After a long and arduous bus ride, we happened upon one of the destinations we had been waiting for a while now: the dividing line that separated North and South Vietnam during the war we had been learning so much about. The first thing we noticed at the site was the giant monument reaching towards the sky, then we headed into the museum. A stark contrast from a museum in the United States, the pictures and facts inside were presented from a strictly (northern) Vietnamese viewpoint. It was odd for me to be put in the situation where you see the atrocities your country, but not you specifically, had completed in the past. It's hard not to feel guilty when the numerous bombs dropped are laid out before you underneath the pictures of maimed children and burnt flesh.
We crossed the Ben Hai River, the true dividing line between the north and the south, and did so with our Vietnamese students alongside us. It was difficult to imagine the anguish and blood that was shed because of that seemingly arbitrary division, especially when it looks relatively plain now. The landscaping around the river and bridge is nothing special, besides the few monuments and the museum, and there were chickens freely walking around having a great time. The people who were separated by the line, and tried so desperately to cross it to reach those they love, certainly contrasted against the serene river and cars and trucks zooming by on the freeway above.
Later upon reaching Quang Tri, we met up with Project RENEW (Restoring the Environment and Neutralizing the Effects of War), an NGO backed by international aid organizations. We saw videos and a presentation about the short and long-term effects of UXO (unexploded ordinances) on the local people. It was harrowing to walk around the center of Project Renew, which had once been Kids First, a local center for children, which is now completely barren. Looking at murals painted by GIEU groups in the past adorned the walls outside, but there is no longer anyone to enjoy them. We left hopeful for the future of the organization and thankful for their time informing us, but we weren't finished just yet.
We then were shipped out to an area where they were actually sweeping the area for bombs. And after signing away our lives and giving away our blood types, we were taken up close and personal to the actual UXOs that had been found. It was interesting being feet away from unexploded cluster bombs, but it hit the point home that these people find UXOs like this quite often, and without the help of project RENEW, it would be tough for them to make a living otherwise. I definitely felt a sense that the people at Project RENEW know their stuff and have nerves of steel, and I send good vibrations to them in helping clear more farmland for the local people to gain sustainable agricultural opportunities.
Perhaps my favorite excursion of the past week was going to the Vinh Moc tunnels, buried underneath a heavily bombed part of the area. Claustrophobic and damp, you could really get the sense of anxiety and panic that would overcome people who were running through inside and doing things like giving birth while explosions rained above. Though it's cool how effective they were..apparently no one died while inside of the tunnel, and in a way it kind of shows the human spirit and will to survive, and the lengths people will go to in order to save those that they love. We exited the tunnel and found a bizarrely peaceful and beautiful view of the ocean, where we took lots of photos and played with crabs. Then Truc showed us rubber trees and showed us how it drips out like sap, which is super neat. In other news, my cravings for pizza have reached critical mass.
xoxo
casey
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