Claustrophobic Calamity in Vietnam

Today Vietnam was a true example of expectations confronting reality. And expectations losing miserably. I’ve always wanted to come to Southern Vietnam to go into the Cu Chi tunnels. I’ve read about them. I’ve thought about them. I’ve been awed by them.  Today I went into them.  And as I crawled into the dank, rat hole tunnels… pitch black... and with people squished in directly ahead of - and behind - me…I got full-out scared, became drenched in cold sweat, my heart was beating out of my chest and I had a panic attack. No amount of yoga breathing helped. By the time I got out, my legs were wobbly and my hands shaking.  

The Cu Chi tunnels are hundreds of kilometers of tunnels burrowed underneath the fields of an agricultural village (Cu Chi). Cu Chi is located strategically close to Saigon and - through this area - the Americans transported the troops and goods for the city during the war. To protect the American soldiers and vehicles, America routinely bombed that area so the Viet Cong took their fight underground. They built a warren of tunnels -running in all directions – with tiny holes for entrances. .

They places bamboo poles every 5 m for ventilation.  The Viet Cong camouflaged the bamboo poles - where they hit the surface - in structures built to look like termite piles

And they re-directed all smoke from cooking to miles away from the underground kitchen and cooked only between 3-5AM so the smoke would look like morning smog.  The Cu Chi tunnels allowed the Viet Cong to pop up unexpectedly for sniper activities or to lay traps and land mines without detection.

Our tour started with a video that was extremely off-putting.  I recognize that the victor of any war gets to write the story of the conflict and that we are in their country and listening to their version of the events.  But it made me sick inside to watch Vietnamese general giving out awards to the guerilla fighters who killed the most Americans in a month or who developed the most hideous types of traps for our soldiers. And to hear the abject propaganda words like: “The American Devils came from the sky to drop fire on us.”  I appreciate that they were fighting for their land and home and we were considered invaders. I appreciate that they had very few actual weapons and had to take our bomber shells and melt them down and turn them into land mines to kill our men.  But somehow the reality of it all made me uneasy.

Next stop, an entrance to one of the tunnels where you literally “drop” into the tunnel and pull a leaf covered trapdoor on top of you. The cover is built to fit tightly so rain doesn’t come in (and flood the tunnel) which also makes it light-proof.  Inside is pitch black. As you can see, Jordan just dropped into it and disappeared.

We saw replicas of their uniforms and how they made their “fighting sandals” from recycled truck tires (yes, an army of poor farmers equipped with rubber flip flops instead of boots).

Then the kids got to climb all over – and into – an American tank captured by the Viet Cong.

And we walked through an area showing all of the home-made traps created by the Vietnamese to avoid using bullets (which were in very short supply).  Clever ways to decapitate, injure, maim and severely wound our American boys (because that is who was here…teenage boys). While you can admire the ingenuity of the designs - and the fact that they were made with whittled bamboo and strips of metal from our own bombs and anything else they could scavenge, the reality - that this is how our children bled out into this soil - was sobering.

And then – the supposed highlight of the trip – actually going into one of the tunnels.  It looks like a slight larger rabbit hole.  You have to walk totally hunched over or crawl on your hands and knees. It is dark and smells of swamp water.  You imagine that these people lived in the tunnels for years on end, popping up only to attack a troop of soldiers or a passing tank. I was suddenly covered in cold sweat. My claustrophobia ignited and consumed me. I was shaking when I came out.

At the end of the tour we had a chance to shoot an AK-47.  Being 100% against guns, I originally said, “No Way” but then relented under the theory that if you are going to be anti-automatic weapons you need to at least be cognizant of what you oppose. So I put my hands on an AK-47. I shot an AK-47. And I felt the rush of artificial power it provides.  And I became convinced that there is no justifiable or legitimate reason that any person should own that gun outside of war.  It is NOT a gun for hunting or personal protection. It is a gun of war. A big, scary, powerful gun of war.

After the Cu Chi tunnels (which took most of today) we did some quick in-town scavenges before calling it an early night. Only in Vietnam would you find a street vendor selling 9 different types, colors and flavors of RICE… some are sweet, some savory, some spicy and one was even candied rice.

Tomorrow will be busy as we do as many scavenges as possible in Ho Chi Minh city before starting the across-country trek. This is a PAR FIVE leg which means that it is a difficult leg, we will be in this region for 4 days and we have to find our own way from her to Phnom Penh in Cambodia and then on to Siem Riep to see Angkor Wat.  I got to share Angkor Wat with my eldest son Ben several years ago so I am beyond excited to get to take Jordan back there.  Angkor Wat is such a magical, mystical place.