So today I visited the Chu Ci tunnels, a serise of small tunnels the Viet Kong used during the fighting with the US... I'd been recommended a specific tour by David (who's now abandoned me after almost a month of traveling together... how could you David? Well at least you lasted longer then Joe;)... He said the guide is a legend with many stories from first hand experience of the war... me started talking as we took the bus to the tunnels, I sat enthralled... Then I fell asleep and missed all the wisdom... I woke up and we were at a disabled-handicrafts factory shop (to clarify: the handicrafts we're perfect, just made by some disabled people... I slept through the gist but I guess they might be people disabled via some connection with the war) ... then we drove some more, he spoke some more, I slept some more... my eyes had tonne weights attached to the lids... the annoying irony is that I've been experiencing a bit of insomnia recently and was looking forward to the tour...
... anyway, when we walked around the site of the tunnels I had to stand up so I didn't sleep and I heard some of his amazing story... his name is Bean, Mr Bean, and he was Vietnamese but emigrated to the US before the war... he returned as an intellegence officer for the US side of the fighting working with people like Oliver Stone (film director) and Senator Kerry (presidential candidate about 6 years ago)... after the war he's spent 5 years having "re-education" in a Vietnamese prison learning about Lenin and Mao and the rest of the lads... and now he's got rid of the US passport and is a Vietnamese... he described the war to us and the nature of the Viet Kongs fighting describing it as Tom and Jerry stuff with the little Viet Kong using all their intellegence and resourcefulness to wage a truly effective gorilla war against the US troops and there man-to-man might... he told of one story where the Viet Kong invaded the US base came through the underground tunnels to steal arms at night... as they ran away they wore their sandals (they didn't have sophisticated war equipment) on backwards, so they left foot prints which only ran toward the US base... Mr Bean said they made him feel less and intellegence officer and for a stupidity officer... the guy was a great guide and it was refreshing to hear him speak candidly and from the US angle... It is clear from some stuff I've seen that the US did some terrible things in this war... but everything has two sides and it was nice to see that this guy wasn't afraid to be more open and talking about a war with no real winners... I've only just started reading about the war so I can't really say my view too well yet... but it's interesting to think that Vietnam was never on the map as a single country before the war with the US (I think I'm right with that fact)... If you want to read Mr Bean's work he actually has a book out apparently called, 'Three moons of Vietnam'... maybe it will be good, who knows...
... So now the next age of my travelling begins... the New Years crowed is filtering out of town to be replaced by new faces and new croweds... As Vietnam is so thin and has such a clear and well trodden path, it's almost enivatable you will see the same people as you make your way down and you won't be alone... in the end we had a cool group here with people like David, Andrew, Martin (a German with a moustache... who would have guessed they really exist), Lucinda (she wanted a name check on my blog and here it is:), Lauren, Kush, James... and many more who I only know by face;) ... Many people have already left for Cambodia, but I'm gonna save that little sweetie 'till later... a quick thanks to David, I enjoyed traveling down Vietnam with you... we met on the bus from Laos to Vietnam and my first impression was that I hated him because I was grumpy because he didn't tell me that food was avaliable when our bus was delayed 9 hours so I missed out on food... later I got over that and we traveled the cities together... keep well mate:)
OK I'm gonna run now as I've worn my Chu Chi tunnel stimulated inspiration down to a fine nub and now am ready to retire to a cafe for a nice cup of tea and a read... :) ... don't forget to register your vote on whether you want to see my puss wound or not;) ... the nation waits!
Keep well my friends and family:)
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