So what exactly is one of these "tunnels?" They are basically underground cities. There are many rooms, each connected with a very small tunnel in between. The rooms served many purposes: kitchens, housing, military training, military meeting rooms, cinema rooms, smoking rooms, etc. One interesting thing is that to someone who is unfamiliar with the tunnels (like an American soldier) is in one of these rooms, the tunnel to the next room is hidden, so they are often unable to advance. The engineering behind these tunnels is truly something amazing. They were designed to be confusing and dangerous to American soldiers, with traps and hidden ambush attacks possible around every corner.
Dr. Berman asked me to brief everybody a little bit on the engineering of the tunnels, because I had read one of his books that was about the tunnel system. He introduced the history behind the tunnels and Cu Chi, and then he asked me to speak to the engineering behind the tunnel systems. I'm happy that I was able to share what I had learned on my own with the group. After we talked, there was a short video about the history of the tunnels. Of course the perspective was that of the Vietnamese (Viet Cong), and so the view on the events were completely different than what America portrays. The video keyed in on how "peaceful" the village was and "how many happy children" were residing in the villages at the time of the attacks on the city. Basically, it portrayed Americans in a horrible light... doing so in a way that made me feel pretty uneasy. Well you know what they say, two sides to every story.
When we finally made it into the tunnels, let me tell you... they were tiny. I was legitimately crawling hands and knees through these tunnels. Occasionally there would be rooms that would open up, but then right back to crawling. Apparently, they were also technically 2-way tunnels, where Viet Cong could pass by in different directions. Makes you realize how small these people really are compared to Americans. They would definitely make people who are claustrophobic, and maybe even some who are not, freak out. I couldn't imaging living underground in these things for months at a time. People who lived in these tunnels would definitely have to adopt a different mindset... because let me tell you, there is no way that any regular human being would be able to live underground in these tiny tunnels for that long and not go insane. I think of these people as different breeds of human beings.
This was also the first time we got to see more of the jungle setting of the country. We were in an area that was struck by B52 bombers, so there were huge craters scattered all around where we were walking. The craters that I saw looked about 15-20 feet deep... and they were everywhere.
Later in the day, we went to a memorial where all of the lost soldiers were honored. As I was in the temple-like building, I couldn't help but think of the memorial back in Washington DC. Thinking of this made me realize how devastating the war was for this country. The magnitude of loss for Vietnam almost made the United States' memorial look insignificant (although it most certainly wasn't). Visits like these are ones that really make you think. Many times today I felt a little uncomfortable, but I realized that those times were moments where I really had to step back and think deeper about what was in front of me and how I thought about the history.
Nonetheless, it was an amazing day. Very tiring, very hot, but amazing. We went to the pool to cool down which was very refreshing. Another cool part of the day was that our reservations for one place we were trying to go to tonight got cancelled. The reason why that was cool is because somehow we ended up at a rooftop terrace party on a skyscraper in downtown Saigon. The elevator doors opened and right away we were greeted with an unbelievable view - and we hadn't even left the elevator yet. This was another, "step back, take it in, once in a lifetime" type moments, and boy was it an awesome time. There was great food, people, and dancing.... all with an incredible view from the roof. It was very crowded, and we wanted to stand near the ledge to get a great view of the city.
As Dan Edziu and I were walking around outside, one group of people saw us and waved us over. The woman could probably tell we weren't regulars, and invited us over to their table, which was right on the edge of the rooftop. They also offered a toast to us - and since we now know how to do it in Vietnamese - we love doing it. This was truly a testament to the genuine people who live in Vietnam. They're having a good time with their friends at the best table at a rooftop party, and they see foreigners... invite them over, and then toast to them and have great conversation. I find it hard to imaging the situation would play out the same way if we were in America and the tables were turned. I'm still amazed at how kind everyone is.
Honestly, I'm not sure why this place was our second option... but glad it worked out the way it did for us.
Talking at Cu Chi tunnels about the designs and engineering.
Our guide would demonstrate some of the tunnels by going in one hole and then popping out somewhere else nearby.
One of the tunnels that we got to walk through. They are only about 2.5 feet high, so it can get a bit tight for us big Americans.
Our guide demonstrating the different types of traps that the Viet Cong would set up in and around the tunnels.
Our view from lunch, a nearby fisherman does his thing. We ate on a floating roofed dock next to this river, where this man was the only one on the river - besides the floating plants.
This is at the tomb of all of the soldiers that were killed in the war. The memorial is a huge building, with about 15 to 20 sections of names like this one. It really does illustrate the huge devastation that the war caused.
Rooftop in Saigon with Dan and Edziu.
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