Yesterday we went on a tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels. First built by the Vietnamese during the anti-French resistance, the tunnels were later extended during the American/Vietnam War and enabled the Viet Cong to gain a strategic advantage over their enemies in the South. The extensive network of tunnels covered a distance of 200km, stretching from the Cambodian border to the outskirts of Saigon.
Access to the tunnel system was gained through small, hidden entrances, giving the American and Australian soldiers the illusion that the Vietnamese had literally vanished into the surrounding forest. Looking about us, it was easy to imagine how disorientating the place could be and how perfect a hiding place it was for those who were familiar with the area. That said, life in the tunnels was not easy and many died of disease and malnutrition.
(One of the A4 sized entrances to the tunnels, with a small trap door that could be covered over with leaves)
(Soldiers would shoot from the trenches like the one above and then retreat into the tunnels below)
Our guide on the tour was called Lion. He told us his mother had given him the name of a Vietnamese flower so he decided to change it to Lion so as to appear more powerful. He was a pretty colourful character, and had no qualms about telling people if they were too "fat" to fit in the tunnels. He seemed to get great entertainment out of describing the ways in which the people of Cu Chi managed to inflict pain on American soldiers who stumbled upon their home-made traps.
(Our guide, Lion, resting against an old American tank)
(A cratar created by a B52 bomb)
The National Defence Sports Shooting Range is located within the site where the tunnels are situated and tourists are provided with a chance to use a variety of guns on the shooting range. Oddly, there is a souvenir shop and some food stalls right next to the shooting range which makes for a pretty intense rest stop. While we sat in the shade waiting to continue the tour, our conversation was punctuated by bursts of machine guns and the sound of rifles firing. It was probably an appropriate soundtrack for the setting.
The small section of tunnels that remain open to the public have been widened to accommodate the bigger frame of foreigners. Even still, when we were given a chance to go underground, a few people found it too claustrophobic to go beyond the entrance - we scrambled through the first 10 metres before choosing to make an exit. Perhaps if your choice is claustrophobia or a bullet, then your surroundings don't matter so much. It was an interesting tour, and like the War Remnants Museum, serves to remind people of the hard reality of war.
(Entering one of the tunnels)
(A hand drawn image of the tunnel system)
Today we went on a self-guided literary tour this morning. Nicky has just finished reading 'A Quiet American', a novel by Graham Greene that was set in Saigon in the 1950s. After having read of Rue Catinat, the street on which the main character lived, and the various hotels and restaurants he frequents in the story, Nicky found that Rue Catinat does exist but is now called Dong Khoi. We made our way to Dong Khoi and had a look inside some of the old buildings from that period, such as the Majestic Hotel and the Grand.
(The Majestic Hotel on Dong Khoi)
(The Grand Hotel)
(Looking down Dong Khoi towards the river)
(The Continental Hotel, where the two lead characters meet for the first time)
While walking along the street, Nicky commented that it was a shame that an old street sign showing the previous street name hadn't been preserved. A few steps further and a pretty balcony caught Nicky's eye and there was the evidence of the street's past that she was looking for with the street name spelt out in the balcony's wrought iron. Intrigued, we went through an arcade and up an old, winding staircase and came across the lovely cafe L'Usine.
(Evidence of the street's former identity)
(A well preserved old building where L'Usine is located)
After lunch we went to the History Museum, where we also popped into the Water Puppet Theatre to see a short show. Vietnamese water puppetry is thought to be about 1,000 years old, a tradition established by rice farmers who would stage performances in rice fields when they were flooded. In theatres, the puppeteers hide behind the screens, standing in waist deep water and controlling the puppets with rods which give the impression that the puppets are gliding across the water. It wasn't unlike an old Punch and Judy show.
(The Water Puppet Theatre at the Museum)
(Water puppets)
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