Next morning was off to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a little over an hour out of town by bus. The Cu Chi Tunnels are an extensive network of underground tunnels that the VietCong used to launch guerilla attacks against the Americans. Entire villages lived underground in these small, cramped, suffocating tunnels.
Prior to the tour there was a short presentation about the VietCong. I thought it was interesting seeing a memorial to the VC as heroes, all we are bombarded with is the American side of things. In the War Memorial we see statues of VC, the booby traps they used, etc. and I have to say, they’re genius. They used what they had to defeat a seemingly superior force. These people are a strong, proud people. Astig.
The video in the beginning was a little awkward, in fact the whole slant of the memorial was strange. The video was a documentary. Shot: nice looking peasant girl. Voice-over: “You think that this is a cute little peasant girl, but in truth, she is an American Killer Hero! She has killed 16 Americans.” Further on in the video the narrator kept calling Americans names, like “crazy devils”. On the walls of the booby trap museum you see paintings of Americans being killed by the traps in a lampoon sort of way. The guide says, “you know chicken burger, ham burger? These traps make American burgers,” then he laughs.
It may be comical, and it goes against what we know (from all those movies and TV shows), but one thing he said put everything in perspective: in the war, American casualties were at 80,000. Vietnamese casualties were two million.
We went into the tunnels ourselves and I didn’t last longer than 100 meters in. That was less than 10 minutes. These people lasted months, years in these tunnels. And they won.
After the tunnels I was so sleepy so I crashed while the others went to a pagoda and a zoo. Then it was off to dinner with Pinoy friends based in HCMC, Jeigh and Anne; both TVC producers. But before that, another discovery: Ban Mi (sp?)!
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It’s a make-your-own baguette sandwich stand. Great for baon.
Vietnamese barbecue! A grill in the middle of the table on which there were various meats (beef with cheese, goat’s breast (which was awful… the texture really felt like you were chewing on a nipple and not in a good way), prawns) and veggies. The omnipresent vinegar-chili-fish sauce dip that I swear I can chug down, it’s that good. A shellfish salad appetizer that you put on kropek flakes. It was the best meal of the entire trip.
The restaurant was on the rooftop of an old French colonial building, downstairs was a pastry shop where we had dessert. I don’t really care for dessert in general but it was a nice place. The area was also pretty; it was in what I’m guessing is the city center, with the palace and more French colonial buildings. Nicely done.
Off to bed early, as the bus for Siem Reap leaves at 6:30 AM. Bracing myself for that.
Tags: Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City, travel, Vietnam
