Ho Chi Minh City

Back in Ho Chi Minh City, I tried to figure out how the water puppets are moved so expertly in the Water Puppet Show. I took a tour of the Saigon Opera House and saw a Vietnamese version of Cirque de Soliel production. I visited the still functioning Old Post Office, complete with tourist shops, viewed the Notre Dame Cathedral, noting the sign that kept visitors from intruding on those wanting to pray. I wandered the night market.

On the serious side was the visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the War Remnants Museum. Fighters lived in these tunnels, crawling their way through what in some cases were the equivalent of three stories. The tunnels were ventilated, had areas for sleeping, cooking, everything for daily living. The American would try to flush them out by flooding the tunnels, or using dogs. The Vietnamese have had to fight the French for their independence, and then the Americans in a war I don't think I'll ever understand our part. The Vietnamese are very kind, gentle, helpful people who don't seem to have a grudge against US citizens, yet the weapons they used show how intense they were to preserve their culture and freedom. It's sad to know there are still unexploded bombs here that continue to take the lives of Vietnamese, and generations are still suffering from Agent Orange.