The DMZ on Two Wheels
space of the Vinh Moc Tunnels
One of the last things we needed to check off our list of "Things we absolutely must do when we're in Vietnam" was visit the demilitarized zone (DMZ) at the 17th parallel. The 17th parallel was the "provisional military demarcation line" that divided North and South Vietnam.
We travelled to Hué thinking we could sign up with a small tour of the DMZ. But after asking around, it seemed like the only tour on offer was 12 hours (6:00am to 6:00pm) on a big bus with more than 30 people! There was no way I was getting on this tour. Big bus tours where you're shuttled around like cattle are not for me -- especially ones that last 12 hours! We were about to give up when we came across the Stop 'n Go Café, which offers personalized motorbike tours of the DMZ. Yay! No big tour bus and no annoying tourists! (Well ... except for us, that is.) For a bit more than the big bus (US$16 vs US$10), we would each get our own motorbike and driver and we would decide where and when we would stop along the way. Sounds good, sign us up!
We met up with our guide Bill, and second driver Vinh, at 7:00am and were quickly on the road. Riding through the countryside on a motorbike was so much fun!
Our ultimate destination was the Vinh Moc tunnels, an underground labrynth of tunnels located more than 90km north of Hué. En route we stopped at a shrine and a monument, and crossed the bridge that spans the 17th parallel and the Ben Hai River. We also stopped for a coffee break and a tea break, but they were really bum breaks -- riding a motorbike is quite hard on the ass! Bill also pointed out interesting things as we drove past such as cemeteries for fallen soldiers and bomb craters in rice fields (they look like little ponds).
The highlight of the day, however, were the Vinh Moc tunnels. They were truly amazing. With it's three levels below the earth, it was like a small underground city. People lived there for various lengths of time; school was taught; people had babies; there were even regular theatrical performances!
On the way back we saw the remains of a bombed/shot-up/rocketed Catholic church and ended the day with a visit to the local military museum where we got to play on a bunch of old American and Russian tanks, AA guns, APCs, and howitzers.
Our guide Bill was quite a character, and he made our day that much more memorable. In addition to telling us interesting stories about his experience during the American-Vietnamese war (he was an advisor to the US Marines), he also told us entertaining stories about himself. Although we learned more about his personal life than we needed to, he was a truly friendly and genuine guy, and he took great care of us. I am sure the day would have been only half as interesting without him.
For more photos, see our DMZ photo album.
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