We were very excited for our 2nd day because it was our very first tour trip.
I was particularly excited because I was the one who die-die ask the girls to choose this tour *beams*
As we made our way to our pickup point, we were greeted with this:
But at least the crowd was civilised unlike Singaporeans at peak hour, or any hour in fact. No greedy beady eyes, no me-first attitude.
We are short so we were practically pushing our way through armpits and chests.
I feel formidgets little people, I really do.
It was these kind of instances that we wished we were as tall as the blonde lady in pink. I call her Pink The Onmiscient; she sees everything. Hahaha.
But we found our pedestial (which is the steps in front of some shop) and stayed there nicely, while looking out for the bus without getting smothered.
-----------------------------------
Our tourguide, Moe, is super cute!
When he first boarded, I thought they hired a random 80s bar singer to entertain us.
Shirt with the top few buttons unbottoned, bell-bottom pants, and that swagger...
Everytime he talked, we would giggle and I think he knows and thinks we are all bimbotic.
But cannot help it!:
"It looks like it's going to rain. But if it rains, it will be funny and the trip will be more funny..."
It took us awhile to get that he meant that the trip would be more 'fun'. Hahah! You adorable man! *giggles giggles*
And we love the way he say tickets: "tickesh" ! *giggles giggles*
That poor thing, everytime when he cracked a joke, nobody seemed to get it except us. And we'll be the only ones giggling. So it's confirmed. We are naive, bimbotic and flirtatious.
---------------------------------------------
Before we headed to Cao Dai Temple, Moe brought us to Handicapped Handicrafts.
Another quirky translation which meant Handicrafts by the Handicapped. Because of the novelty of the place, we spared the giggling to a minimum Hehe.
There was no one working when we came because they hid the Oompa-Loompas.
Ok no, kidding. Hahaha.
It was a holiday.
So we were brought to look at the tools and materials they used to make their art.
It was amazing because these people used eggshells to piece together their composition. And they don't just plonk a whole chunk of eggshell on their canvas and called it art.
They painstakingly sketched a drawing first, crushed the eggshells, arranged them carefully before painting colours on them.
And remember, these artists are handicapped!
( But I wonder how handicapped are they? Blind? Down syndrome? No ears? No hands?
There were no pictures of the people, only their products.
Imagine, if they had no hands or are blind! Wouldn't it be more amazing!!)
My favourite is this brilliant piece that is for sale at the handicraft store:
(The 2 smaller pictures are the same picture, just trying to fill space. Hahah)
Every detail is formed with eggshells. I am awed by the waves the most. The different shades of the waves (except the black) are all eggshells can you believe it!
It is truly amazing. If I were to do this, I bet it will take me 100 years and my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren all will still have to continue my work for me.
Many paraphernalias in the handicraft store that can make you giddy with glittering shiny eggshell stuffs.
If you want to support the handicapped, you can buy a few here.
But I'm a poor measly backpacker and unfortunately cannot give too much alms or else I may end up begging myself.
Sorry, handicapped handicrafts :'(
------------------------------------------
Next, we headed to the Caodai Temple to watch a religious ceremony.
The first sign of CaoDaism which I caught sight of were these old men clad in white ghurba-ish outfits and a black songkok-like turbans. If you're not well-informed, you might think they are mosque go-ers.
I was pretty excited when I saw the temple. But Pe'ah was more worried that her shoes would get stolen. Hahah.
[Translated fromVietnamese Malay]
Me: Just leave it, nobody would take it. This is a holy place.
Pe'ah: Are you sure? The mosque is also a holy place but slippers always get stolen.
Me: Don't worry, you must have faith (fidgeting to get inside) Really...
Pe'ah: But everyone's so poor here, what makes you so sure?
Me: I'm sure because... that old man is the caretaker of tourists' shoes.
(points to a random old man wearing a caodaism outfit nearby)
Pe'ah: Oooh... ok!
..............
....
Pe'ah: .... But what if he's the one stealing shoes?
Me: STOPPIT EH!
Tourists are allowed to take pictures of the interior but are not allowed to take pictures of one another within the temple.
Logic being: It's ok if tourists admire the architecture of your mosque and want to capture its beauty, but would you like it if they start to take themselves in various poses on the imam's pulpit?
Caodaism intrigues me because when I first read about it in the tour description, it said that its philosophy is based on Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Christianity. I never imagined the possiblities of these religions as one!
There were worshippers appointed as 'security officers' (for the lack of a better word) to make sure tourists don't happily enter the main praying compounds (which is essentially the middle stretch of the temple) and disrupt the higher monks preparations to the ceremony. And also to stop tourists from taking photos of one another *looks at faddy*
But they were not harsh, they merely tap your shoulders politely and shake their heads in a very zen way, with a very zen smile.
Did I mention most of them were old? And very cute? Cute little grandmas and grandpas.
I wanted to ask the 'security officers' more about the religion but none of them could speak English well. And Moe was nowhere in sight. So we were left to figure out on our own what the religion is all about.
(Can you spot Jesus?)
But I think our opinions are highly blasphemous, and I'm not going to blog them, so you'd better read it here
Hahah.
Sadly, we only managed to catch 5 mins of the ceremony which was:
1) Hearing a gong being sounded.
2) Saw everyone standing up with their arms folded
3) Hearing the 2nd gong where they file nicely into the praying areas and sit in neat rows
4) Watch them chant prayers and bow a few times
THAT'S IT.
I wanted to see who got to sit on those big golden thrones.
I wanted to see if the Eye blinked in disapproval at the rude Singaporeans (not us, we were the ones going SHHH!! ) yaking away loudly while the ceremony was taking place.
I wanted to see who is the highest priest of all.
I wanted to see more :(
------------------------------------------------------
We stopped for Lunch.
And there I met my Vietnamese Love.
VEGETABLE SPRINGROLLS!!!
They were light and not oily at all. The vegetable filling was sweet and crunchy.
The dip was very light soy sauce which complemented the rolls really well.
And I looooove the boiled wintermelon and carrots with rice. It's simple and sweet. SEDAP SEDAP SEDAP.
From that day one, I kept ordering springrolls. Seafood springroll. vegetable springroll. crabmeat springroll.
Faddy and Pe'ah gave up on me. Hahaha.
The girls ordered this dish. Some seafood-veggie dish. I forgot what it was but it was good.
But not as delish as mine. HAHAHA.
Itupun bangga eh.
----------------------------
Cu Chi Tunnels was The Highlight of The Day.
It was really fun despite knowing gory and sadistic history behind it.
I'll tell you more as we go along.
Gory History is always so bitchy.
That's why Hitler is a hit.
Ok anyway.
We noticed attap roofs seemed out of place. It looked like it was covering a massive hole on the ground, and not placed as roofs like we usually see them.
True enough, the 'houses' were dug underground and the attap roofs sheltered these underground huts as a ceiling and a roof.
We watched this highly propaganda tape which was recorded in 70s and unedited ever since. It created the Americans to be monsters, invading the peaceful life of Cu Chi Village in 1970s, while the Vietnam War was going on.
I vividly remember this phrase: 'Like crazy ruthless devils, the Americans shot through women and children, roadside ducks and chickens....'
And there were Americans among us. I and Faddy were amused by the narration and were giggling away. Cannot be said the same for the stone-faced Americans. Hahaha.
The video captured the attacks in their moments, I think. But strangely, the Cu Chi people were all smiling away as they crawled in and out of the tunnels, as they fired shots, as they ran here and there. I don't know who is more sadistic. Hahah.
Then we went round to see some of the traps set up by the Cu Chi people to slay the Americans. I applaude their innovation because they were highly disadvantaged by the American's mordern killing machines.
Like Ms. VideoTape said: they used traps used for killing animals for food to trap the Americans.
And vicious, spine-chilling traps they were.
One of them is this monster death trap that swings up to reveal a hell of spikes.
The traps all contained thin ruthless spikes that jutted out in crooked, deadly angles that will promise its victims only death.
They have rotating spikes, swinging spikes, or just simply spikes.
Moe had a good time spooking us with these things and got into the mood of cracking jokes and talking to the dummies. You adorable sadistic man!
My favourite trap is this swinging thing that I found to be quite genius.
So a Cu Chi guerilla would swing this thing at an American at a fatal speed.
Anyone's first instinct would be to grab the top of the swinging thing, exactly like how the woman in the picture is doing, to stop it before it hits.
But what the victim doesn't know, is that the bottom half of the swinging thing is also hinged. So eventhough you manage to stop the top from hitting your upper body, the bottom half of the device would swing up and catch you in the crotch.
'... and your girlfriend will have no time to say bye-bye' (Moe, 2009).
The Cu Chi guerillas optimised every advantage they had over the Americans.
They dug this really impossibly small holes that can fit only an Asian body as an ambush. We could try getting in there to feel how it's like. I wish I wasn't wearing a skirt. But Faddy had a go in it. Imagine the claustrophobia when the lid closes above you. Imagine the Cu Chi people waiting for hours maybe before their ambush. *shudders*
Then we had a go in the Cu Chi Tunnels.
It is amazing.
It's a complicated maze that goes on for many kilometres.
We were made to go along the 90m route only.
Pictures were only taken 5 seconds into the tunnels. After that, all we wanted to do was get out.
It's pitch black, if not for the installed lights, you cannot sit up straight, you cannot stand, you had to bend all the way and we were practically CRYING AND DYING to get out somewhere at the 30m mark. After a while you feel like the walls are closing in on you. It's really freaky and it seemed like FOREVER in there, I swear.
Along the way, you see openings to another route. If you get lost in there, God save your soul.
I CANNOT imagine how the Cu Chi people did it, man. SALUTE!
Once we were out, everyone was sweating profusely and just plain relieved it was over.
See how dark it was without flash.
Despite our adventurous spirits, it was really really freaky.
We were made to eat tapioca, just like in the war times, and just like how they made us eat tapioca during Total Defence Day. Tasted pretty good. Took quite a lot. If I am in the war I would get killed first by my own people for eating their rations I think. Hahahaha.
-------------------------------------------------
Then then then (suddenly excited) we went SHOOTING WITH REAL AK-47s!
I have never shot anything before in my life, except at flies with rubberbands.
I swear, I didn't even have the guts to pull the trigger at first.
To think that I am holding a killing machine!
But in the end I fired my shot, disregarding the target board.
It was an experience of a lifetime!
----------------------------------------
We made a new friend by the end of the day.
I could only recall her name to be Hom something, but it meant Magnificent.
And so the name Magnificent stuck. (of course we didn't call her that in her face haha)
She was a lone traveller from China, and guess her age quick!
WRONG!
She's 37!!!
She's a really nice lady, was eager to know about our country and was pretty much a delight to be with. She made threw our stereotypes of PRCs out of the window.
(But when we came back to Singapore, the stereotypes came back too hahaha)
Since she was alone, we invited her to go shopping and have dinner with us.
She even cleaned my camera for me when she saw how filthy it was :')
When we sent her back all the way to her hostel despite her refusal, she was so touched and hugged us all when we were going off.
Sadly, that day was the last we saw of her in our stay.
Goodbye, Magnificent! Hope we had made your trip better than it is! :)))
----------------------------------
This is only the second day ohmygod.
I was particularly excited because I was the one who die-die ask the girls to choose this tour *beams*
As we made our way to our pickup point, we were greeted with this:
But at least the crowd was civilised unlike Singaporeans at peak hour, or any hour in fact. No greedy beady eyes, no me-first attitude.
We are short so we were practically pushing our way through armpits and chests.
I feel for
It was these kind of instances that we wished we were as tall as the blonde lady in pink. I call her Pink The Onmiscient; she sees everything. Hahaha.
But we found our pedestial (which is the steps in front of some shop) and stayed there nicely, while looking out for the bus without getting smothered.
-----------------------------------
Our tourguide, Moe, is super cute!
When he first boarded, I thought they hired a random 80s bar singer to entertain us.
Shirt with the top few buttons unbottoned, bell-bottom pants, and that swagger...
Everytime he talked, we would giggle and I think he knows and thinks we are all bimbotic.
But cannot help it!:
"It looks like it's going to rain. But if it rains, it will be funny and the trip will be more funny..."
It took us awhile to get that he meant that the trip would be more 'fun'. Hahah! You adorable man! *giggles giggles*
And we love the way he say tickets: "tickesh" ! *giggles giggles*
That poor thing, everytime when he cracked a joke, nobody seemed to get it except us. And we'll be the only ones giggling. So it's confirmed. We are naive, bimbotic and flirtatious.
---------------------------------------------
Before we headed to Cao Dai Temple, Moe brought us to Handicapped Handicrafts.
Another quirky translation which meant Handicrafts by the Handicapped. Because of the novelty of the place, we spared the giggling to a minimum Hehe.
There was no one working when we came because they hid the Oompa-Loompas.
Ok no, kidding. Hahaha.
It was a holiday.
So we were brought to look at the tools and materials they used to make their art.
It was amazing because these people used eggshells to piece together their composition. And they don't just plonk a whole chunk of eggshell on their canvas and called it art.
They painstakingly sketched a drawing first, crushed the eggshells, arranged them carefully before painting colours on them.
And remember, these artists are handicapped!
( But I wonder how handicapped are they? Blind? Down syndrome? No ears? No hands?
There were no pictures of the people, only their products.
Imagine, if they had no hands or are blind! Wouldn't it be more amazing!!)
My favourite is this brilliant piece that is for sale at the handicraft store:
(The 2 smaller pictures are the same picture, just trying to fill space. Hahah)
Every detail is formed with eggshells. I am awed by the waves the most. The different shades of the waves (except the black) are all eggshells can you believe it!
It is truly amazing. If I were to do this, I bet it will take me 100 years and my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren all will still have to continue my work for me.
Many paraphernalias in the handicraft store that can make you giddy with glittering shiny eggshell stuffs.
If you want to support the handicapped, you can buy a few here.
But I'm a poor measly backpacker and unfortunately cannot give too much alms or else I may end up begging myself.
Sorry, handicapped handicrafts :'(
------------------------------------------
Next, we headed to the Caodai Temple to watch a religious ceremony.
The first sign of CaoDaism which I caught sight of were these old men clad in white ghurba-ish outfits and a black songkok-like turbans. If you're not well-informed, you might think they are mosque go-ers.
I was pretty excited when I saw the temple. But Pe'ah was more worried that her shoes would get stolen. Hahah.
[Translated from
Me: Just leave it, nobody would take it. This is a holy place.
Pe'ah: Are you sure? The mosque is also a holy place but slippers always get stolen.
Me: Don't worry, you must have faith (fidgeting to get inside) Really...
Pe'ah: But everyone's so poor here, what makes you so sure?
Me: I'm sure because... that old man is the caretaker of tourists' shoes.
(points to a random old man wearing a caodaism outfit nearby)
Pe'ah: Oooh... ok!
..............
....
Pe'ah: .... But what if he's the one stealing shoes?
Me: STOPPIT EH!
Tourists are allowed to take pictures of the interior but are not allowed to take pictures of one another within the temple.
Logic being: It's ok if tourists admire the architecture of your mosque and want to capture its beauty, but would you like it if they start to take themselves in various poses on the imam's pulpit?
Caodaism intrigues me because when I first read about it in the tour description, it said that its philosophy is based on Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Christianity. I never imagined the possiblities of these religions as one!
There were worshippers appointed as 'security officers' (for the lack of a better word) to make sure tourists don't happily enter the main praying compounds (which is essentially the middle stretch of the temple) and disrupt the higher monks preparations to the ceremony. And also to stop tourists from taking photos of one another *looks at faddy*
But they were not harsh, they merely tap your shoulders politely and shake their heads in a very zen way, with a very zen smile.
Did I mention most of them were old? And very cute? Cute little grandmas and grandpas.
I wanted to ask the 'security officers' more about the religion but none of them could speak English well. And Moe was nowhere in sight. So we were left to figure out on our own what the religion is all about.
(Can you spot Jesus?)
But I think our opinions are highly blasphemous, and I'm not going to blog them, so you'd better read it here
Hahah.
Sadly, we only managed to catch 5 mins of the ceremony which was:
1) Hearing a gong being sounded.
2) Saw everyone standing up with their arms folded
3) Hearing the 2nd gong where they file nicely into the praying areas and sit in neat rows
4) Watch them chant prayers and bow a few times
THAT'S IT.
I wanted to see who got to sit on those big golden thrones.
I wanted to see if the Eye blinked in disapproval at the rude Singaporeans (not us, we were the ones going SHHH!! ) yaking away loudly while the ceremony was taking place.
I wanted to see who is the highest priest of all.
I wanted to see more :(
------------------------------------------------------
We stopped for Lunch.
And there I met my Vietnamese Love.
VEGETABLE SPRINGROLLS!!!
They were light and not oily at all. The vegetable filling was sweet and crunchy.
The dip was very light soy sauce which complemented the rolls really well.
And I looooove the boiled wintermelon and carrots with rice. It's simple and sweet. SEDAP SEDAP SEDAP.
From that day one, I kept ordering springrolls. Seafood springroll. vegetable springroll. crabmeat springroll.
Faddy and Pe'ah gave up on me. Hahaha.
The girls ordered this dish. Some seafood-veggie dish. I forgot what it was but it was good.
But not as delish as mine. HAHAHA.
Itupun bangga eh.
----------------------------
Cu Chi Tunnels was The Highlight of The Day.
It was really fun despite knowing gory and sadistic history behind it.
I'll tell you more as we go along.
Gory History is always so bitchy.
That's why Hitler is a hit.
Ok anyway.
We noticed attap roofs seemed out of place. It looked like it was covering a massive hole on the ground, and not placed as roofs like we usually see them.
True enough, the 'houses' were dug underground and the attap roofs sheltered these underground huts as a ceiling and a roof.
We watched this highly propaganda tape which was recorded in 70s and unedited ever since. It created the Americans to be monsters, invading the peaceful life of Cu Chi Village in 1970s, while the Vietnam War was going on.
I vividly remember this phrase: 'Like crazy ruthless devils, the Americans shot through women and children, roadside ducks and chickens....'
And there were Americans among us. I and Faddy were amused by the narration and were giggling away. Cannot be said the same for the stone-faced Americans. Hahaha.
The video captured the attacks in their moments, I think. But strangely, the Cu Chi people were all smiling away as they crawled in and out of the tunnels, as they fired shots, as they ran here and there. I don't know who is more sadistic. Hahah.
Then we went round to see some of the traps set up by the Cu Chi people to slay the Americans. I applaude their innovation because they were highly disadvantaged by the American's mordern killing machines.
Like Ms. VideoTape said: they used traps used for killing animals for food to trap the Americans.
And vicious, spine-chilling traps they were.
One of them is this monster death trap that swings up to reveal a hell of spikes.
The traps all contained thin ruthless spikes that jutted out in crooked, deadly angles that will promise its victims only death.
They have rotating spikes, swinging spikes, or just simply spikes.
Moe had a good time spooking us with these things and got into the mood of cracking jokes and talking to the dummies. You adorable sadistic man!
My favourite trap is this swinging thing that I found to be quite genius.
So a Cu Chi guerilla would swing this thing at an American at a fatal speed.
Anyone's first instinct would be to grab the top of the swinging thing, exactly like how the woman in the picture is doing, to stop it before it hits.
But what the victim doesn't know, is that the bottom half of the swinging thing is also hinged. So eventhough you manage to stop the top from hitting your upper body, the bottom half of the device would swing up and catch you in the crotch.
'... and your girlfriend will have no time to say bye-bye' (Moe, 2009).
The Cu Chi guerillas optimised every advantage they had over the Americans.
They dug this really impossibly small holes that can fit only an Asian body as an ambush. We could try getting in there to feel how it's like. I wish I wasn't wearing a skirt. But Faddy had a go in it. Imagine the claustrophobia when the lid closes above you. Imagine the Cu Chi people waiting for hours maybe before their ambush. *shudders*
Then we had a go in the Cu Chi Tunnels.
It is amazing.
It's a complicated maze that goes on for many kilometres.
We were made to go along the 90m route only.
Pictures were only taken 5 seconds into the tunnels. After that, all we wanted to do was get out.
It's pitch black, if not for the installed lights, you cannot sit up straight, you cannot stand, you had to bend all the way and we were practically CRYING AND DYING to get out somewhere at the 30m mark. After a while you feel like the walls are closing in on you. It's really freaky and it seemed like FOREVER in there, I swear.
Along the way, you see openings to another route. If you get lost in there, God save your soul.
I CANNOT imagine how the Cu Chi people did it, man. SALUTE!
Once we were out, everyone was sweating profusely and just plain relieved it was over.
See how dark it was without flash.
Despite our adventurous spirits, it was really really freaky.
We were made to eat tapioca, just like in the war times, and just like how they made us eat tapioca during Total Defence Day. Tasted pretty good. Took quite a lot. If I am in the war I would get killed first by my own people for eating their rations I think. Hahahaha.
-------------------------------------------------
Then then then (suddenly excited) we went SHOOTING WITH REAL AK-47s!
I have never shot anything before in my life, except at flies with rubberbands.
I swear, I didn't even have the guts to pull the trigger at first.
To think that I am holding a killing machine!
But in the end I fired my shot, disregarding the target board.
It was an experience of a lifetime!
----------------------------------------
We made a new friend by the end of the day.
I could only recall her name to be Hom something, but it meant Magnificent.
And so the name Magnificent stuck. (of course we didn't call her that in her face haha)
She was a lone traveller from China, and guess her age quick!
WRONG!
She's 37!!!
She's a really nice lady, was eager to know about our country and was pretty much a delight to be with. She made threw our stereotypes of PRCs out of the window.
(But when we came back to Singapore, the stereotypes came back too hahaha)
Since she was alone, we invited her to go shopping and have dinner with us.
She even cleaned my camera for me when she saw how filthy it was :')
When we sent her back all the way to her hostel despite her refusal, she was so touched and hugged us all when we were going off.
Sadly, that day was the last we saw of her in our stay.
Goodbye, Magnificent! Hope we had made your trip better than it is! :)))
----------------------------------
This is only the second day ohmygod.
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