Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City - the beginning and the end of Vietnam. Here it gets a bit serious. If you don't want to see pictures of war and death, you should not continue looking at the pictures here, but like everything else, this topic is also part of the country.

But first, let's talk about Ho Chi Minh City itself: a city in total harmony. Chaos on the streets, but no honking, and pedestrians are not run over but given more careful attention. People are friendlier and everything is colorful and bright at night. So, quieter than Hanoi and definitely my favourite. Even the yellow Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral looked impressive.

Also impressive, the War Remnants Museum ...

As I said before, something like that can have a big impact. I am writing this as a reminder and in memory of all the dead in this war, most of whom were civilians. Women, children, normal people like you and me who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A brief historical aspect:

After World War II, France lost its power over Vietnam but regained it with financial support from the USA. However, not entirely. The country was divided into North and South Vietnam. France ruled in the south, while the north was under the growing power of Ho Chi Minh and communism. Eventually, a civil war broke out in the south. The communist Viet Cong also wanted to reunite Vietnam and managed to assassinate the president. In 1965, the USA intervened out of fear that communism could spread further and they would lose their share of power over Vietnam.

From then on, the bloodshed began, until the Americans resorted to brutal means like Agent Orange. This defoliant was used to remove the Vietnamese's camouflage, but it has devastating effects. It physically leads to mutations, cancer, deformities, miscarriages, etc. It cost thousands of innocent lives.

However, the Viet Cong were clever and built a tunnel system over more than 400km across the entire country. These tunnels were so narrow that only small Vietnamese people could pass through. They disguised the air vents with American clothing so that the dogs couldn't smell them. They wore shoes backwards so that the enemies would follow false tracks. And why was their camp never bombed? Well, because it was right under the American base in the ground. Incredibly intelligent. Despite 3 million dead, Vietnam won in 1973. This marked America's first loss in history.

The tunnels I saw were so well hidden that I would never have found them, and so narrow that I got stuck with my very European wide hips (yes, okay, and buttocks). Just stuck. So yes, it was tight, and they lived there for years! But they prevailed, and I have great respect for the dead and the survivors.

As a side note: It's strange that America has its fingers in almost every war worldwide. But really, almost every single one. That should really make you think. Why does America have so much power and not someone else? Sorry at this point, but fuck Americans.

Well, life is not always rosy, but it is our task to learn from the mistakes of the past and not let such things happen again in the future.

Cheers, people ♡