Saturday, October 8, 2011

(28) CU CHI TUNNEL - LET'S GO TO RAMBO!


Ini tempat paling seru selama tour keliling Cu Chi tunnel. Gak pernah kebayang bisa megang and nyoba nembak pake AK4, M16 ataupun senjata dengan peluru berenteng panjangnya kayak rantai (gue lupa namanya). Welcome to the Rambo world … ha ha ha ha … exciting banget gue, meskipun tiap kali gue teriak kaget setiap ngedenger suara tembakan senjata yang keras banget. Gila! Gak kebayang gimana tentara-tentara itu bisa tahan dengernya. Gue disini beberapa menit aja udah tuli rasanya.

This is the most exciting place while in the Cu Chi tunnel tour. I could not ever imagine trying to hold and shoot disposable AK4, M16 and a weapon with a bullet such as long chain (I forgot the name). Welcome to the Rambo world ... ha ha ha ha ... I'm really exciting, although every time I shock and screaming every time I hear gunfire sounds which really harsh. Crazy! I can not imagine how the soldiers could stand to hear it. I just here for a few minutes it was already made my ear deaf.

(27) CU CHI TUNNEL – THE TUNNEL TOUR

Akhirnya kita berhiking ria juga. Sang guide membawa kita jalan masuk ke dalam hutan. Masih curious mau ngapain sebenernya di dalam hutan ini, tiba-tiba guide kita berhenti di suatu tempat yang dipenuhi oleh daun-daun kering yang berguguran dari atas. Ternyata di bawah dedaunan kering ada kotak penutup dari kayu kurang lebih berukuran 50 X 30 cm. Begitu kotak tersebut diangkat ternyata itu adalah pintu masuk sebuah terowongan bawah tanah. Kecil banget, pas seukuran badan doang ….. sempit dan serem bener kayaknya kalo masuk. Apalagi pada saat si guide newarin siapa yang mau coba masuk dan ngeliat ke dalam, ternyata nggak ada yang punya nyali … huahahahhaha …. Tapi bukan Liza kalo nggak nekat nyobain sesuatu yang exciting. Sambil ngatain chicken ke bule-bule yang dari tadi iseng ngegangguin gue, gue masuk ke lobang gelap gulita dan sempit. Huuuuaaaaaahhh … serem banget … sampai-sampai gue kagak bisa napas.

Finally we have hiking too. My guide took us way into the woods. Still curious what we are going to do in this forest. Our guide suddenly stopped in a place full of dead leaves that fall from above. It turns out there dry leaves under the cover of the wooden box measuring approximately 50 X 30 cm. Once the box is removed it turns out it is the entrance to an underground tunnel. Very small, fitting the size of the body ..... so scary and narrow if we entered. Especially when the guide offered us who would try to enter and seeing inside, it turns out nobody had the guts ... huahahahhaha .... But it was not Liza if not reckless to try something exciting. While I said chicken to the guys who had been teasing me since in the video room, I entered the dark and narrow hole. Huuuuaaaaaahhh ... really scary ... to the point that I couldn’t  breath.

Memasuki kompleks terowongan, ada beberapa patung prototype pejuang Vietcong menyambut kami. Dibuat persis seperti orang beneran. Dari jauh patung-patung itu memberi kesan benar-benar sesosok manusia. Dan entah kenapa, kesannya menyeramkan! Di depannya ada tank-tank Amerika, rumah tempat memajang jebakan-jebakan perang dan rumah terbuka yang menyimpan tumpukan selongsong bom-bom Amerika, termasuk tumpukan cluster bomb.

Entering the tunnel complex, there are three Vietcong fighters prototype statue greeted us. Made just like real people. From a distance the sculptures that give the impression of truly human figure. And somehow, it felt creepy! In front there are American war tanks, an open house for self made trap weapon and an open house that holds the pile sleeve American bombs, including cluster bombs pile.
Perjalanan terus dilanjutkan ke dalam hutan. Ternyata ada beberapa pintu masuk dan keluar terowongan yang saling berkaitan satu sama lain. Sang guide menawarkan apakah kita mau melihat semua atau hanya sebagian saja. Terowongan ini konon panjangnya lebih dari 200 km. Tapi kemudian dia bilang, kita coba dulu deh dengan terowongan yang paling pendek, kalo masih bertahan baru dilanjut ke terowongan berikutnya. Kita liat siapa yang bakal kalah perang katanya. Pertama kali masuk kita dibawa ke terowongan yang panjangnya hanya 20-an meter. Pintunya terbuka dan ada pelindung dari daun kelapa diatasnya. Setelah melalui tangga, kami langsung masuk ke dalam terowongan. Dan di depan kami ada sebuah terowongan yang hanya cukup untuk satu orang dengan berjalan membungkuk, ukurannya kira-kira lebar 75 cm dan tinggi kurang dari satu meter. Sempit sekali, dan gelap. Penerangan hanya dari sinar matahari yang masuk melalui ujung lorong sempit ini. Jalan membungkuk pun cukup sulit juga. Jadi membayangkan bagaimana pejuang Vietcong di tempat ini membawa senjata, dan dalam situasi perang dan dibombardir udara dari tentara Amerika dari udara dan darat. Serem banget!
The journey continued into the woods. Apparently there are several entrances and exits of tunnels interconnected with each other. My guide asked if we want to see all or only part of it. The tunnel is supposedly more than 200 km in length. But then he says, we try first with most short tunnel, if still survive we continued into the next tunnel. We will see who is become a war looser. The first time we brought to the tunnel entrance length is only 20-meter. The door opened and there are protective of palm leaves on top. After going through the stairs, we immediately get into the tunnel. And in front of us there is a tunnel which is only enough for one person to walk bent, its size is approximately 75 cm wide and less than one meter high. Very narrow and dark. Illumination only from the sun coming through the narrow channel of this. The road was quite difficult to bend, too. So imagine how the Vietcong fighters carrying weapons in this place, and in situations of war and air bombardment from U.S. forces from air and land. So scary!

Karena capek membungkuk, gue akhirnya jalan sambil jongkok. Sialnya bule di depan gue badannya lumayan gede stag kejepit karena saking sempitnya terowongan. Waduuuuhhh …. Rasanya lama banget dia nggak jalan-jalan. Gue dah panas dingin terjepit di dalem lubang yang nggak bisa maju ataupun mundur. Rasanya kayak dikubur hidup-hidup. Untungnya gue selalu bawa handphone yang ada senter kecil. Jadi gue nggak terlalu panic di dalam. Begitu gue liat pintu keluar pertama, gue langsung keluar nggak pengen ngelanjutin ke terowongan selanjutnya. Bodo amat deh gue dibilang looser … he he he he … ternyata nggak cuma gue yang jadi tentara kalah perang.

Because of tired of bending, I finally walk with squat. Unfortunately Caucasians in front of my body pretty big and stag because so narrowness of the tunnel. Aaaahhhh .... It was a long time he did not really walk. I was chills sandwiched in hole can not forward or backward. It was like being buried alive. Luckily I always carry a cell phone there is a small flashlight. So I'm not too panic on the inside. As soon as I exit the first clay, I do not want to continue straight out into the next tunnel. I don’t care become a looser ... he he he he ... It was not just me become the looser army.

Cu Chi Tunnel – Funny Story 4

Bukan Liza kalo nggak ngejailin orang. Begitu gue keluar dari lubang kecil dengan tutup kayu persegi empat, bule-bule yang lain penasaran juga pengen nyoba masuk. Apalagi gue katain chicken …. Huahahahaha … langsung harga diri cowok-cowok bule kesentil juga ternyata. Sayangnya mereka nggak ngeliat tanduk gue udah mulai keluar. Begitu salah satu bule yang ngejailin gue tadi masuk lubang dan ditutup, langsung aja gue berdiri di atas penutupnya. Semua orang ketawa ngakak ngeliat kejailan gue. Apalagi si bule udah mulai panic berusaha ngebuka penutup lobang …. Huahahahahaha … emang enak J

It’s not Liza if not teasing people. As soon as I get out of small holes with wooden lid rectangular, other Caucasians are getting curious also want to enter. Moreover, because I said chicken to them .... Huahahahaha …. It direct self-esteem to the boys. Unfortunately they do not seeing my horns have started out. As soon as one of the Caucasians who has teasing me before had entered and closed the hole, I was immediately standing up on the lid. Everyone was laughing seeing my mischief. Moreover, the Caucasians already started to panic trying to open the cover of hole ...  Huahahahahaha ... how nice.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

(26) CU CHI TUNNEL - INTRODUCTION


Selesai berkeliling di tempat pembuatan handicraft, perjalanan berlanjut ke arah luar kota. Peman-dangan sepanjang jalan cukup menyenangkan meskipun rada bingung kok kita melewati hutan-hutan yang cukup luas dan ternyata kita juga berhenti di sebuah hutan. Terpikir di benak gue, kayaknya bakal diajak hiking ke dalem hutan nih. Tapi ternyata dugaan gue salah. Cu Chi Tunnel ternyata daerah terowongan bawah tanah tempat bersarangnya Vietcong di jaman perang melawan tentara Amerika. Waaahhh jadi inget film-film perang Ameriaka dengan Vietnam. Yeehhuuu … lets go to Rambo … he he he he….

Completed around the place making handicrafts, travel continues to the outside of the city. Scenery along the road quite fun though little bit confused why we pass through big forests and it turns out we also stopped in a forest. It occurred in my mind I think would be invited to hike into the forest. Apparently I was mistake. Cu Chi Tunnel is an underground tunnel where is the Vietcong hiding on the war against American soldiers. Aaahhh … make me remember American war movies with Vietnam. Yeehhuu ... lets go to Rambo ... he he he ....

Begitu masuk ke hutan perdu dengan pohon bambo dan pepohonan lainnya yang tumbuh agak rapat, kita diajak masuk ke sebuah banker yang berisi kursi-kursi kayu berjejer. Seorang staff yang bertugas disana mempersilahkan duduk dalam bahasa Vietnam yang gue yakin kagak ada satu tamu pun yang ngerti … he he he …. Si petugas itu kemudian memutar sebuah video dan meminta kita untuk menontonnya.

Once inside the shrubs forest with bamboo and other trees that grow rather tight, we are invited to enter into a banker containing wooden chairs lined. A duty staff there, asked us to take a sit in Vietnamese language that I'm sure there is no one guest understand ... he he he ....then the officer was plays a video and asked us to watch it.

Video hitam-putih dengan durasi kurang lebih 15 menit itu berceritera tentang Cu Chi yang tenang. Sebuah daerah penghasil padi yang subur dan juga buah-buahan. Kedamaian ini kemudian berantakan ketika Amerika datang dan membombardir gencar dengan bom. Ibarat semut yang diinjak pun melawan. Begitu jugalah rakyat Cu Chi pun melawan Amerika. Film dokumenter itu menggambarkan perlawanan semakin menghebat, ketika mereka mendapati Amerika sudah tidak pandang bulu. Patung-patung Budha digempur dan dihancurkan, rumah dibumi-hanguskan dan anak-anak kecil dibantai. Mereka pun menghimpun kekuatan, melawan Amerika. Suatu pertempuran yang tidak seimbang, tetapi mereka tidak surut. Gue jadi inget cerita dan pelajaran sejarah di sekolah tentang pahlawan-pahlaman bamboo runcing di jaman perang dulu. He he he he

Black and white video with approximately 15 minutes duration was telling about the quiet and peace Cu Chi. Fertile rice-producing areas and also fruits. The peace later then broken when the Americans came and bombarded heavily with bombs. Like ants which also trampled to fight. So the people of Cu Chi have to against America too. Documentary film that describes the resistance increasing in intensity, when they discovered America has been indiscriminate. Buddha statues destroyed and battered, house-to scorch the earth and small children were massacred. They also gather strength, against the Americans. A battle that is not balanced, but they do not subside. I so remember the stories and history lessons in school about the heroes of bamboo sharpened at the time of the war….. ha ha ha ha ha

Sementara video diputar, banyak peserta tour bosan dan keluar sebelum video selesai. Karena boring gue mulai iseng berfoto ria. Tapi ternyata bule-bule ganteng rombongan gue pada iseng ngikut berpose dibelakang gue.

While the video is playing, many tour participants get bored and get out before the video finished. Because of bored I started to take pictures for fun it was some handsome guys entourage on a whim I adherents posing behind me.

(25) VIETNAM HANDYCRAFT


Begitu keluar daerah perkotaan melewati jalan raya yang lumayan gede ternyata sopir bus masih santai banget jalannya, nggak lebih dari 40 kilometer per jam. So gue bisa nikmatin sightseeing sepanjang perjalanan. Gue jadi inget omongan Vu kemaren kalo peraturan di sini kendaraan memang nggak boleh lebih dari 40 km per jam. Nggak berapa lama kita berhenti di sebuah tempat yang penuh dengan bus-bus pariwisata. Tadinya gue pikir ini tempat yang namanya Cu Chi Tunnel, ternyata merupakan tempat pembuatan kerajinan tangan dan show room-nya. Biasalah … kalo ngikut paket tour pasti mampir ke tempat-tempat shopping. Tapi nggak ada ruginya lihat-lihat siapa tahu ada yang menarik untuk dibawa pulang ke Indonesia.


Once out of urban areas through a pretty big highway bus driver was still very relaxed way, not more than 40 kilometers per hour. So I can enjoy sightseeing along the journey. I also remember when Vu told me the rules here yesterday if the vehicle does not exceed 40 miles per hour. Several minute later we stopped at a place filled with tourist buses. At first I thought this place called Cu Chi Tunnel, proved to be a place of manufacture of handicrafts and its show room. As usual ... if we joint a tour packages always stop to places of shopping. But I think it does not hurt to look around, may be there is an interesting case to take home to Indonesia.