AK 47's

Day Twenty-one: 3/3 – Saigon Day #2
Title: AK 47’s

The first item on today’s itinerary was a trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnels are located roughly 70 km outside of downtown Saigon. Saigon traffic is insane, so it took us a little under two hours to drive that distance.

The first Cu Chi Tunnel was built in 1948 as a way to hide from French attacks. At this time the tunnels covered 17 km. During the Vietnam War the tunnels were greatly expanded. Currently it is estimated that they cover over 250 km.

The park surrounding the tunnels was very interesting. There were ample displays showing the guerilla war tactics that the Vietnamese used against the Americans. They were really quite brilliant in their simplicity and resourcefulness. The Vietcong recycled much of what the US used against them and used all of their natural resources to perfection. I can’t begin to imagine what it would have been like to be on either side of this battle. The poor US servicemen were destined to fall into the traps set by the Vietcong. The Vietcong were living in tunnels, many of which were literally narrower than my shoulders. And this says nothing of the fact the tunnels were pitch black, filled with endless insects, and lacked adequate bathroom facilities. Dad and I climbed through roughly 50 meters of tunnel. I think that was probably enough to last a lifetime.

The darkness and depth of the tunnels is very hard to appreciate without venturing inside them. The underground community was set up with meeting rooms, workshops, and kitchens, all connected by an intricate pattern of tunnels. There are three levels of tunnels. The deepest of which is roughly 30 feet below ground. It is absolutely crazy to think that all of these tunnels were dug by hand. To read more about the history of the tunnels click this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi_Tunnels.

My favorite part of our Cu Chi Tunnel visit may have been the shooting range. When you first enter the tunnel grounds you hear a lot of gunfire. I was wondering if this was for affect or if live rounds were actually being shot somewhere. It turns out that there is a firing range on the tunnel grounds. I have always wanted to shoot a gun but I have never had the opportunity, until today. I shot five rounds out of an AK47. I am not a very good shot. The gun was set up on a wall that was a little too high for me. I had to shoot from tiptoes. I am confident that’s why my aim wasn’t better ;~> If any of you who are reading this go skeet shooting, I’d love to join you sometime.

On our way back to town from the Cu Chi Tunnel we stopped at “Handicapped Handicrafts”. Evidently the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War has caused a significant number of birth defects in the last 30 years. Many of the people’s defects are such that traditional employment would be very difficult. Someone (I am not sure if it is private or government run) started a factory where the Agent Orange victims can work, live, and find purpose for their lives.

After returning to downtown Saigon we went to lunch. We ate a restaurant called Pho 24. Pho noodles are like the national noodle of Vietnam. I don’t think that they taste any different from any other type of Asian noodle. I actually have found Vietnamese food to be a little bland, especially compared to the amazing Thai food we had two short weeks ago.

After lunch we took a “cyclo” tour from the Central Market to the Chinese Market. A “cyclo” is basically a tricycle with a big old chair in the front of it. Riding around in this thing was quite an experience. There is no place for a bike (or cyclo) to ride other than in the street. As I’ve previously mentioned the traffic in Saigon is crazy. Traffic laws are mere suggestions and accidents aren’t the exception but rather the rule. I thought I was going to lose a limb at least a few times on the ride. I took a short video on my still camera. I haven’t watched it yet but I imagine it will be able to convey the experience much better than I ever could.

After wondering around the Chinatown market for a few minutes we took our van back to the hotel. I am still fighting a bit of whatever cold or allergies I’ve developed, so I took a short nap before cleaning up for dinner.

Dinner tonight was within walking distance of the hotel. We went to a rather fancy place called “Mandarin”. Evidently it is one of Condoleeza Rice’s favorite watering holes in Saigon. There were pictures of her and the restaurant’s employees all over the walls. Our meal was fairly good but I resented the fact that a Diet Coke cost $3.50. I know Joel would ask, “Why didn’t you just have water?” Well you can’t drink tap water here and a bottle of water was the same price. I did my best to drink slowly. I drank only two twelve-ounce cans during the two-hour dinner.

One downer in regards to dinner was that it was our last evening with the Purdon’s. They are off to visit to one of their kids in Santa Barbara tomorrow. Dad and I really enjoyed getting to know them over the last two weeks. I am so thankful that they were such cool people because this trip really could have been miserable if we didn’t like them.

Saying farewell to the Purdon’s got me thinking about goodbyes in general. This brings us to our Dr. P. fun fact of the day. Dad thinks the hardest goodbye he ever had to say was when his father’s casket sunk into the ground. Dad says, “It is so final. You can’t say ONE MORE WORD.” He says his father’s priest was some comfort. Dad remembers the priest saying, “ ‘Death is the ultimate mystery’ and for some reason I (dad) found that comforting.”

After dinner we walked back to the hotel and said our goodbyes to John P. and Sigrid. I now have a standing invitation to visit Ontario, Canada, so I may have to make the trip I’ve been wanting to take to Toronto sooner rather than later. Dad and I went for a quick walk to pick up some groceries and then went back to the room for good. I am currently writing this from my bed and my eyes are getting very heavy. I think I’m going to call it a night. Tomorrow’s blog will likely be short because dad and I plan to spend the whole day shopping. If there are any last shopping requests please send them over ASAP and I’ll do my best to get what you want.

I miss you all and am looking forward to seeing you soon.

Katy