Friday, March 03, 2006
Vietnam!
Ho Chi Minh city is where we landed. You may also know it by the name Saigon. Easily one of my favorite places so far, Ho Chi Minh city had many sights to see, and much history on the nation of Vietnam. It also had a bar called Guns n' Roses. Cue guitar solo...
In the national war museum, a Vietnamese and communist flag blow proudly in the breeze over a captured American transport chopper. Hows that for a "Screw you guys!" ??
A and E proudly pose for the new issue of WAR! Monthly magazine. The War museum has many captured American equipment from the war, from tanks to planes to artillery to unexploded bombs. I presumed the bombs had been made safe, but anyone I asked, either averted their eyes mumbling or shuffled away.
This is the Cao Dai temple, which we stopped into in the way to the tunnels of Cu Chi. Its a new religion which mixes the worlds major beliefs into one bigger better new religion! The building has the most garish colour scheme I think I've ever witnessed.
Its probably just me but I have trouble believing in a religion who's major church looks like its made out candy. Having being baptized catholic, I prefer my churches IMPOSING.
On to my favorite part of Vietnam, The Tunnels of Cu Chi:
Here is one of the many traps they had on display. Basically This is covered in leaves and twigs. You, an American Imperialist, comes walking along and falls down the middle, getting gored with nails as you fall.
Just in case you were unsure of how the traps worked, there were handy illustrations painted on the wall!
More captured American equipment! One of the stories of the tunnels has an American tank like this one being disabled by a landmine. The next time the Americans found there damaged tank, it was underground powering part of the tunnel complex!
Excuse me for forgetting to rotate this picture. This is part of the tunnels that has been adapted for tourists. Its been made twice as big, and the tunnel walls and floor have been covered in plaster. This stretch was about 15 feet long, but the camera flash barely reaches 3 feet.
Here is Emma crouching to take a picture! Bare in mind that these tunnels have been made BIGGER! There were 3 stretches of tunnels we could go down. Two were 30 meters, and one was 50 meters. All were full of blind turns and steep inclines and unexpected drops. Peter, Emma and myself went through all 3 tunnels, earning use the title of Big Tunnel Hero from our guide! Now that our time in Ho Chi Minh was over, the girls felt the calling of the beach. We parted ways,with peter and my self heading to Laos....
In the national war museum, a Vietnamese and communist flag blow proudly in the breeze over a captured American transport chopper. Hows that for a "Screw you guys!" ??
A and E proudly pose for the new issue of WAR! Monthly magazine. The War museum has many captured American equipment from the war, from tanks to planes to artillery to unexploded bombs. I presumed the bombs had been made safe, but anyone I asked, either averted their eyes mumbling or shuffled away.
This is the Cao Dai temple, which we stopped into in the way to the tunnels of Cu Chi. Its a new religion which mixes the worlds major beliefs into one bigger better new religion! The building has the most garish colour scheme I think I've ever witnessed.
Its probably just me but I have trouble believing in a religion who's major church looks like its made out candy. Having being baptized catholic, I prefer my churches IMPOSING.On to my favorite part of Vietnam, The Tunnels of Cu Chi:
Here is one of the many traps they had on display. Basically This is covered in leaves and twigs. You, an American Imperialist, comes walking along and falls down the middle, getting gored with nails as you fall.
Just in case you were unsure of how the traps worked, there were handy illustrations painted on the wall!
More captured American equipment! One of the stories of the tunnels has an American tank like this one being disabled by a landmine. The next time the Americans found there damaged tank, it was underground powering part of the tunnel complex!
Excuse me for forgetting to rotate this picture. This is part of the tunnels that has been adapted for tourists. Its been made twice as big, and the tunnel walls and floor have been covered in plaster. This stretch was about 15 feet long, but the camera flash barely reaches 3 feet.
Here is Emma crouching to take a picture! Bare in mind that these tunnels have been made BIGGER! There were 3 stretches of tunnels we could go down. Two were 30 meters, and one was 50 meters. All were full of blind turns and steep inclines and unexpected drops. Peter, Emma and myself went through all 3 tunnels, earning use the title of Big Tunnel Hero from our guide! Now that our time in Ho Chi Minh was over, the girls felt the calling of the beach. We parted ways,with peter and my self heading to Laos....
