Down Highway One

Downie was one of the first westerners to travel down Highway One, the road between northern Vietnam and the Cambodian capital, when it opened after the war. This is the story of her journeys there. It offers an account of Vietnam and Cambodia today, emphasizing the culture rather than the war.

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Highway One is one of the longest and most historic roads in Asia, stretching from the northern part of Vietnam down to the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. Susan Downie was one of the first westerners to travel down the highway when it opened after two decades of war. This book is the story of her journeys there, and provides an account of Vietnam and Cambodia today, 15 years after the fall of Saigon, the Khymer Rouge and the "killing fields". From the author of "Babymaking: The Technology and Ethics", this book aims to offer a new perspective on the two countries, based on their cultures rather than the war. The main concern is the people, Vietnamese, Cambodians and foreigners working in the two countries. Included is the history, ancient and modern, of the two countries - with the periods of French and American presence in Vietnam, and the genocidal misery of Pol Pot in Cambodia. This journey led the author to discover the rich diversity of Cambodian and Vietnamese life. Through the people she met, she offers an understanding of the dramatic impact of politics, religion, war and more recently, western tourism, on this part of Southeast Asia.