Cu Chi Tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels are a system of tunnels that were built by the Viet Cong just outside of Ho Chi Minh in an effort to protect themselves from American fire power. Throughout the war the tunnels grew to be hundreds of kilometers long and three levels deep. People would live in the tunnels for weeks on end without seeing the light of day. Kitchens with special smoke diffusing ventilation were constructed. Underground hospitals were dug. There were special rooms for women and children. At the tunnels we were able to see the various techniques the Viet Cong used to protect themselves and how they managed to hold off American forces for soo long with so little resources. A gallery displayed the various types of bamboo traps that were used to kill unsuspecting Americans. Another showed how spent American shells were recycled to make new bombs and other devices of death. We were given the opportunity to crawl through a 30 meter portion of the tunnels that have been widened to accommodate a larger western frame. It is nearly impossible to understand life could be sustained for so long in these stuffy cramped tunnels.
Bamboo booby trap
An entrance to the tunnel system
In the afternoon I visited the Vietnam/American War Museum.
Captured American Jets and Choppers
A quote from the Declaration of independence place next to photos of the war, just to make you go hhmmmm.
Ho Chi Minh City during rush hour - Thousands of motorbikes swarm the streets.
At night we took our first overnight train in Vietnam. I was a bit worried as to what these trains would be like since I had experienced the overnight trains in India. I was amazed to walk onto this train and see that each cabin had a sliding door that locked, the beds were already made for us, the cabin had a flat screen TV and the bathrooms didn't smell like piss. It was heaven on wheels. We spent the first portion of the journey chatting, sipping on tiger beers and listening to music.
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