Hello from Vietnam! Ho Chi Minh City

     On March 29th, 2013, I flew into Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam also known as Saigon.  I can honestly say that I went there on a spiritual journey more than a vacation.  My dad spent a year of his life here, 1966-1967 fighting for the United States of America.  This war was so devastating and my dad's time here really affected his entire life.  I needed to see the land, the museums and just take in the whole war experience as much as I could to feel like my dad was with me, to feel like I was making the effort to understand more of his great life.  I love you dad!

     I decided that since I did not have a very long time to spend in Vietnam, it was in my best interest to join a tour group.  I chose G Adventures and met up with my tour mates at the hotel we were going to stay in that night.  Some of us went to the War Remnants Museum on this day.  It was several floors and was sectioned off depending on subject.  This museum was really one sided and made the Americans look awful, but I respected their opinions.  The section on Agent Orange was absolutely awful and it is disgusting to see what war can come down to.

 First thing you see walking through the door...  Propoganda!

 Motorcycle madness!

 Pagoda

 Inside the pagoda.

 The Notre Dame of Vietnam.

A few fellow tour mates at our first dinner.

     The following day we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels.  This is a day I will never forget!  Our tour guide, Mr. Hai is a South Vietnamese war veteran.  He was able to give us the other perspective that the War Remnants Museum did not.  I showed him the picture of my dad on Thanksgiving Day and he remembered eating turkey once a year.  He also said that he ate a lot of hamburgers during his time with the Americans.  Mr. Hai was in the war for 8 years and after this he was in a reeducation camp for 3 years.  His smile was so infectious and he had such a willingness to share his life stories with all of us.  I respect him so much and my time with him on this tour was priceless.

 Mr. Hai holding the demonstration stick.

Secret traps

 Barbed wire everywhere.

 Mr. Hai was so amazing!

 First time ever shooting a gun, an AK-47.

     Shooting a gun was such a surreal experience for me.  Honestly, guns scare me and I have never really considered going to the shooting ranges at home and giving it a go or anything.  I did decide to do it in Vietnam however in order to learn what it felt like.  I wanted to experience something that my dad did.  It was hard not to realize the reality of how many people died during this war at the hands of these machines though.  I don't know how I feel about guns...  I am glad that I did this, but it is certainly not a new desire of mine to leisurely shoot.

After getting out of the Cu Chi tunnel, sweating like crazy!

Trying out Viet Cong food, tapioca.  

     Mr. Hai moved me so much that I wrote him a thank you email the following day in which he replied to!  It was very moving and I hope that one day I will have the pleasure of meeting him again.  If any of you plan on going to Ho Chi Minh and need a tour guide to important war locations, let me know and I will give you Mr. Hai's contact information.  

     That night, we left for our next destination via sleeper train.  My first time on a sleeper train and it was quite the experience!  You didn't necessarily sleep very comfortably, but hanging out with my tour mates and such was a really good time!  

"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one". -John Lennon