Sunday 16th March
We had quite a tough program today. The alarm clock rang at 5:15 because we had to be ready for a long trip out of Saigon, and we also had to pack our luggage and leave it in Hennings room, which we had an extra day so we could have a shower after the trip. After breakfast near the hotel we were ready to leave at 7 oclock when several Vietnamese women arrived who came with us. They were Hennings acquaintance Thu and her friend and colleague Houng and my friend Nha from my first visit to Vietnam. First stop was the Cu Chi tunnels, which stand as a memorial to the Vietnam War. There were many tourists out there, so it became a disappointing visit, it was difficult to get to see the various torture instruments demonstrated, and it was also difficult to get to see the tunnels and almost impossible to crawl through them, because there were so many people everywhere, but when you wander around the area you cannot help thinking back to all the evil that was going on. The Cu Chi Tunnels were built by the Vietcong during the French occupation, but greatly expanded during the American war. You understand that it must have been hell for both Vietnamese and Americans, when you see all the ways they could slaughter each other. There are approx. 250 km tunnels. Where the tunnels were there were no trees and shrubs. The Americans threw orange poison, so all vegetation disappeared. But no one thought that it also killed people. Today, there are many children who were born after 1975, when the war was over, who have problems with hearing and walking. After this visit we continued to the Cao Dai Temple. Cao Dai is a religious movement, which is composed of Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism. It was a long trip along fairly small and quite poor roads. There were lots of small towns along the way, lots of small shops, and lots of traffic - most motorcycles and scooters with the family on a trip. In the Cao Dai temple there is a parade and ceremony every day with singing and prayers at 12am. It lasts approximately 1 hour, and lots of tourists come to witness it. We found somewhere to stand and watch and looked for a while, got pictures taken, and then it was time for lunch, which we had at a small restaurant that Henning uses every time. Unfortunately there were so many people there, so we had to sit in a very hot room, but the food was good! It has been very hot today, so we have been sweating when we've been in the sun. Back in Saigon, we wanted to visit the museum in the old presidential palace before it closed at 4 oclock pm, but unfortunately we were too late. It was here that a North Vietnamese tank drove through the gate and ended the war 30/4 1975. We saw the palace from the outside and had pictures taken of it, and after that we went to a supermarket to forage a little for the train trip tonight that will bring us up in the middle of Vietnam. Right now we are taking showers and after that we are invited to Houng for dinner. Houng is Thuys sister. Thuy lives in Hanoi and we will meet her again when we come to Hanoi.
Presidential palace until 1975
Cu Chi
Cu Chi
Cu Chi
More about Cu Chi
Tay Ninh Cao Dai
Cao Dai
More about Cao Dai
Train from Saigon to Da Nang