After returning from my two week trip around China, I spent only three days back in Kunming before it was time to head out for another adventure. I finally got my passport back from the university where I’ll be teaching, complete with residence permit and all. So off I went on a train for Hong Kong where I would catch a United Airlines flight down to Ho Chi Minh City (thanks Dad!). Having grown up flying quite frequently it was nice to be back at an airport with some destination in mind. I made all of the connections from the Guangzhou train terminal, crossing the border, to HK International Airport with plenty of time to spare. I spent that time roaming through various media (magazines, newspaper, etc.) that China deprives us of and it was nice to be back in a ‘normal’ society. I also talked with a nice older gentleman from New Zealand who, despite being in his 80’s, was a downhill ski racer. He was a fulfillment of the phrase, “you’re never too old to start anything,” and an inspiration to living life to the fullest. We boarded the plane and it was nice to be back in the comforts of United Business Class which, internationally, is quite accommodating. It only took two hours to reach Saigon, but I savored every minute sipping on wine and enjoying the chocolates I had purchased in the terminal. I caught a ride into town with the flight crew and set off to find a cheap hostel for the next few nights. My adventure had begun. I had a month of travel ahead and was excited to see what life might bring my way!
My main purpose for going to Saigon was to visit all of the historical sites regarding the war. First on that list were the Cu Chi tunnels. Cu Chi is a city about 45 minutes outside of Saigon where the Vietnamese had built an elaborate network of tunnels that became infamous during the Vietnam War. Their ability to construct such a system was pretty remarkable and made our efforts there that much more difficult. It was crazy to be standing in a place where some 40 years ago men my age were holding AK-47’s creeping through a war-torn jungle. It was cool to crawl into the tiny, tiny secret holes (which even though are small, they’ve actually widened them for us corn-fed type) and walk through the tunnels underground. The whole place there is extremely biased and dish out a lot of propaganda. Our guide kept saying how the VC soldiers lived such a ‘hard life, hard life’. No doubt it was hard. Who wants to live like a mole, underground eating tapioca for all ones’ meals; however, their resilience paid off in the end at our loss.
We walked around checking out some of the traps that were used to catch American soldiers and then, all of a sudden, “Bam, bam, bam, bam!!!” My first thought was, “Holy crap! This war is still going on! Quick, hit the deck!!!” But then wait… no, it was just the firing range. The first shots we heard startled everyone which was kind of funny. The gun shots were extremely loud as we approached the range for our turn to give them a shot (pun intended, I know I’m not funny but work with me). They have old AK-47s, M-30’s, M-60’s, and some other crazy guns that tourists can give a try at shooting. The bullets were rather expensive to buy but worth it for a one time chance to shoot an AK-47 (I don’t plan on joining the military anytime soon). A handful from our group tried it out, plugging our ears as we approached the weapon range. They have ear-protectors but they are really crappy. I shot my rounds and then took pictures for another guy. Afterwards our ears were ringing and the man I took pictures for was seriously concerned for his ears. I just sort of shrugged it off having survived loud nights at clubs and what-not before. However, I think I’ve sustained permanent, although minor, hearing loss in my left ear. It rang for probably a week straight before returning back to normal (more on my ear in a later blog).
On our way back from the tunnels, the bus dropped a few of us off who wanted to go to the War Remnants Museum. The museum contains several old war-craft out in its front lawn including the 1H-Huey, a well recognized helicopter we used during the war. It takes a strong stomach to walk through the museum for it contains a whole floor devoted to telling the story of Agent Orange, the most horrific chemical substance known to man. Some of the pictures and stories seen here are just too much to handle. Unfortunately, you can still see the effects of the nasty chemical around Vietnam today. The deformities that occur are quite horrendous and I was embarrassed to claim I was an American when other foreigners asked. We basically used Vietnam as a testing ground for chemical warfare. I knew that all of the info I was observing was biased, but even still… we all have common grounds of being human and some of our tactics there were simply inhumane.
The following day I had a date with the US Embassy to add pages to my passport. While waiting my turn, I helped a Vietnamese woman who was trying to figure out her husbands US visa application status. She lived in FL and had been waiting a year for her husband to get a visa to join her. She sought my help claiming that her ‘people’ were crooks and wouldn’t help her. She told me that a ‘white skin’ was more reliable and willing to help (which I couldn’t argue, I wanted to help her if I could). It was sad to hear her say such things about her home country but that’s the nature of the beast. Another man joined our conversation sharing that he had a friend who had been waiting two years for his US visa. Two years!!! I got my Vietnamese visa in about 6 hours. Could you imagine being separated from your loved ones for such time while waiting on paperwork and approval?
Living outside of the US changes your global perspective tremendously. No doubt our nation has some large issues that need to be taken care of and by no means is our society perfect. But let me tell you this; after meeting numerous people from all sides of the globe, we may be one of the most envied countries in the world. Almost every Asian I’ve met has told me how much they want to visit, study in, or move to the US. All the Europeans I’ve met have either been to the US and have loved it, or desperately want to visit. I thank God for being one of the fortunate ones to have grown up in such a nation. Our language is the basis that all other nations use to communicate with. Our currency is the standard by which all other currencies are compared (even in economic recession). The values and freedoms for which our nation was founded are those that every other country desires. Our passport is like a get-in-free card to almost anywhere in the world and our standard of living is something not to be taken for granted. You can’t say it any better than God bless America!
I digress; after handling my passport, I visited the Reunification Palace where Communist tanks broke down the gate in 1973 to topple the last glimmer of Democratic hope in Vietnam. Learning about such important events in history is one thing, but to then visit them in person and obtain a deeper understanding of such places and events is personally rewarding. I enjoy history and am grateful of having this opportunity.
Finally, the timing was fortunate for me to be in Saigon for my cousin, Phil, was also in the city. He is living in a city further to the north in Vietnam but was down in Saigon on business. It was nice to see a familiar face and even better that it was family. Phil and I hung out with his colleague and had a few beers catching up while enjoying the frenzy that Saigon is. Vietnam is an awesome country that is lined with a beautiful coast. Though its history is filled with struggle, I think there is a bright future for this beautiful place.
After soaking in Saigon for all it was worth, it was time to move on to my next destination, Siem Reap, Cambodia…
Pictures: http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Saigon?h=ddfbe6
