Revived after my quiet day in Saigon city yesterday, today another trip into the Southern Vietnam countryside, this time to the viet cong tunnels in Cu Chi followed by the war crimes museum and a visit to a ngo funded centre to provide work for those still disabled by Agent Orange.
I have clear childhood memories of media coverage of the Vietnam war, but had no idea of the extent of the fighting here. The tunnels cover hundreds of miles and played a key part in the guerrilla warfare which defeated the firepower of the US. Built on many levels, there were living spaces, kitchens, etc. Today you can see the entry points, like rabbit warrens, some real and some decoy, and slide into one of the dark, cramped, holes and wriggle/crawl along 100 metres. I was very moved by the tunnel complex, the diverse and cunning ways used by the rebels, women and men alike, to challenge the mighty Americans, and so, despite my profound hatred of being trapped, in I went!
Once in its impossible to turn around or go back, the only way is forward. Not many people make the full length, and of the group of 6 I was with, only 2 of us tried anyway (the men really couldn’t fit in-the US soldiers could not penetrate the tunnels mainly due to their tiny size, designed for viet cong fighters). And only I continued past the first exit post at 20 metres….literally gasping for breath in the dust, pulling myself along by my hands, the voice of the tunnel guide in the distance calling for me to carry on-finally merging to a round of applause and a handshake from the guide.
Given the Vietcong lived down these tunnels for years, my few minutes, which seemed like a lifetime, is nothing, and puts their struggle into perspective.
The area was blitzed by the poison Agent Orange in a bid to deforest the dense foliage, but the resulting effects have been devastating. Seeing severely disabled people working in a ngo funded workshop doing traditional Vietnamese handiwork such a lacquer and egg shell painting and wood carving was very moving.
The vast war crimes museum back in Saigon had a true resonance after the tunnels experience, and I spent a long time reading detailed accounts of the fighting, the compensation claims by Vietnamese and US soldiers alike, the anti war campaigns, and the post war reconciliation and peace. The politics was complicated and I struggle to make sense of the internal divisions then, but the aggression of the US and their eventual withdrawal and apologies were simple and hard now to understand.
Moved by the experiences of the day I walked back through the crowded evening streets, watching the sun set through the arches of the cities’ Notre Dame cathedral and joined for a while those sitting outside, on scooters or sitting on the steps, listening to the choir sing evensong.
The forthcoming Tet festivities are in full swing, the shops and streets are ablaze with colour, and children are brought out every evening to visit the shining statues of the Horse and to have their photos taken for good luck, just like visiting Father Christmas.
After the emotional upheaval and concentration of the day, the happiness and peace of the season was a wonderfully contrasting delightful pleasure.
I have clear childhood memories of media coverage of the Vietnam war, but had no idea of the extent of the fighting here. The tunnels cover hundreds of miles and played a key part in the guerrilla warfare which defeated the firepower of the US. Built on many levels, there were living spaces, kitchens, etc. Today you can see the entry points, like rabbit warrens, some real and some decoy, and slide into one of the dark, cramped, holes and wriggle/crawl along 100 metres. I was very moved by the tunnel complex, the diverse and cunning ways used by the rebels, women and men alike, to challenge the mighty Americans, and so, despite my profound hatred of being trapped, in I went!
Once in its impossible to turn around or go back, the only way is forward. Not many people make the full length, and of the group of 6 I was with, only 2 of us tried anyway (the men really couldn’t fit in-the US soldiers could not penetrate the tunnels mainly due to their tiny size, designed for viet cong fighters). And only I continued past the first exit post at 20 metres….literally gasping for breath in the dust, pulling myself along by my hands, the voice of the tunnel guide in the distance calling for me to carry on-finally merging to a round of applause and a handshake from the guide.
Given the Vietcong lived down these tunnels for years, my few minutes, which seemed like a lifetime, is nothing, and puts their struggle into perspective.
The area was blitzed by the poison Agent Orange in a bid to deforest the dense foliage, but the resulting effects have been devastating. Seeing severely disabled people working in a ngo funded workshop doing traditional Vietnamese handiwork such a lacquer and egg shell painting and wood carving was very moving.
The vast war crimes museum back in Saigon had a true resonance after the tunnels experience, and I spent a long time reading detailed accounts of the fighting, the compensation claims by Vietnamese and US soldiers alike, the anti war campaigns, and the post war reconciliation and peace. The politics was complicated and I struggle to make sense of the internal divisions then, but the aggression of the US and their eventual withdrawal and apologies were simple and hard now to understand.
Moved by the experiences of the day I walked back through the crowded evening streets, watching the sun set through the arches of the cities’ Notre Dame cathedral and joined for a while those sitting outside, on scooters or sitting on the steps, listening to the choir sing evensong.
The forthcoming Tet festivities are in full swing, the shops and streets are ablaze with colour, and children are brought out every evening to visit the shining statues of the Horse and to have their photos taken for good luck, just like visiting Father Christmas.
After the emotional upheaval and concentration of the day, the happiness and peace of the season was a wonderfully contrasting delightful pleasure.
looks both moving and amazing at the same time!!
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