"The Cu Chi and nearby area became the most heavily bombed, gassed, and defoliated area in the history of combat. Located about 45 miles northwest of Saigon, the tunnels were over 75 miles long. People lived there underground, sometimes for weeks at a time, and it was a critical location between supply areas for Cambodia and Saigon. It was also the base of operations for the Tet Offensive of 1968."
"They [Allied forces] began training an elite group of volunteers in the art of tunnel warfare, armed only with a gun, a knife, a flashlight and a piece of string. These specialists, commonly known as “tunnel rats”, would enter a tunnel by themselves and travel inch-by-inch cautiously looking ahead for booby traps or cornered PLAF."
Understandably, Uncle Tom hadn't slept well for the last 30 years or so after the war.
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First, warnings about not being "got drunk on alcohol or beer" while attempting to navigate through the tunnels. No problem, it was 9am.
Here's a diagram of the tunnels, which were originally built in the mid-40's for the Vietnamese to escape the persecution of the French, and were then expanded between 1945 and 1967. They contained kitchens, weapons manufacturing rooms, hospitals, and living quarters, though, don't get me wrong, life in the tunnels was pretty terrible. The tunnels were infested with ants, poisonous centipedes and spiders, and I've read that 50% of those who lived there had malaria, and 100% had intestinal parasites "of significance". Ew. And you live down there you really had to know your way around, lest you make a wrong turn and land yourself in a scorpion-infested booby trap.
You get a demonstration on how small and well hidden these tunnel entrances were.
I was able to go down myself, and I was claustrophobic immediately. It was pitch black, cramped, hot, wet and dirty. I didn't want to spend 10 seconds down there much less several weeks.
There were also quite a few disturbing mannequins stationed around to demonstrate various aspects of a Vietnamese solders' life. This was was to talk about how the lady fighters would drop their weapons, shed their army uniforms and run out on to a road, blending in with all the local villagers, American soldiers none the wiser that they were the snipers they were looking for.
A large Malaysian tour group was having quite a good time on this old tank, and I tried not to be offended.
And now for the real gut-churning part. Models of the booby traps, hidden in and around the tunnels.
And if the title of "Clipping Armpit Trap" wasn't descriptive enough, they have murals painted on the wall behind to make sure you get the idea.
The Vietnamese also used these traps as their bathrooms, so that if the spikes didn't kill you, maybe the resulting infections from the feces would.
Here's what a kitchen looked like:
And where does the smoke go? It comes out of the ground about 30 feet away, though holes so small it looks like mist on the ground. You have to admire the Vietnamese ingenuity, which overwhelmingly trumped the current state-of-the-art American warfare technology.
During a break and had a chance to sample taro root and tea, the staple of the Cu Chi tunnel residents. If I had to have one meal for the next few years, this would not be it.
They also made shoes (available for purchase, of course, God bless capitalism) from old tires. You can also shoot an AK-47 for $1 a bullet, but David and I declined.
And finally? Down in the tunnels we went. They have added steps, widened the tunnel, reinforces the sides and also added lights, but I can tell you that it did not take away from the claustrophobia. Also in the literature was a claim that "booby traps are well marked." Thank goodness.
Outside the entrance is a gunnery hole.
I'll spare you the video I took, as it's basically pitch dark and really bouncy, I had to let go of the camera to get down on my hands and knees and crawl. Our guide moved really fast, waiting for us only at the places you have to make a turn. Sweaty, dirty and tired, we emerged with a newfound respect for anyone that spend more than three minutes down there.
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On a more colorful note, we then journeyed to the Cau Dai Temple, made famous both for it's size and design, and for the fact that they follow Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Catholicism. They do not discriminate.
"The noble effort of CaoDai is to unite all of humanity through a common vision of the Supreme Being, whatever our minor differences, in order to promote peace and understanding throughout the world. CaoDai does not seek to create a gray world, where all religions are exactly the same, only to create a more tolerant world, where all can see each other as sisters and brothers from a common divine source reaching out to a common divine destiny realizing peace within and without."
Sounds alarmingly sensible. No wonder they have six million followers (or so they say) throughout the world.
Upon entering the temple, you come upon this fresco painted on the wall, with two chinese and one... French guy? The inscription next to it reads "The Three Saints, Signatories of the 3rd Alliance between God and Mankind." Along with Sun Yat Sen, Nguyen Binh Khiem, is Victor Hugo. "France's famed poet full of compassion for the miserable, revealing himself under the name of Chuong Dao Nguyet Tam Chan Nhan (superintendent of Monastaries)." Funny, you can't find this in Wikipedia.
We just caught the end of the daily prayer service - women on the right, men on the left, virgins in the balcony (there weren't many).
The lay follows wear white, and the priests' colors symbolize spiritual allegiance - red is for Christianity, blue is for Taoism, and yellow is for Buddhism. This priest is sporting the symbol of the Divine Eye, representing God. It's always the left eye, because God is yang, and yang is on the left side.
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On the way back to Saigon, we spotted another "how much crap can you haul" scenario. In case you're wondering, they are bags of chips.
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Finally, we stopped by the tailor that night for a fitting, where my new friend was waiting for me, with almost a real smile this time.
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Tomorrow (wasn't today full enough?) is the Mekong Delta with John and Margaret - Snake Wine and the Brick Factory! Even more fascinating than it sounds....
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