This is an historic day. This is the first time since we have been here in this mission that we donned our preparation clothes in public and actually went out! So, we took a picture to mark the moment. On this day, Monday, March 1st, 2010, Scott and I went with Elder and Sister Jackson, our LDSC Couple in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam to visit some tunnels in a village some 70 kilmeters out of Ho Chi Minh. These tunnels were used when the Vietnamese were fighting the French for their freedom and then used again and enhanced when the Viet Cong were fighting South Vietnam and the Americans. They are three deep and used for popping up out of the ground and do I dare say it? Kill people. They, meaning the Viet Cong, used 14,000 villagers to live and fight in these tunnels. 30% of them were tiny little women. The town is called Cu Chi and so the tunnels are called the Cu Chi tunnels.
They have built this huge wat to tell the history of the Vietnamese people. It is a pictoral history painted on three sides of this wat. Inside the wat is a huge statue of Ho Chi Minh.
This is a building next to the wat, all decked out in dragons. It is my understanding that to the Vietnamese the dragon is a good luck sign. You see dragons in a lot of their designs on clothing, material, etc.
A view of the country side from the wat.
From there we had a guide who took us down a jungle path where we were greeted by these Cu Chi villagers who worked the tunnels. I was glad they weren't real since, we were kind of in former enemy territory.
We were sitting on a bench watching a propaganda film on the tunnels that is at least 40 years old. The guide reminded us that this was just one side of history and as Americans please don't be offended. As I looked down the path, I wanted a picture because as we were coming up on that path, I was about 10 feet behind our guide when a green snake slithered across our path. I, of course, HATE snakes. So I let out a nice little scream yelling there's a snake. The guide turned around and said, oh yes, that is a green mambo. I guess that is a very poisonous snake in this jungle area. I very cautiously, walked past that spot looking for signs of movement. There were none and so I continued to walk. I gained a much greater appreciation of our American Soldiers who fought here after being in the heat, walking in the jungle, hearing the sounds of the jungle all around us, seeing snakes, walking in these tunnels and seeing all of their traps.
The second tunnel exit was similar to this. Keep in mind as you walk through these tunnels to go from room to room, they are made for very little people. You cannot stand up. You walk clear bent over almost on your knees. As we were coming out of the second tunnel they took us in, I was the second one out, and three bats were very disturbed that I was even there. Keep in mind again that I was clear bent over and these bats were flying up by my head and through our legs. Scott was right behind me. I didn't realize how close until I saw a grayish-brown snake at the end of the tunnel. Right by the foot of the guide and the stairs to get out. I started backing out, probably screaming, as I recall saying, "How do I get out of here, with bats and snakes right here! ?" The guide stuck his hand in because I was close to the opening and said, "Don't worry, the snake is probably dead." It was holding really still, I thought to myself, "Yes, it probably is dead." So I took his hand and he guided me out and up the steps where Sister Jackson said, "The snake is not dead, it just moved." The guide heard that and jumped to the other side and waved Scott and Elder Jackson out. Oh boy, was I glad to get out of there! The smile you see on the above picture was because before we took the picture, I made good and sure that there were no snakes hiding down there. Under Scott's hat on his forehead was a nice red mark where he hit his head when I started backing up out of the bat/snake tunnel. Sorry, Scott!
We were sitting on a bench watching a propaganda film on the tunnels that is at least 40 years old. The guide reminded us that this was just one side of history and as Americans please don't be offended. As I looked down the path, I wanted a picture because as we were coming up on that path, I was about 10 feet behind our guide when a green snake slithered across our path. I, of course, HATE snakes. So I let out a nice little scream yelling there's a snake. The guide turned around and said, oh yes, that is a green mambo. I guess that is a very poisonous snake in this jungle area. I very cautiously, walked past that spot looking for signs of movement. There were none and so I continued to walk. I gained a much greater appreciation of our American Soldiers who fought here after being in the heat, walking in the jungle, hearing the sounds of the jungle all around us, seeing snakes, walking in these tunnels and seeing all of their traps.
Now you see him.
Now you don't.
Off to the right is the door of the entrance to a tunnel. They would surprise people as they popped up, shoot, and then disappear. The Americans discovered the tunnels and many of them were bombed to protect our soldiers. We went through a couple of tunnels in entrances such as below. They exit is out another way. These tunnels are made out of clay soil. When it hardens it is just like cement. As we were in a room under the ground, I asked him, just to be safe or scared, if they still didn't like Americans. He said, "Oh, don't worry that is all behind us many years ago." I was grateful to hear that!
Off to the right is the door of the entrance to a tunnel. They would surprise people as they popped up, shoot, and then disappear. The Americans discovered the tunnels and many of them were bombed to protect our soldiers. We went through a couple of tunnels in entrances such as below. They exit is out another way. These tunnels are made out of clay soil. When it hardens it is just like cement. As we were in a room under the ground, I asked him, just to be safe or scared, if they still didn't like Americans. He said, "Oh, don't worry that is all behind us many years ago." I was grateful to hear that!
The second tunnel exit was similar to this. Keep in mind as you walk through these tunnels to go from room to room, they are made for very little people. You cannot stand up. You walk clear bent over almost on your knees. As we were coming out of the second tunnel they took us in, I was the second one out, and three bats were very disturbed that I was even there. Keep in mind again that I was clear bent over and these bats were flying up by my head and through our legs. Scott was right behind me. I didn't realize how close until I saw a grayish-brown snake at the end of the tunnel. Right by the foot of the guide and the stairs to get out. I started backing out, probably screaming, as I recall saying, "How do I get out of here, with bats and snakes right here! ?" The guide stuck his hand in because I was close to the opening and said, "Don't worry, the snake is probably dead." It was holding really still, I thought to myself, "Yes, it probably is dead." So I took his hand and he guided me out and up the steps where Sister Jackson said, "The snake is not dead, it just moved." The guide heard that and jumped to the other side and waved Scott and Elder Jackson out. Oh boy, was I glad to get out of there! The smile you see on the above picture was because before we took the picture, I made good and sure that there were no snakes hiding down there. Under Scott's hat on his forehead was a nice red mark where he hit his head when I started backing up out of the bat/snake tunnel. Sorry, Scott!
All in all, it was an experience in appreciation for what our American Soldiers went through.
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