8th Sept Day 44 DMZ tour

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Up early for a tour of the Demilitarised zone (dividing line between north and south Vietnam between 1954-75) We visited one of the American army bases, passed very many cemeteries and stopped off at a few other locations along the way including Murray Hill places where both sides hid out. Some of this was part of the Ho Chi Minh trails. We also visited the Vinh Moc tunnels where for 6 years Vietnamese people lived underground. They carved the tunnels by hand over 3 levels. The caves are amazing, we walked through some of them and it was pretty cramped. I could just about stand up in some places and had to crouch down in others. A bedroom was literally just a space big enough to sleep in carved out of the rocks. They lived in unbelievable conditions undetected by the us army. While we were walking through the tunnels this guy kept popping up with a torch lighting our way or point us in the right direction. It turns out he actually lived in the tunnels from the ages of 6-12! He is deaf and dumb from the bombings and he looked quite small and scrawny so his growth must have been stunted from living in those conditions at that stage in his life!

Our guide for the day was really good, but he came from a family of North Vietnamese and his opinions were a bit biased. One of the couples who were on our trip were south Vietnamese and the husband had fought in the war for the south, who in the end were the losing side. The guide explained that the surviving south Vietnamese soldiers were sent for rehabilitation which he said worked very well. But in reality the were re-education camps where they were sent for up to 3 years to conform to the communist way of thinking. Its really weird you'll never hear any Vietnamese speak openly against communism.

Back on the bus we get for the trip back to Hue, its a 12 hour trip in all, lucky for Rosie she's able to sleep on buses (well anywhere in fact), so she has a nice nap..

Out we go for some dinner, on the road Rosie and i have noticed that there are rats scurrying about at the bins! =O We decide not to tell Debbie to protect her, the same way that she didn't tell us about the cockroach she flicked off the tablecloth in the restaurant! Ah ignorance is bliss!! The locals don't bat an eyelid at any of these gross things!!!!! ewww!!

Better go,
Gx

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