In Vietnam, Crooning "All By Myself"

Ces and I rode a tour bus yesterday morning to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, about an hour and a half northwest of Ho Chi Minh City. The underground network of tunnels run for over 100 miles and were first created by the Vietnamese during their fight for independence from France, taking 18 years to build. During the Vietnam War, the tunnels offered Viet Cong guerillas a way to commit surprise attacks against the Americans, as well as offered the guerillas a source of retreat and escape. The tunnels, although a complicated network, are very dark and purposefully narrow so that Westerners (that is, American troops) couldn't fit through.


On the way our bus stopped by "Handicapped Handicrafts"--a company started in 1976 where people with physical challenges can earn a living by creating handicrafts, such as eggshell mosaic plates, vases, etc. that are later laquered.We had the chance to see the step-by-step process of producing these beautiful crafts. Then we saw the display of their finished pieces in the large showroom. I watched a few of the employees and was amazed by how painstakingly detailed the pieces were and by the sheer volume of crafts these folks have made. I have to admit I felt a little weird there, especially when staring at the vast room filled with thousands of finished handicrafts. I caught myself wondering if the folks working there were earning a fair living wage or not.

The production area where the handicrafts are made.


Supplies and works-in-progress.




The finished handicrafts for sale.





Upon arriving at the Cu Chi Tunnels, our tour guide, "John" (he said it's easier than giving his Vietnamese name which foreigners tend to mispronounce) showed us one of the original entrances for the tunnels, which was not much longer lengthwise than this guy's foot. No one volunteered to try fitting through the hole.


"John" showed us many of the traps created by the Viet Cong to ensnare and kill American troops, made of simple materials like bamboo (which were turned into spikes below a trap like this one). Yikes...


And later at the "Self-Made Weapons Gallery":



We make a quick stop at the outdoor souvenir shop where I saw these bottles of snake wine (rice wine created by fermenting a snake inside) which some believe has healing properties. Also, folks could pay a small fee to have the chance to shoot a gun. I was disturbed by how many folks opted to try it. It's one thing to like shooting guns, but to try shooting a gun at a place where so many were killed just felt tacky to say the least.


Okay, and now the actual tunnels. The entry was later enlarged for western tourists' larger body frames, but the actual tunnels below were left in their original state (with the exception of lights being added). Here's the enlarged entryway to the tunnels.


And then the enlarged, underground entryway that leads directly into the tunnels. The tunnels aren't large enough to stand in. Ces and I were probably two of the shortest people in the group and I had to bend almost to a ninety-degree angle in order to fit inside. To touch the sides of the tunnel, I had to bend my arms, with my hands close to my shoulders. So think: sauna-degree humidity, near-suffocating space, musty, dank, and dark. Kind of a claustrophobic's worst nightmare. Most folks in the group opted to glimpse inside the tunnels for a moment and then climb back up. The tunnel we accessed included a few exit points, the first one being at 60 feet away, then a second exit probably about another 50-70 feet away, and then the third exit a ways off. I wasn't sure if I could stand it but once I looked down the ominous tunnel hole, which reminded me of a freshly dug grave, I impulsively decided to try to go in. Once I started to awkwardly push my way through the tunnel, I then felt very panicky and scuttled faster and faster and reached the first exit point and gratefully saw the sunlight at the end. Only two (maybe three) folks from our group chose to travel the entire length of the tunnel at this site. It's incredible (and sad) to think of the Viet Cong guerillas and their families who stayed inside. Many had suffered from severe malnutrition and malaria.


"John" then had us taste some raw tapioca root (or cassava), which had been the primary source of food for the Viet Cong guerillas during the time they used the tunnels. Most of the white tourists in the group (sorry to poke fun here) couldn't bring themselves to even try it. Ces and I thought it wasn't too bad--the taste reminded me of a mealy, slightly sweet, soft-boiled potato.
To end our trip, we watched an old propaganda film about the making of the Cu Chi Tunnels and about those Viet Cong who were awarded for being "American killers" during Vietnam.

The tour included the option of returning to Ho Chi Minh City by bus or by a boat that traveled down the Saigon River. Naturally, Ces and I opted for the latter. But by half way through the boat ride, most folks fell asleep (including myself for a while), most likely from being in the intense heat. Sadly, my pictures of fishermen and boats along the river didn't turn out very well but here's one of two men (or boys?) fishing.


By the time we reached our hotel, I was starving so I bought us two banh me sandwiches, which is a popular Vietnamese street food that includes (although there seem to be variations) roasted pork, carrots, pate (liver or pork), mayo, tofu, cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers, and daikon...and all of it stuffed into a baguette! Heavenly! I devoured mine as soon as we reached our hotel room again!


I headed to a store that sold eyeglasses in order to buy me at least one pair since I'd read that Vietnam (like the Philippines) offer amazing deals on prescription glasses and I was overdue for a pair. I bought one pair, plus had prescription lenses put into a second pair (that I'd bought for $10 in Singapore) and all for less than what just lenses alone cost in the U.S.

Later that night I finally relented and tried durian-flavored ice cream. Although I generally love most foods, I have to admit that even putting the spoonful of durian ice cream to my lips was difficult since I could still smell the durian's stench (a cross between rotting trash with a tinge of vanilla) but I tried it. At first the taste is similar to how it smells, but then a few moments later, the ice cream tasted sweet and good. But with each spoonful, I caught myself holding my breath before bringing it my mouth and after about the fourth taste, I quit.

Today we visited the Fine Arts Museum of Ho Chi Minh City, which is housed in a stunning and elegant French colonial building, with its beautiful stained-glass windows and shades of soft blues and greys.


I'm embarrassed to say that I sometimes took more photos of the floor tiles and the building than the art.











However, that isn't to say there weren't notable works. Many of the pics turned out blurry (couldn't use a flash), but this is one of my personal favorites.


A Joseph-Cornell-like display of "revolutionary artists' working equipment."


The three of us had worked up an appetite from the museum trip so we strolled over to Tin Nghia, a modest but charming place with buddhist owners. I tried a dish called sinh to dua hau va du du (a kind of fish cake with mushroom served in a sweet sauce), spring rolls, and nuroc tac ep (satsuma fruit juice). As soon as we finished our meals, we all were planning when we could return!


Sadly, Jasmine headed back to Singapore while I decided to extend my Vietnam trip for another two nights. Before Jasmine had to catch her ride to the airport, we ventured back to ever-bustling Ben Thanh market.





I wondered how pairs of crab eyes were staring back.


First time seeing taxidermied bats.


Off to a coffee shop to enjoy fruit shakes.



And then there were two: Ces and I ventured to Cholon (China Town area) in district 5 to check out An Dong market. What we found was a four-story market but most of the vendors were already beginning to close their stalls, so we looked briefly. Then we walked around the neighborhood and decided to peek inside Sieu Thi Coop Mart to see what is was all about.



What the street cables look like here. How would you like to untangle that?

And then there was one: Ces's flight back to Singapore would be leaving in a few hours, so she had to get back to the hotel for her airport ride, which left me in An Dong to explore solo style. I tried to find several of the pagodas that were apparently in the area, but got turned around and realized that my map didn't have all the streets listed nor did I feel comfortable asking someone for directions since most folks we've encountered haven't necessarily understood English and I don't speak a word of Vietnamese (with the exception of the one "thank you" I tried on a cab driver tonight but he had no idea what I saying until I showed him the text in the book).


I bought a banh mi sandwich (my second one during this Vietnam trip) but suddenly felt determined to find this pho place I'd read about earlier today online when someone bragged it was the best pho place he'd tried during his quest for the best pho in Vietnam. The place, Pho Quynh, was definitely an improvement from Pho 24. The broth and meat had more flavor, plus lots of locals were there, which is usually a good sign. Just compare the heaping dish of garnishes/side dishes (the mountain of basil!) this place offered with the pho compared to Pho 24.