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Published: November 29th 2006
Finally to Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon as it was previously called before the unification of Vietnam in 1976. I'll call in Saigon as its easier to write as well as that most locals still refer to it as that and its listed as this on most train timetables.
We arrived ito some far flung bus station miles from De Tham and Bui Vien street we were hoping to stay at so sadly with the lack of Tuk-tuks present, we had to go on the back of a scooter. This was my first experience of the Siagon traffic which if anybody really wanted to see the true meaning of chaos, it is here. Nothing seems to have any order, bike will just shoot across junctions, with a beep of a horn to warn any traffic that is also going to shoot straight across. There are hundreds of scooters on the roads, its absolute mayhem. Got some accomodation and met up Jared, Collette and Jade who had been in the city for a few days. Didn't really do much that night. We went to the War Reminants museum the following day, which details the Vietnam/American war. Mainly pictures of the conflict,
from both sides, theres no hollywood doctoring of these and nothing left out, it really hits home how tough the war was on both the vietnamese but also American Soldiers who must have fought in a place which, I can guess many probably couldn't have pointed out on a map before they got there. The pictures of the Napalm burns inflicted on innocent people and the American brutality were especially shocking, although by far and away the worst stuff is the pictures of the effects of agent orange which to this day is still having an effect on people, producing birth defects and disabilities, some 30 years after the conflict. Theres also babies who were born horrifically deformed, preserved in jars which really does make wonder what on earth some people were thinking when they decided to spray these highly toxic defoliants over vietnam, in total 75 million litres.
The war cost the lives of over 57,600 Americans of the 3.3 million who served along with 250,000 Southern Vietnamese ARVN troops and most staggering over 2 million civillians. So why some idiot wrote at the END of the Museum, after seeing all of the pictures 'remember America didn't start the
war, the VC did' in a guestbook I will never know. I don't really think who started it is the point.
Following day we drove out to the Cu Chi tunnels. During the war the villages around the district of Cu Chi had massive support for the Vietcong or VC, who supported the north. The Americans attempted to bomb them out of existance, to which the Vietcong countered by building tunnels. By 1965 over 250KM of tunnels were in place along with dorms, meeting rooms, latrines, and a hospital. The area also some examples of booby traps used against the americans including one bamboo trap which looked particularly nasty if you fell in. The tunnels have been widened but for me it was still a squeeze to get round the parts which are still open as well as really hot, I was pouring with sweat by the time I got out and I was only in there for about 5 minutes! To imagine been underground for weeks as some of the VC had to be, is pretty mad but it makes you realise how committed some of these soldiers were. I also fired an M16 assault rife while I was
Me and a Huey Helicoper, War Museum
I thought a Huey would be massive, about 10 people get out of the one at the start of the A-Team! How did they shoehorn all the people in? Damn that Hollywood! Its really small though.there. Its not very buddhist I know and after seeing everything that I have I should have really tried to stick to my principles but I gave it a go. Its incrediblly loud and the recoil on it is mental, I hope I never have to fire one in anger, thats for sure.
I've really liked Ho Chi Minh city but its time to move on again, next stop Nha Trang....
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Ste
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I knew you would....
...you just couldnt resist picking up that M16!!!! i knew you would have a go! you love it!