On Friday we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, a 200km network of tunnels under Vietnam countryside leading to Ho Chi Minh City, that enabled the Viet Cong to fight the Americans during the war. The site had been preserved in a brilliant way; we wandered along the path and randomly the guide would ask if we could see any tunnel entrances, which of course we could not. He would then point an entrance out, which would appear as if by magic. I can totally see how the Viet Cong were able to sneak up on the Yanks- the tunnel design is incredible.
We entered a section of tunnel about 50 feet long but I got quite claustrophobic and had to leave at the first exit (after 20 feet), which made me respect the fighters even more for living and working in those conditions. We saw booby traps which were absolutely ingenious; some were created by holes dug under the ground which remain hidden until you happened to walk over them and were instantly impaled on bamboo sticks, or stuck with rusty nails driven into your leg/arm/face. Nice...!!!
After our tunnel explorations we visited the War Remnants Museum, which was harrowing and shocking. I am quite ignorant about the Vietnam War (I'm ashamed to say) but visiting the country has made me want to read more about it when I come home. We learnt how the destruction of the country was total: not only were bombs dropped on major cities but napalm too. Trees and countryside were burned to ensure crops couldnt grow (therefore people would starve). Vietnam still experiences high numbers of children born with birth defects as a result of the chemicals the parents were exposed to. It is hard to believe this happened so recently and it made me think of how lucky I am to be healthy. I might get frustrated sometimes that I stammer, but to be honest, that is nothing compared to the trials other people face.
My time in Vietnam concluded with another day trip on the Mekong River, this time to see floating markets and local village life. Boats attach a sample of their wares to the mast to ensure potential customers know what they sell and all boats on the river have eyes painted onto the front to scare away crocodiles. We also saw coconut sweets being made and then ate lunch accompanied by a husband and wife singing team, who sang the story of a lady boat owner who is attracted to her customer, but she doesn't know what to do about it because she doesn't want to break customer rules. The conundrum was very intriguing indeed!
Vietnam was wonderful and I would love to come back to see more- this was only a whistlestop tour and I'm keen to get to Cambodia where there is much more to discover, including Angkor Wat next week!
PS: 400 people read my blog last month...wow!!
