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Published: February 8th 2009
Okay, now I am really feeling the stress. This our third day in the Mekong Delta and I still have not written about the Cu Chi Tunnels.
It has been all go for the last several days, literlly leaving no time for blog entries PLUS access is limited. For example we are now in a large hotel with only ONE ancient, very slow computer so there is always a line up to use it and it keeps bouncing me out of the site.
I am going to cheat and back up a couple of days, keep the blog short and let the pics speak for themselves. I will write about the Mekong Delta next time.
Although the tunnels are only some 65 km from Saigon it still took over two hours to get there with the usual handicrafts store pit stop. We were scheduled to return to Saigon about 2:30pm but one of the couples in our group announced they had to be back in time to catch their 3pm bus to Mui Ne Beach - this took our guide by surprise and he had to speed things up. We actually ended up going around the site with
the group ahead of us. The propaganda spouted by the leader was so over the top, it was both laughable and embarassing. I am sure (I hope) that those listening to him took everything with a pinch of salt. Never the less the tunnel system was fascinating and some of the traps they set up for the enemy (the Americans) were basic, but devious, clever and very cruel.
This area lies at the end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and was used by his men as a base for their attack on Saigon.
Remember I said we were not planning on going into the tunnels when we visited the site. Well, you know how that goes? As soon as Don was assured by the guide that he would fit in the hole (we were all in some doubt on that point), he decided to give it a go and keep his fingers crossed that his knee cooperated. He was by far the oldest person in our group, which mainly consisted of younger backpacker types, to go down. One or two of them looked at me as if to say, "Is he really going to do it?'
We all went off to the other end of the tunnel to wait for the adventurers to emerge. I didn't understand why people who went in after Don, were coming out before him. I was beginning to wonder if a search party was going to be necessary. A young Aussie girl even asked me, "Where is your husband?' Eventually he appeared, none the worse for wear. I guess in the dark he had taken a turn, wound up in a dead end, and had to back his way out. It happened to a couple of the others as well.
Don said it was a very, very dark and dirty experience, complete with bats flying around. Oh well, he can cross it off his list of accomplishments.
Like I said, I will talk about the Delta in my next entry, but I do want to say a few words about the gentleman who has been our guide and companion for the last three days. 'Nick' is 69 years old, so he has been through a lot in his lifetime, including fighting alongside the Americans during, as he puts it,The War in Vietnam. It is very interesting and refreshing to
get his take on the situation and life. It is also a good thing he goes by the name the Americans gave him - Nick - because I think we would have had a hard time calling him by his traditional name - Phuoc!!
Phew, what a relief - I got finally got this entry completed -the stress is gone.
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martin
non-member comment
he did it.. he did it... yaay!
the adventures continue.....as do the surprises!! Really hard to believe that Cambodia is just around the corner. You have seen and done do much... and have not left a stone unturned. You are now the official 'Vietnam Experts!