Vietnam Continued....

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August 4th 2010

Published: August 4th 2010

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Hitchystravel

P1010603

We have now been here for 3 days, and today was particually hot. It is rainy season, so usually rains for an hour everyday, but alas not today. Last night we went to the outdoor markets. The city really seems to come alive at night. There were people dancing in the park, and couples parked up on their scooters 😊 The markets was busy, and constant traffic. The noise never stops, but there are quite a few million people living here 😊. We had dinner at the market, and its so cheap and so tasty. Crossing the road at night is even more scary than during the day! You just have to weave yourself around the oncoming scooters, motorbikes and cars, its crazy!
Had the best sleep ever last night, think it was due to the incredible but brutal Vietnamese hot stone massage i had. Definetly released all the tension (and there was alot of it, she had to tell me to relax during it) but man do they pull your body in every direction. Cracked my back twice, but they must really know what they are doing, cos i slept like a baby and felt very relaxed after.

Today

Tank

When the Viet Cong charge the palace

we were just going to get a scooter to a couple of city sites, but this guy turned up at our hotel and asked if we wanted to go on a tour (he was picking up someone else from our hotel), only $8, air conditioned bus, why not?! Well what a day fill of such contrasting emotions. Firstly we went to the War Remants Muesum, that was tough on both of us. It showed the effects of the Vietnamese War, the torture used, and explained all about the war. Of course it was from a vietnamese perspective, but you can't deny alot of the atroscities. When we got to the photos of what the napalm, agent orange and the torture of not only the Viet Cong but woman and children it was just horrible. 3 million died, and 2 million of those were civillians. I had to go to the toilets and cry after seeing the photos. Ok, if you want to go to war and stand up for what you think is right, why do you have to do such inhumane torture? Its sick, and pictures of children being brutally murdered, and by American soldiers? What, did you feel

2nd president

Lite himself on fire in protest of catholic rule by former president (he was buddhist)

threatened by the 4yr olds? It was a crazy war, and it was good to be able to learn more about it, even though Tim and I both found it really hard to see. They had 3 young people downstairs who are still disfigured from Agent Orange. The effects are still going down generations and that is heart breaking. The word i thought to describe seeing the photos of disfigured and mamed people is just heartwrenching. You actually had to stop looking you felt sick. The 3 young people were amazing, they were playing keyboard and we blind (one guy had no eyes at all, just skin) and the others disfigured. But the vietnamese are trying their best to give them a healthy normal life.

Another amazing place we visited today was a place where handicapped (in their words) people worked. They have created a place for them to feel valued and worthwhile and they make the most incredible art from wood and eggshells. Sounds basic, but they do so much to it you would never know it was wood, or that the picture was from eggshells. You could so export this and sell it for so much overseas.

palace

We brought a bowl because we were just so amazed at the art and what they created (furniture and all!)

We also went to the Independant Palace. This was where the president resided for South Vietnam (republican - the american side) and went down to the basement where his underground bunker was. This was were they did the secret war planning etc - that was kinda cool. The place is huge - 5 stories and so extravagent. The North Vietnamese took over when they basically won the war and raised the communist flat - now it is just a tourist site.

We were wasted when we got back, and the cold shower was amazing!! We found this incredible bakery down the street, so cheap and so good. Well thats it for today, off to Cambodia tomorrow. Vietnam, you have been amazing.

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