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Published: February 19th 2012
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Helicopter
Smaller copter used for battlefield. On our last day in Nha Trang we joined a tour group to go snorkeling. Unfortunately, it was the only cloudy day while we were in Nha Trang and with the winds off the South China Sea the air temperature was rather cold. In addition, the water temperature was probably close to the same as Lake Superior in late June or early July (rather cold). On the plus side we were snorkeling in the same areas as the divers (which really means the divers were not seeing anything near what we saw in Utila). There were quite a few jellyfish that were just over an inch in diameter that we had to consistently dodge and several of the snorkelers came back with stings. Overall, I would say that this snorkeling trip was actually the worst I have been on, but still not bad as you can’t really complain about being out on a boat for a day and swimming around with fish and coral.
Our sleeping bus to Ho Chi Minh (HCM previously known as Saigon), was better than our sleeping bus from Hoi An to Nha Trang by a long shot. Instead of being put with a bunch of
Plane
U.S. plane with artillery. tourists we were actually with a bunch of Vietnamese – we were actually the only two Westerners on the bus! The ride itself was better for three reasons. First, the bus driver did not use his horn nearly as much as our previous bus driver did. Second, the aisles were not packed with locals, they only filled the bus seats. Finally, we slept, which may have been more about being exhausted – but we’ll take it!
We were not sure where in Ho Chi Minh we were going to get dropped off but with luck on our side the bus stop was just 2-3 blocks away from our hotel and in the heart of the city (District 1, there are 18 districts I believe). Our time around Ho Chi Minh was essentially dedicated to rest (Amy has a bum knee that is pretty swollen) and the Vietnam War. As for the war, we focused our time on two things – the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels.
The War Remnants Museum showcases decommissioned/broken U.S. planes, tanks, and artillery and provides an in depth description about the war. The old planes and tanks are what greet visitors
Tanks and more
U.S. heavy equipment from the war. at the entrance as they sit outside the main part of the museum. It was really neat to see this part of the war on display. Most of it seemed rather well preserved and you could walk around and actually touch it, but not climb on it. The neatness of the outside part of the museum lies in stark contrast to the somberness of the inside. The destruction of land and lives is absolutely incredible and certainly is a quick reminder of the brutalities of war. Possibly the most disturbing part to see was the effects of Agent Orange and Napalm. The land pollution that was left behind and the debilitating effects of the chemical on the body are still evident today. Babies recently born in Vietnam where parents were exposed to high Agent Orange areas have increased incidences of deformities. Countless people survived the brutality and have both mental and physical scars today – as do many of United States soldiers from their sacrifices in Vietnam.
After seeing the devastation and mutilation that Agent Orange caused in Vietnam it immediately brought me back to some recent news about Monsanto and Dow. Recently weeds have become resistant to Roundup
Amy in Tunnel
Amy in the Cu Chi Tunnel. You can't see it in this picture but her head is essentially hitting the ceiling - and this is where they lived! (glyphosate) so naturally Monsanto and the other food chemical polluters have decided they need a new chemical to use – and in their infinite wisdom they have chosen 2,4-D (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) – which is one of the main components in Agent Orange. As many of you may know, genetically modified crops are sold by Monsanto under the guise that they will use less pesticides and herbicides than “traditional” farming (Roundup Ready crops are typically marketed to farmers). However, the use of pesticides has skyrocketed since these genetically modified foods have been put into production. In turn this has polluted way more farm land and water than would have been polluted using “traditional” farming methods – not to mention if we used better crop rotation and organic methods. Anyways, Monsanto wants to start using 2,4-D (one of the main components of Agent Orange) to spray their GMO crops trying to convince the public and the government that it is all safe. We all know that it will most likely be approved, but the public can be a catalyst to prevent the use of the product. Think about how you would feel about a lot of our farmland being sprayed with a
B-52 bomb crater
Me in the bomb crater. major component of Agent Orange that has proven to cause disabilities and other serious health conditions – and after awhile it will be in our water supply. I can’t imagine how I would feel as a farmer trying to work in those fields – but many of them are being strong armed and forced into using Monsanto/Dow products. There is so much more that I would like to and could share about this, but the travel blog isn’t the best medium for it – instead maybe just think about this and look up more info if you are interested. Sorry for the rant, but at least another 100 people or so that read this blog will now know!
The day after we visited the War Remnants Museum we took a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels. These tunnels were actually dug over a decade before the war (maybe they knew it was coming). They became a vital part of Vietnamese fighting the U.S. They had three different depths of tunnels, three, six, and eight to ten meters! During the war the people around Cu Chi lived in the tunnels in addition to having hospitals and schools. These tunnels
Breathing Hole
An example of a mound built to look like an ant hill that provided air supply to the tunnels. were incredibly small, partially because the Vietnamese were much smaller than we are, but probably also because the effort to dig the tunnels. Every several meters they had air holes that were disguised as ant hills using bamboo to provide fresh air. They would cook one meal per day in the early morning so that it was impossible to tell the difference between the smoke from their fires and the fog on the ground. During the war they would take out dirt from their tunnel expansion at night and put it where a B-52 had dropped, thus just looking like a bomb crater from the air. We had a chance to meander through the tunnels for about 50 meters and the size and difficulty of moving around is incredible. The tunnels are so small it is amazing that anyone lived in them, let alone thousands of people. They built over 250 kilometers of these tunnels! We also learned about some of the strategies to wound or kill the U.S. soldiers on the ground – they were very gruesome.
I cannot imagine how it must feel for Vietnam Veterans to visit the War Remnants Museum or the Cu
Breathing Hole
You can barely see it, but look just to the right of the tree - this is an example of a breathing hole made to look like an ant hill. Chi Tunnels. For a person not even living during the time the emotions that I felt at both these locations were incredible and difficult to describe. It is without a doubt very different being at the sites and with the people of Vietnam than it is reading or listening to people that experienced it from afar.
After our time learning about the Vietnam War and the impact it had on the lives of so many we bid farewell to Vietnam and headed for Cambodia. This time we opted for a day trip, mainly because the journey to Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh is only five or six hours by bus from Ho Chi Minh as opposed to the 12 or so hours the other buses in Vietnam took. I’m glad we took the day trip as the scenery was far different than what we had seen in the other countries in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam) to this point. The rural areas reminded me of a combination between India and Central America. Cambodia is similar to India from the amount of trash along the roadsides and the animals that roam all over. The vegetation reminds me of Central
Cu Chi Tunnel
Tunnel with the lid, see how small the hole is relative to feet in the picture. Without my arms up I could not fit my shoulders through the hole. America more than any of the other countries we have been too. The people seem a little darker and a little less Asian looking than Vietnam. I’m excited to see what Cambodia has to offer and ready for the next leg of our journey!
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