Cu Chi and Caodaism

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We figured we had to do at least one tourist thing in Vietnam while Chuck was here. We decided to do the Cu Chi Tunnels and the caodai temple.

The Cu Chi tunnels are the underground tunnels the Vietcong used to escape from the b-52 bombs and sneak up into the U.S. Army camps and set traps. The people wound up living underground and their is a complex network of tunnels about 200 or more kilometers or tunnels. They let you go underground and crawl through these tight tunnels about 20 feet undergound. Most who know me know how much I love small confined spaces so that was a bit interesting. I admit I was not happy at all about the thought of crawling 200 or so feet underground in a tiny tunnel. I did it, but my heart was thumping so fast the whole time. Hey it is always good to do the things you fear or don't want to. It makes you a stronger person. But look at my face in the tunnels I do not look happy.

On the way to the temple we stopped at this place where handicapped people make really nice artwork and lacquer plates and carvings. It was amazing to see how they use broken eggshells and smear them around and crush them to make a picture. You look at the pictures with a whole new appreciation after you see how they are made and what they are.

The Caodai Temple was really cool. A bit commercialized, but cool none the less. Caodai is a Vietnamese religion comprised of Buddhism, Taoism, Confusciusism, Catholicism, and Islamic, even a bit of Hindu. They have embraced the concepts of many religions and made their own unique religion. I like that concept as that is basically what I try and do with my life and my travels. Learn a bit from each culture and try and add what I like to my own beliefs and culture.

You get there a little before they have their midday ceremony. They let the foreigners stand above on the balcony and watch. They play music and pray. It was nice to see a different kind of temple then just buddhist.

We have made some friends here. Our first night on the outskirts of Saigon, were in a restaurant where no english was spoken, as usual for us. A guy (Quan is his name) from another table came up and helped translate things and we had a conversation for a while. He owns a coffee shop here. We decided to stop in there the next morning and we talked to him and his friend again for a while. That was before we went to Mui Ne. When we came back to Saigon we met up with them again. We ate dinner with them last night and they showed us the way to get to the airport to drop Chuck off last night.

Tomorrow the girl (Thanh is her name) is taking me to the Mekong Delta and the village where she comes from. She said she will take me to her parents house and everything. It shoud be really cool as she said no tourists ever come to her village. At least I will have somebody with me that speaks Vietnamese and English. That will help with some of the communication barrier. Her english is pretty decent and she can understand most of what I say, even know I speak way to fast. I am pretty excited to get to some place on the Mekong River that nobody but locals ever go to. I love getting lost on some crazy adventure.

Thanh also knows the way to whereever we are going which helps. That means a 3 hour ride will actually take 3 instead of 6 because we won't get lost. wohoo!!!

The adventure continues the companions just change

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Photos

I Fit
This hole looked really small. I am surprised I fit.

Cu Chi Tunnels
I look as unhappy as Jeff. I don't like small spaces. We traveled underground for like 200 feet

Cleanliness is next to Godliness
There has got to be a law against that. Just remember that ice will be in your drink later

Comments

[chuck]

well you just keep telling yourself eveyone understands what your saying >>> let me know how many spoons you gather

[mom]

very large man in very small place
And you thought that you looked large in Japan...well you look even larger in small tunnel and opening. You are going to the places that we as young people feared and hated. The Delta as we called it was not a place one wanted to visit......anytime soon. What no food...aren' t you eating ? Thank you for getting in some pictures and nice whole in the ground. I now have a laptop that I can read and communicate to you with, Love Mom Oh, I am in a three bedroom, three and one half bath on the beach in Hammock Dunes just in case you wanted to know what I was doing. I will investigate by environment this week too. hahahhah Hugs and kisses

[Off The Grid]

Reply
Don't worry. Half the shit I do scares the hell out of me too. I just don't give a damn. It is always nice to feel like you are going to die every once in a while. It reminds you your alive. I'll post a photo of the eggshell art later. I did not include one because the pics did not look that cool. It will just be out of place on the next blog.