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Published: October 20th 2017
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Rural Vietnam
Our trip today took us north of Saigon to the Cu Chi province Hi readers
We had another early start today but this was a private tour with just the 4 of us, a guide and a driver. We learnt many things from this young man about the life he and his family have been through since the war of Vietnam ended. They are southern Vietnamese and after the war the north took over the country after the US and allied troupe left. The south Vietnam people were made to suffer in ways we have only heard about in the museums. I can’t remember all the things he to,d us but some were awful. The government now being a communist government wanted to know what everyone did work wise prior to 1975 and what they have done since. If you worked for the previous president then you were jailed. Our drivers father was jailed. His mother tried to escape twice but captured. his mother put him and his younger sister on a boat that was to take them to freedom, they would have been about 6 and 11 I think. No parent just the 2 kids. When everyone was captured or killed they eventually stopped trying to escape. Life is very different now
heading north of Saigon to Cu Chi province, Vietnam
Rubber plantations once we reached the Cu Chi land. This area once owned by the VC people. for these southern Vietnamese people. We have heard all kinds of stories and propaganda everywhere we have travelled and felt that the country was much better off now as 1 complete country but it appears that isn’t so. When we arrived here in the city of the south we soon found out all isn’t as it would seem. The southerners in general hate being joined to the north and want to go separate. As our young driver grew up he learnt his 3 older sisters were not allowed to go to university as the government went back through 3 generations to determine suitability and the girls weren’t allowed due to their father job in the previous governmen. There for they had no prospects of a career to further themselves and kept them in poverty. As our driver grew up he was finally allowed to go to University as did his younger sister. He would often tear up telling us his story and that of his friends. They work hard so that one day they may be able to leave this country for a better life.
We drove north about 1.5 hours to the Cu Chi provinc. This land used
Cu Chi Provence Vietnam
Older rubber plantations to be run by the VC who were fighting the south as they moved down. The Guerillas laid traps and built tunnels to catch the enemy. They attacked villages and had village folk help them because rural people tended to follow the north more than the government in the south. The locals now since the war have rubber plantations everywhere, tapioca crops and peanut plantation. This area is where the agent Orange was dropped so if any food grown here gets to the city and people find out where it’s from they won’t buy it for fear of the contamination still in the ground. The agent Orange changed the DNA of everything so there is still a lot of fear in the area. Goats were running around and our guide told us they are valuable at $10 per goat. Make nice hot pot and goat curry he says.... not for me yuck ? very popular in this region with some herbs added.
We arrived at the Cu Chi tunnels. I didn’t really know what to expect but a wide under ground tunnel we all walked down then came out to the open bush where a large section of the
Cu Chi tunnels, Cu Chi province, Vietnam
Plan of the layout. Half the original tunnels now caved in. The remaining half have be repaired to accommodate tourists so made a bit larger in size to accommodate our size frame bigger than the locals back then tunnels have been preserved. A large section of the tunnels over the years has collapsed but more is being done to preserve what is left. There are sections of displays where you can see all the different types of traps used by the VC and then we had a chance to go under ground ourselves to see what the tunnels were like. Sheryl stayed on top with our bags and camera ready while the 3 of us followed our guide down. There are exits every 20 metres so pauline and I were up at the first chance and brave Bryan went to the end at 100 mtr exit. What an experience that was. There were over 15,000 people living down here at its height but 10,000 were killed. An old US army tank just left in the bush where it had been bombed and as we walked around we could hear gun fire. Not sure if that was a special effects or what until our guide informed us the rifle range was still active around us. They were shooting AK47. Not a comfortable feeling when we were i this environment.
After leaving it was another 1.5 hrs across to
the west of the country to a village where many southern vietnamese travel to as a pilgrimage to see the largest temple complex the Great Cao Dai Holy See. It follows Caodism which we have learnt is a combination of 3 other religions. Those religions are all represented in the flag. Yellow Buddhism, Blue Taoism and Red Confuciasm. Inside they pray 4 times a day 0600, 1200 noon, 1800 and 2400 at midnight which apparently is an important one.
This village is only 30km for the Cambodian border here. We stayed for lunch in an unusual restaurant in that it had out door areas to sit, up a tree. There were 3 of these areas but we went inside. The meal was multiple courses as we have come to expect and made just for us and our diets. Not sure how we will cope going home to eat once thing and waiting for more food to be prepared and brought to us. They had Bonsai everywhere which was nice and a lovely water feature of a rock water fall in the garden with Bonsai all over it and miniature figures that was cute.
Heading home another different direction
Cu Chi tunnels, Cu Chi province, Vietnam
A demonstration on how small the real tunnels were by a real sized local showed us more of the country of Vietnam. The rain started as it does each afternoon. It’s black cloudy then the heavens open and it buckets for a couple of hours. Everywhere floods and you can’t see the road underneath. We were nearly at our last stop of the day which was a cricket farm. The minivan hit a pot hole and as Bryan and I were sitting along the back seat and half asleep, as the back wheels went in the hole I flew up to the roof out of my seat then landed back down half off my seat with a scream. I felt the pain shot through back horrible. Well ruined my day as we stopped for a bit to see if I was going to be ok then driver went really slowly as he could till we got to the farm. I just got out and stood around and stretched while everyone else went on the tour. By the look of Paulines photos I’m not unhappy to miss that ha ha. The young son was sitting around his farm when things were tuff and trying to work out how he could get a job and what
Cu Chi tunnels, Cu Chi province, Vietnam
As Bryan found out the tunnel entrance is only about his shoulder wideth to do with the farm as our guide explained. He couldn’t sleep because of the noise of the crickets and then he wondered if he could do something with them. So started his adventure to grow and develop a business that would attract tourists and locals. All his family work there. The house has been built on to and was currently being painted to freshen up. They have branched out into scorpions ? and other things that I didn’t see. They cook them to eat.
After that stop it was another couple of hours in peak traffic to get back to the city and hotel. I sat in the front row balancing and bracing myself as I saw the bumps coming. That was an awful experience and after a few painkillers the spasms settled leaving me with an achy back with some tender spots that I’m sure will settle as days go by. All a bit of a shock really but will survive.
Finally back in the wet to our hotel, a hot shower and bed for me.
Night all from Jo and Bryan
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