Earlier, I wandered all over the city. I got to see a lot of it yesterday, but that was on motorbike. It's a little different to see things blur past you vs. walking through those things, really taking them in. I love observing the daily life here and I took a lot of photos today of the people. I feel intrusive sometimes with the photos that I take, but I'd like to think that I'm not disrupting anything or causing my subjects any harm. Their way of life is just so different here and I find it fascinating.Oh! I never continued writing about yesterday! So, adventures on motorbike. I got on the bike and we zoomed off into morning traffic, heading to the Cu Chi Tunnels on the outskirts of HCMC. I earned a few chuckles because of my death grip on my guide, but I relaxed and began enjoying the ride instead of worrying if we were going to crash and burn. The ride was awesome and I am in love with motorbikes! The air whipped past me delightfully, cooling me off in the Vietnam heat and humidity. We passed through various parts of the city and I kept whipping my head this way and that trying to see it all. The buildings here are very narrow in width but long in length, and they are brightly and cheerfully painted, adorned with plants. It reminds me of SF in a way, just with echoes of French colonial architecture and a bit run down. The people are lively, filling the sidewalks, selling trinkets on corners, cooking over mini iron stoves, jumping rope. There's so much life and energy in this city!
As we drove, I came to admire everyone's driving skills. I've never seen anything like it. I really will think NOTHING of any other streets or traffic. Vietnam drivers win. They cut through impossibly narrow gaps, speed past each other with mere centimeters between them, sit bumper to bumper at red lights, go against traffic signals to run straight into a bus or death... (reminds me of this at 8:08 and onward. "Yes they're going to crash, but Harry loves death!") It's amazing to watch, and even more awesome to be a part of! I had so much fun weaving and speeding through the streets, often laughing in disbelief that I was in Vietnam at all.The concentrated clusters of taller city buildings gradually thinned to smaller store fronts, then residential streets, then finally to countryside. My sights were filled with green fields and I could smell the rice as we zoomed through. (Rice. Is. The. Best.) I saw water buffalo roaming and peasants on bicycles wearing straw hats. The sun was out and everything was so vibrant! It was truly beautiful and I felt so blessed to have been able to experience it all.
Before we got to the tunnels, my guide took me to the rubber tree forest, which was pretty awesome. The trees were various sizes & ages, growing in neat, seemingly infinite rows. Coconut shell halves were strung to them at the ends of cuts in the bark for collecting the rubber. I got to watch some women collecting the rubber into large plastic buckets, taking breaks to swing in hammocks.
Cu Chi was a very peaceful village in the country. Then the US invaded and attempted to take it over. This forced the population of the town that did not flee to live underground in a series of small tunnels. These tunnels are seriously tiiiiny. There are multiple levels too. In the event of an attack or bombing, they would simply escape to the lower levels. The US army could never pursue them because as beefy American soldiers, they were too large to fit into the small, narrow spaces. Ingenious! I have to say, though, I don't think I've ever heard the phrase "American enemy" more often in my life. I felt awful for being an American, even if it was not my generation that was responsible for the terrible things that took place in Cu Chi. These feelings carried over to the War Remnants Museum, which I visited next.The museum as a whole was awesome and I learned a great deal, but I also acquired a whole lot of shame. The first floor was dedicated to the victims and the terrors of the war. It detailed the losses of Vietnam, the deaths, injuries and effects that persist even today in the form of physical and mental disabilities caused by chemical weapons, particularly Agent Orange. The accompanying photos were disturbing and heartbreaking, and I couldn't even look at the weapons that caused it all. Since learning about it in school, I had always been of the mind that the war was pointless and stupid, but it was only in the museum that I realized just how pointless and stupid. So many lives were lost, resources wasted, money burned... And for what? I'm not even sure if your average American or Vietnamese can give a straight answer for that. Now, I mean no disrespects to those that fought in the war. Efforts and sacrifices on either side must be recognized, regardless of what side you support. All that I am criticizing is the root of the war, what caused it and what prolonged it needlessly. But back to the museum. The upper floors were more positive, instead focusing on the rebuilding of Vietnam that continues today. There was a section of Vietnamese artwork, photos of locations before and after the conflict, etc. Another section that stood out to me was a collection of photos taken by several US photo journalists who died during the war. These photos, while haunting in subject and history, were beautiful and I tried to give them each the attention and appreciation they deserved. I admittedly cried while at the museum. A lot was difficult to internalize. Ignorance and disbelief would have been easier, happier, but I'm glad I went to the museum. I'd like to think that by going and actively learning, I paid respects, although small, to the victims of the war.
After the museum, I hopped back on the bike and my guide took me to a local noodle joint for dinner. The place was noisy and busy- two good signs of a good place to eat. It was outdoors, under a huge circus type tent/tarp, and furnished with short metal tables and chairs. We split a huge bowl of soup, which was put on a heating platform over an open flame. The soup itself was broth, meat and some veggies, and the noodles and tofu were added separately, as desired. The soup and the banana wine (which was more like flavored vodka than anything else) made a great first dinner in Vietnam! Local food with locals. Can't really get any better than that. After, I went back to the hostel, met some nice travelers and we all went out for beers too, which cost 50 cents a bottle. Vietnam is the best. And this post is long. So I'll end here. Good night, world!
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