26/3/14 Cu chi, cunning traps & coconuts

Wednesday 26^th Cu Chi tunnels

An early start to sit and wait for the bus to fetch us for a day trip to the 265 km network of underground tunnels dug near the banks of the Saigon river over several decades of war against the French and Americans. Some 16.000 Viet Cong lived there undetected throughout the war.

It is almost 2 hours drive out there and the jovial host chatted away almost constantly about this and that, progressively getting more and more anti-US. Although he extolled the merits of Buddhism and forgetting the past and forgiveness being the best revenge, he has a way to go yet. He rolled out the “Americans invaded Vietnam to try and control the South China Sea” version of history, which he portrayed as Step 1 in a “domino theory” on their part. We had to hear how many bombs they dropped and how much Agent Orange they poured on the country.

This was a prelude to an unannounced stop at a sheltered workshop where disabled people work on artworks based on cutting up tiny pieces of eggshell or mother of pearl, which they stick to wood and then etch with sharp blades and paint. The wood is usually lacquered. As the guide said, the product was hugely expensive.

At Cu Chi, we walked round a large area of forest, which has apparently grown back after being denuded with Agent Orange. I knew that North Vietnamese had gone underground to escape bombing but not that there were large tunnel complexes so close to Saigon way down in South Vietnam.

We were taken around by the guide from the bus. At this stage, he abandoned all pretence of forgiveness and spoke with pride and relish of how the fighters hid from Americans, laid booby traps to kill or maim them, and popped out of hiding to shoot them and blow up their tanks. We had been treated on arrival with a 10 minute grainy, jumpy black and white newsreel about the fighters in the tunnels, watching them being awarded medals as Killing American Hero or Destroying Tank Hero.

 Just big enough to drop into

 The 1st swing door trap. Cunningly disguised with fake turf.  Bamboo spikes in the pit.

 

After walking from one site to the next, we arrived at a shelter under which they had recreated a selection of the pit traps, studded with bamboo spears or steel knives. The guide moved from one to the next, demonstrating gleefully how each one opened up to impale Americans, drop them between rotating wheels of knives, drop them into a “collapsed deck chair” which slammed knives into their heads from the sides etc. Finally, the one which clearly pleased him the most, hung behind a doorway and slammed down if the door was opened, shoving several hinged plates of knives into the first man in, at chest, groin and thigh height.

 As shown in the video we watched the local guerrilla fighters could have been anyone in the village including teenage girls.  While the Viet Cong wore uniforms the guerrillas wore normal clothing. Spot the dangerous ones?

 He was very proud of this American tank they had blown up.

 Just a few of the lethal traps.

 

On that happy note, we were invited into a sample tunnel, thoughtfully enlarged considerably, as the guide took great and repeated pleasure in telling us, to accommodate our fat Western bodies. He seemed oblivious to the largest members of the party, built like typical Russians, although they turned out to be Polish (does that make them Westerners?) Janine went through the first 20m section, after which they reduced progressively to the 40cm by 30 cm of the originals. I took care of the luggage on the surface J

 

The firing range was a huge hit with most of the passengers where you can fire an AK47 for $2.00 a bullet.  While we had been walking around the site we could hear the gunshots of other groups and it was kind of eerie being in a previous theatre of war and hearing very loud gunfire close by.

We returned to our original haunt for early dinner, hoping to see the lady who carries a tray of the folding greeting cards. We were ready to buy some but she didn’t turn up. The restaurant has removed all its chairs from the pavement, leaving them just 5 downstairs, while the family from the alley opposite are still camped right on the corner making very fast food.

 For lovers of orange.  Spot the tarps, motorbike and kids clothing.

 

After normal main courses, we went berserk and lashed out on desserts, including a fresh coconut, filled right up with the whole exotic fruit salad mix and topped with coconut ice cream, with a mug of coconut milk on the side. (Note to self – Timmy Time at 8.15am Monday)

 mmm mmmm

 

We defied the traffic again to the large markets and criss-crossed the stalls looking for a few specifics, most of which we found and successfully bargained for. After that we were ready for bed.