Electric Saigon

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When Indie was about 18 months old we took her to her first display of fireworks. She stared up at the sky riveted and motionless the entire time chanting, “wow, wow, wow …” That’s how I feel here. It has shocked me like an electric eel with its pulsating energy and exaggerated features. Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh) population of roughly 20 million, is a rupture of all senses at once. Its movement is constant, its noises strident, its smells robust. Every square inch of space is inhabited, although sometimes it seems more like a mash-up of structures colliding into one another, some dilapidated, others space-age like. Classic French Colonial designs contrasting against ancient ornate temples and infilled by narrow rectangular apartment buildings. Imagine this all in a Tetris like formation and you’ve got an accurate mental image. Interestingly enough, it is here where we have acclimatized to our new existence. No longer does the blare of horns make our bodies tense, our eyes breeze over the visual overload and the constant whir seems almost melodic. We have replaced bewilderment with “muted” assertiveness when crossing the roads and we are at the point of pushing ourselves to sample the unfamiliar and to embrace the wildly exotic tastes and flavours.


In a structured writing exercise, the kiddos worked to describe some of their impressions using similes and metaphors: 


“From the 23rd floor of our apartment looking down, Saigon is both poor and rich; colourful and bland; old and new, plaster, metal and glass. It’s like two sides of a coin…a busy city of opposites…


When we were shuffling through the 300 year old buddhist temple, we felt claustrophobic, like sardines in a can…like vacuum packed dried mango, a box of jenga pieces, seeds in a passion fruit, medicine in a bottle. It was hot and stuffy like butt ointment in a jar. The smell of roasting flowers was calming at first, but the incense soon took over our nose like a campfire in a closet. We would have loved a fresh piece of fruit at that moment. And there was fruit everywhere, given as offerings to the many Buddha Gods…” 


By far, the most influential time we have spent here as a family was our visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels - a 250 km network of complex underground tunnels that were built and lived in by the VietCong over a 13 year period (1960-1975) during the Vietnam War. As we took turns learning how to disappear into tunnel entrances, squeeze through 100 meters of pseudo tunnels (which were 3x the original size), and sample tapioca tuber which was the main form of sustenance, we were blown away by the resilience, ingenuity, intelligence and pride of the Northern Vietnamese forces in their survival and war tactics. 


Here are some of India’s take-aways:


January 27th

Today we went to a former war ground. I know you probably think that's really dangerous but it was safe because we had a tour guide. We got to see lots of original guns and exploded bombs. It was really cool when we got to go through underground tunnels built in the war. The whole time there were people shooting guns and it was so loud. In most countries only men go to war but in Vietnam women and men went to war and the pregnant woman would stay in the most secure part of their underground bunkers. When the kids were born and old enough to do their part in the war they would go and spy on the Americans. That war went on for 20 years. The bunkers they built were three layered underground. In the tunnels the way they would breathe was by these little bamboo pipes under termite nests. The Americans would try to kill them by pouring water down them and not allowing them to breathe. 


The impacts of the Vietnam War and its ongoing repercussions, are by far the most heart-wrenching and difficult to digest. While the buildings have all been rebuilt and repaired, poignant reminders of the effects of the Agent Orange that was used to deforest the warzones linger on. The immediate effects of the chemical on soldiers skin and lungs was minor, however, the 10 generations of genetic deformities continue to manifest in lineage of the Viet Cong fighters. 


As we say farewell to Saigon we are left with impressions that weave deeply through our hearts and our minds like the never-ending sea of scooters that pulsate through the city.



Home is wherever you make it

Bumping around 


Discovering the Secret Garden Restaurant
Cu Chi Tunnel Experience with Sunny, our guide
Jade Emperor Pagoda 
An intense physical and mental experience
Treating ourselves to fancy....for $60!


Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2023 at 5:34 PM

    Looks and sounds amazing guys…hope you’re have a great time…we miss you! ~holly

    ReplyDelete

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