War History in Saigon

Cu Chi Tunnels

It started out like any tour-bus nightmare. We didn't leave the city until an hour after departure time. The tour guide made terrible jokes into the silence of our sleepiness. She repeatedly elicited audience participation despite little-to-no cooperation. We stopped at the "happy house" - aka, the bathroom- after only an hour on the road. She informed us that we would have 30 minutes. The extra time turned out to be for purchasing overpriced souvenirs made by handicapped individuals.

Then it all changed as we boarded back on the bus in the company of an extra tour guide who addressed us collectively as "hey buddy." He had a weathered face, long hair and sideburns and fought during the American war. He gave us a brief history and informed us that the Viet Cong were friendly and beautiful people, despite the fact that they imprisoned him after the war for fighting on the losing side. At the Cu Chi tunnels, we saw bunkers, well-concealed tunnel exit-points, and all kinds of deadly booby traps, mostly made of natural materials such as bamboo spears. We squat-walked through some of the tunnels. Although they were widened for tourists, there was barely enough room to maneuver and some patches were completely dark. When we emerged, panting and relieved by the first possible exit, we learned we had only managed to cover 15 meters of the tunnel. It felt like at least 50. The option remained to continue on for 100 meters, but I didn't have it in me. We saw some tunnels that remained their original size, and I'm almost certain my hips and shoulders wouldn't fit through. The entire visit was made a little more realistic by the sound of shots being fired at the tacky (yet popular) shooting range, where for the price of bullets, tourists can fire a number of different war guns.

During the war, the network of Cu Chi tunnels spread over 250 kilometers, linking up to Siagon. Some sections had three levels. Kitchens, meeting rooms and sleeping quarters were all underground, housing 18,000 VC troops. They had elaborate ventilation systems, including a way to release the kitchen smoke almost invisibly. We saw a few craters made by the American B-52 bombs that caused many of the tunnels to collapse, leaving only 6,000 of the troops to survive. The tunnels had no support beams- the clay soil was so strong that the carved tunnels held secure (until the bombings, of course). At the end of the tour, we ate tapioca root steamed in the original kitchen with tea.

Back on the bus, the tour guide liked to see us cringe when he pointed out the cages of dogs riding to the market on the back of motorbikes. "One-way ticket!" he would say with pleasure. As cute as can be, the dogs were about to become someone's dinner.

War-Remnants Museum
War tanks and aircraft sit parked outside the War Remnants Museum, which details the atrocities of the American war. Most of the museum consists of photos telling the story of devastation. I saw dozens of photos of deformed babies, burned skin and bodies reduced to ashes- all victims of Agent Orange. My guts twisted as I looked at photos of women and children taken moments before they were shot to death. I cringed at civilians being interrogated (aka- tortured) by groups of US soldiers, some wearing a slight grin as they watched. My eyes teared up as I read the account of a family torn to shreds by a squad of men led by Bob Kerrey- a man later to become a US Senator. The grandparents' throats were slit and children as young as 6 were killed and disemboweled. Soldiers glared proudly at the camera while holding up the detached head of a VC soldier. Dead bodies were dragged behind tanks. Of the 3 million Vietnamese killed during the war, 2 million were civilians (many women and children). Villages were burned and destroyed. Crops were sprayed with napalm.

The history was briefly outlined and my last stop was the section on torture. No details were spared here either and by the time I walked away, I was heartbroken and exhausted. The visitors were foreigners and Vietnamese alike, and I was grateful for a truthful exhibit, not watered-down or littered with propaganda. Of course a place like this only provides more questions than answers and I'm eager to learn more.

Saigon

Saigon itself is a huge city, with a population of 9 million. According to the tour guides, there are an estimated 4.5 million motorbikes within the city. After crossing the streets here, I believe it. It's hot and humid, the people are pretty friendly and there are always loud noises, people to watch and markets to explore.

From Saigon, I flew to Bangkok where I spent two days saying goodbye to SE Asia (I miss you already!).

To read up on the Mekong Delta, click HERE.