Monday, December 15, 2008

Cu Chi Tunnels

The other day we visited some nearby tunnels that were used during the war by North Vietnamese soldiers. They lived in underground rooms, linked by narrow tunnels, for months at a time while the ground above them was being bombed and gassed constantly.

Titus was especially interested in going to see the tunnels. He has been fascinated to hear about the war here and see how patience and ingenuity overcame modern firepower. We read that mines still kill over 1,000 people a year here, so Titus kept reminding us not to go off the path.

Visiting the tunnels was a macabre mix of tourist activities and the horrible reality of war. We laughed while we squeezed through the tiny entrances and then stood in silence while the guide explained how the Vietnamese booby traps worked. The bamboo spiked pits were the most sobering for me.

I assumed that there would still be some animosity here towards Americans considering the intensity and recent history of the war. But there just isn't any. "It's in the past," some people say. "It was the government." Some people shake their heads in amazement and say "Did you know that the American soldiers didn't even want to come to fight? The government made them." Then the conversation usually turns to the peace they've enjoyed since (no mention of the post-war poverty and struggle) and how they plan to enjoy it for years to come.

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