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I never did figure out exactly what these boats were carrying, but there were a lot of them.
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You could see boats carrying just about anything.
18-APR-2008
Ah, lunch. First course was prawns.
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The fish is served by removing a little bit of the meat, and wrapping it in rice paper with cucumber and pineapple. Then it’s dipped in the sauce. Yummy!
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On the ride back, we passed people working in the rice paddies.
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A close-up of growing rice plants.
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In the countryside, families bury their dead in the fields. Just about every field had one or more monuments.
19-APR-2008
Saturday, April 19
Today, our tour is to the tunnels of Chu Chi. A major area of concern during the Viet Nam war, many of you will remember hearing and reading about Chu Chi and the tunnel system there.
Not an easy day, viewing the aftermath of war never is. Viewing the aftermath of a war you remember personally is even harder.
Our guide, son of a South Vietnamese family, tries to present a balanced view of the war.
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The Viet Cong built an extensive networks of tunnels in the area north of Saigon known during the war as the Iron Triangle. This was the approach to Saigon for the VC and the North Vietnamese, and South Vietnam and the US set up a major defense here.
The tunnels consisted not only of tunnels to get from one area to another, but also of rooms for just about every purpose – communication, sleeping, hospitals, cooking . . . even occasionally theater. The VC actually lived in these tunnels for years. Children were born here, villagers and others took refuge here. Women were guides and fighters. There was a whole society in the tunnels. There was an elaborate ventilation system, and trap doors that could be closed to protect the lower levels from bomb or gas attacks.
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The tunnels started as protection during WWII. Over time, the villagers connected their shelter to their neighbor’s shelter, until whole villages were connected. Then, villages were connected to other villages. During the resistance to the French, the tunnel system was expanded, and during what the Vietnamese call the “American War”, the tunnel system became a way of life for the VC.