Paying a Visit to Uncle Ho

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City late at night, passed out, and had an early morning start for the Cu Chi Tunnels and War Remnants Museum.

The Cu Chi tunnels are underground passage ways used by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War to evade the Americans. Because the Americans had destroyed the vegetation, leaving the land barren, the Vietnamese had to figure out a way to prevent themselves from being exposed and killed.  People ate, slept, and travelled through the tunnels during the day, and only came out at night. The original tunnels are so tiny that most average North Americans can't fit inside, but they had a widened 100m segment nicknamed the "Eurotunnel" for visitors to experience what it may have been like to live in tight corners. The tunnel was quite claustrophobic, with narrow portions and areas where we had to climb vertically up or down to continue. Luckily, there were lights to guide us and exits every 10m for people who were overwhelmed in the confined space. We made it through the entire length, some parts holding hands, other parts coaching each other on deep breathing. 

The Vietnamese made booby traps on the surface as well as in the tunnels for intruders. There was no light in the tunnels, but the Vietnamese had maps that helped them remember where each trap was located. We were able to see the various traps and how they worked. 

Another interesting part about the tunnels was the ventilation system, which consisted of holes leading to the surface located at the base of termite hills. The Americans had dogs that were trained to sniff out these holes, so they could put toxic gas in them and kill the masses. The Vietnamese covered a portion of the hole with cloth mixed with shampoo to mislead the dogs, as this resembled the smell of Americans themselves. 

There was a shooting range where tourists could experience what it's like to shoot a real gun. We shot AK47s, three bullets each, at empty bottles in the distance. It was scary, but exhilarating at the same time. We felt like we were in the Hunger Games. KE hit one of the bottles, and we each got to keep an empty shell as a souvenir. 

The best part of the Cu Chi tunnel visit was a Vietnamese war veteran who taught us about the war and described his personal experience. He was a cute little old man, who had been shot in both the arm and leg (with scars to prove it) while fighting from the Cu Chi tunnels. He required both medical and surgical care, and spent three months recovering in another tunnel outside of the war zone. IN A TUNNEL!! And to top it off, he went back to help fight the war. What a guy!

Our next stop was the War Remnants museum, where we learned more details of the Vietnam War. The Austrian President was visiting the museum at the same time. There was a large delegation from Austria, with high security, body guards, and nice cars parked outside with both the Austrian and Vietnamese flag.  

We didn't realize how extensive the war was or the enormous impact it had on the Vietnamese, even today. Apparently the majority of American citizens were protesting the war, and countries around the world had openly condemned the war as well. Millions of people died, and many more suffered needlessy. There was even a newspaper article about an American soldier who refused to return to the war, and chose prison over fighting. There were also articles about people who had burned themselves to death in protest. 

There were many touching exhibits. For example, an American soldier had donated all of his medals after the war, with a note that read 'I'm sorry. I was wrong.' 

One of the most emotional exhibits was on Agent Orange, a defoliant with excessive amounts of dioxin, a substance that causes cancer and birth defects. This was sprayed in various parts of Vietnam, and the after effects have been devastating. Birth defects range from neurological disorders, to missing limbs, eyes, and organs. The second and third generations of both the exposed American and Vietnamese, many of which are around our age, are still suffering the consequences of this substance. There was even a letter on display recently written to Obama from a 22 year old requesting aid for victims of agent orange. We stopped by a factory where victims of agent orange made handcrafted art, with the proceeds going towards helping their cause. It is inspiring what some of these disabled individuals have achieved in their lives, from being musicians, to artists, to teachers. 

Tomorrow we fly to Cambodia, with the families and victims of the war in our thoughts. 

EGF

Hurry hurry

The next day was the start of our three day Halong Bay excursion. Halong Bay is a UNESCO world heritage site, and one of the most visited natural wonders in Southeast Asia. We boarded a junk boat aka pirate ship from Halong City,  were introduced to our crew and oriented to our cabins. There were three levels on the boat - the first had sleeping cabins, the second had the dining area, and the third was the sun deck. Our meals were all in the dining area, and consisted of mostly seafood - different types of fish, shrimp, squid, and mussels.  Our first stop on the boat was the Sung Sot caves. These were where Vietnamese soldiers would obtain shelters from the bombs dropped on Halong Bay. Many of them had inscribed their names on the rocks. It was very neat to see. We then went kayaking around the islands, followed by climbing up 416 steps for a beautiful view of Halong  Bay. At the top, we saw a Chinese man and woman racing to the top while being filmed on camera. They were dramatic and over the top, as they were making some Asian TV show. It was amusing to watch. We then had dinner on the boat, watching sunset on the top deck. We met a couple of Vietnamese and they taught us how to play Dala, the most common Vietnamese card game. It's a mix between mah Jong and rummy. We ended the night attempting to fish for squid. The only thing we caught was a sandal. The next day we were at Cat Ba, the largest island in Halong Bay. We cycled through the countryside to a village, where we were supposed to hike to the hospital cave. But because it had just rained, we were advised to not go as this is when the snakes and leeches come out in the jungle.  Our next destination was Monkey Beach, an isolated beach that we had to ourselves until another boat arrived. We swam in the ocean, which was so still we could float on our backs without having waves crashing into us. The water was sparkling under the sun, and the horizon was dotted with islands as far as we could see. It was definitely comparable to Maya Bay, if not nicer. The boat then took us to the main Cat Ba island, where many Vietnamese travel to for vacation. We watched sunset from a park bench along the harbour. After dinner, we searched the island night markets for our favorite dessert, mixed fruit with condensed and coconut milk. It was no where to be found, and instead, we were hustled by close to 20 Vietnamese women to eat at their respective food booths. So glad that never happens in Canada. There are only so many times you can say no before you stop acknowledging hustlers. The next day we travelled back to Hanoi. We revisited our favorite food stalls, then headed to the airport for Ho Chi Minh City. PS- oh yeah, we should explain our title. Our tour guide told us to hurry hurry for every activity, even if we ended up having to wait anyway. It got to the point where we placed bets on when the hurry hurry would come. EGF