves and dresses and all sorts of interesting things.

Xin Chao.

On our Mekong River adventure, we've had many forms of transportation that we've used.

Certainly the tuk-tuk, the cruise ship, boats, sampans, now we're on a xich lo.

It's really an outgrowth of the rickshaw.

And the conical hat dates back to a thousand years of Chinese rule.

Xin Chao.

Joseph voice over: Back on board, a local lion dance emphasizes Vietnam's Chinese past.

[Drumming] A morning visit to the riverside town of Sa Dec further establishes Vietnam's Chinese legacy.

The Chinese ruled Vietnam from the second century BC to the 10th century AD, and recent as the mid 20th century, the Chinese Vietnamese community called Hoa controlled almost 80% of the commerce life of Vietnam.

Merchants of opium, rice, salt, and other household goods, they prospered, and their presence can still be seen in the town's homes and temples.

Sa Dec is one of those Mekong Delta towns, this one of over a million people, that illustrate Vietnam's multi-cultural makeup.

This temple is dedicated to the Chinese god Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea, protector of fisherman.

We met her on some of our many travels to Taiwan.

[Drum banging] [Bell ringing] Joseph, voice over: Nearly a millennium after China's Tang dynasty was expelled, Vietnam was a colony of France until the French were defeated by Ho Chi Minh's army in 1954.

Starting in 1858, Vietnam was French Colonial Indochina.

A lot has changed in Vietnam and Sa Dec since then, but you can still see a little flavor of Le France.

Throughout Southeast Asia, markets are a hub of activity and can offer a wealth of unusual and unexpected surprises.

Ah, peppers.

Why don't you have one?

Now?

Yeah, just take a bite.

What are they called?

Uh, rocket pepper.

Rocket.

Rocket pepper.

Rocket pepper.

'Cause after you eat it, you take off.

So you're going to kill me by this one.

Go ahead, go ahead.

You?

This smells hot.

Go ahead.

[Groans] Yeah.

Not so bad, yeah?

Whew.

Let's go.

Wow, my mouth is still burning.

Heh heh heh.

It will burn until the rest of the day.

Oh, rambutan, I love these.

Wow, so sweet.

These are the best fruit in Southeast Asia.

One of the best fruits.

OK.

There's so many wonderful fruits in Southeast Asia, this is one of the best fruits in Southeast Asia.

Rambutan.

Joseph, voice over: In the land of mostly water, going to the store in the Mekong Delta can be a sea-going adventure.

The floating market of Cai Be is particularly popular.

OK, so this is one of the boats in the floating market here in Cai Be.

Xin Chao.

Xin Chao.

Wow, look at this.

This is a sea of coconuts.

Ah.

Can we have one of these?

OK. All right.

Wow, she's an expert at this.

Oh, yeah, I think so.

Wow.

Woop.

Ahh, look at that.

Whoo.

Oh!

That's a lot of juice.

Oh, my goodness.

OK. Cam on.

Cam on.

[Laughs] OK?

Mmm.

Taste that.

OK, thanks.

Cam on.

Cam on.

Yeah, yeah.

Ooh, so sweet.

Yeah.

Joseph, voice over: One of Vietnam's chief crops, coconut is used by the resourceful Vietnamese for most everything, including dessert.

The local candy factory whips up an addicting coconut coffee toffee from coconut milk and sugar.

This is very good.

Coconut milk candy.

They also make a tasty Rice Krispie-like treat using raw rice and black river sand.

Ha ha!

That's ingenious.

This is...delicious.

Delicious already.

So I was eating it with the husk.

Nguyen: Yes, you did.

Probably more nutritious, though.

And the sand.

And the sand.

That's why it was so crunchy.

Yeah, right, is very crunchy.

I guess I shouldn't be so impulsive.

I didn't even know there was Vietnamese candy, and now I've participated in making it.

Joseph, voice over: Yet the crème de la crème of the experience is a shot of their homemade 3-day aged rice wine.

So this is rice fermented.

Yes.

You cook the rice-- They've fermented the rice.

Oh, I can smell it.

You add the yeast, so it starts to ferment.

Yes.

Then you add the water and... get rice wine.

How much alcohol is in this?

How much alcohol?

I think about 32, 35.

[Coughs] What?

35% alcohol?

That's why they give it to you in little cups.

Joseph, voice over: Although it's not for everyone, it's head and no shoulders above snake tonic.

Only in Vietnam.

Thank you for joining me on my Mekong River adventure through Cambodia and Vietnam.

Both Vietnam and Cambodia have suffered a multitude of self-inflicted and foreign-inspired catastrophes.

And yet, after centuries of struggle, they have put aside their injuries, forgiven their enemies, and with a little help from their friends are working to protect, preserve, and celebrate their historic, natural, and cultural treasures.

And, oh, what riches.

From ancient temples to golden palaces, from vibrant cities to remote villages, there is truly a world of wonders that await the traveler.

And at the core of Vietnam and Cambodia's resurgence is its resilient people who have overcome the unimaginable again and again and are now ready to greet with world with open arms.

Till next time, this is Joseph Rosendo reminding you of the words of Mark Twain.

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindessness."

Happy traveling.

Announcer: Joseph Rosendo's "Travelscope" is made possible by EVA Air.

Premium economy class in its own separate cabin serves both business and leisure travel.

EVA Air--a Star Alliance member.

And No-Jet-Lag jet lag prevention.

For a DVD of today's show, or any of Joseph's "Travelscope" adventures, call 888-876-3399 or order online at Travelscope.net.

You can also e-mail us at TV@Travelscope.net.

Joseph: Now that we've explored the Mekong River valley, learn more at travelscope.net, where you can follow my worldwide adventures through my e-magazine, blog, podcast, and on social media.

Stay in touch-- 888-876-3399 or TV@travelscope.net.

Hi.

Hi.

[Shouting] Whoo-hoo!

Hi, I won.

Joseph: Whoa!

Is this where you came to get your wedding ring for your wife?

Man: Yeah.

Really?

My gosh, there's so much stuff.

Come on.

Yeah!

Yeah!

Ha ha ha!

All: Do!

[Coughs] Ugh!

[Laughter] It's tasty but strong.