Sunday, April 8
We have only one day in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Already tonight, we take the night train first class sleeper to Da Nang. All over Vietnam, we are reminded of the "American War". Vietcong captured Sydvetnam 30.04.1975 and this day is celebrated every year. Today we get a tour of Cu Chi, site near Saigon, where the Vietcong tunnels built for defense and warfare. Cu Chi tunnels built by the Vietcong during the French occupation, but greatly expanded during the American war. It must have been a hell for both Vietnamese and Americans, when you see all the ways you could slaughter each other. There is approx. 250 km tunnels. Where the tunnels were, there were no trees and shrubs. The Americans threw orange poison, so all vegetion disappeared. But nobody thought of it also killed people. Today there are many children born after 1975, when the war was over, which also has problems with hearing and legs. It was interesting to see these tunnels. Kl. 12.00 we are in place in the gallery in a Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh. Each day's ceremony in the temple, and here is not so fair! Men and women, young and old participating in the march and prayer. Cao Dai is an amalgamation of several religions: Christianity, Budism and Taoism. The color blue symbolizes Christianity and yellow Budism. There are 2 million caodaister. We are only spectators and leaking after a short time. Then lunch in Tay Ninh and return to Saigon, where Luu's son, Huy, waiting for us. Haang Jump and run for us all day and even invited us for dinner before they finally took us to the train and helped us in place with the luggage. Haang is big sister to Thuy in Hanoi.
Presidential palace until 1975
Cu Chi
Sophal in Cu Chi
More about Cu Chi
Hop and Haang at Cu Chi
Tay Ninh Cao Dai
Sophal front of Cao Dai
Huy, Sophal, George and Inge in the Cao Dai
More about Cao Dai
Haang and her son in their home