On to Saigon.
Scott, Reinira, Ian and I skedaddled out of Da Lat and cruised our way into Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon.
What a city! Our impression of Vietnam
had not been good thus far (could you tell?) but right away we had a good
feeling about this city. Bigger and busier than Hanoi, it actually gave off a far calmer
vibe, as there was much more space to accommodate the gazillions of motorbike
we were once again destined to battle. It is just incredible what people carry
on their motorbikes - fridges, mattresses, a family of six! This city was full
of life, from the huge beautiful parks, to the neon buzz of the tourist
district at night. Also, we could feel the history just oozing out of the
cracks, which made us eager to get out and see the sites!
After finding a little room with a balcony over the "main drag", we
hired a driver to take us straight to the Cu Chi tunnels. At its height, the
tunnel system stretched from Saigon to the
Cambodian border and was three levels deep. Today the remaining tunnels have
become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a feel of what underground
life in the war must have been like. The
tunnels of Cu Chi are a vast network of connecting underground tunnels located
in the Cu Chi district of Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of
tunnels that underlie much of the country. The CuChi tunnels were the location
of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War. They were used by NLF
guerrillas as hiding spots during combat and as communication and supply
routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous
guerrilla fighters. The tunnel systems were essential for the resistance of
American operations and prolonging the war, eventually persuading the exhausted
Americans into withdrawal.
If you're interested in finding out more information, go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi_tunnels
Exploring the tunnels was absolutely unreal. We walked through the jungle,
where the guide brushed off a tiny patch of leaves from the ground to expose a
lid the size of a woman's small handbag that covered an entrance hole. We could
not believe that an actual human being could fit into it. But we tried it and
we did. Once in, it’s on hands and knees from there and if you weren't
claustrophobic before, you'd probably discover you were then.
The next day, Ian and I went to the War
Remnants Museum,
which was the biggest eye opener I think I've ever had. Obviously everyone has
heard how devastating the Vietnam War was, but until you read the stories, see
the photographs and worst of all, the aftermath, it is impossible to really get
a good idea of what it must have been like. As a result of the war,
approximately 67,000 Americans, including war correspondents and over 5.1
million Vietnamese died. Ever since, the country has been dealing with the
effects of Agent Orange, an herbicide used to clear jungle brush in order to
capture enemy, but has since made its way through soil and waterways, which has
resulted in a generation plagued by serious birth defects. Also, napalm which
has left thousands scarred and disfigured. We also saw some of the torture
devices and chambers that were used during the war and the effect were so
grotesque, I'll refrain from going into detail.
Obviously the devastation wasn't only for the Vietnamese. Ian and I remembered
meeting a man back in Thailand
two months earlier. He just sat down while we were eating and started talking
to us. He was from California
and had fought in the Vietnam War and decided to come back with his son. As he
told us stories, he cried, even though it had been forty years since. He wished
us luck on our trip and got up to walk away. It wasn't until then that we
realized he was missing a leg. We watched him walk away with his son and it hit
us how strong these people must be to deal with the scars for the rest of their
lives. Phew! Very heavy.
Although Vietnam
was tough for us to go through, we are aware of what the people have gone
through and it makes it a bit easier to understand why they are the way they
are. Years of trying to protect themselves have made them very cynical people,
and for good reason. Our trip to Saigon and the things we learned there made
everything else we experienced in Vietnam worth it. It really is a
beautiful country. But they still have a long way to go......
