SE Asia Day 29: Ho Chi Minh

An early morning departure from Hoi An to arrive in the steamy city of Ho Chi Minh/Saigon just before lunchtime. A food court meal then 10 of us set out for the 2h bus ride to see the Cu Chi Tunnels.

First built by the Viet Cong in the 1940’s for the Indochina War they were massively extended during the Vietnam war (or the American War as they say here) to equal about 250 km of tunnels. The VC used them for hiding/moving in during the day as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters.

Saigon translates to “City Inside the Jungle”, now it’s a concrete jungle, but here, 70km outside the city, is the real jungle of the Vietnam War. 92° today and it’s winter, I think it’d be unbearably humid and hot in summer.

*A tunnel entrance built in a trench that extends for several km’s*

*Hidden entrances to the tunnels dotted everywhere. Covered by leaves the GI’s missed them*

*Example of one of the many booby traps the VC had*

*A VC working kitchen* (*it was that much hotter in there!). They triple filtered the smoky exhaust so it was clean* *air when exiting so as not to expose their location*

*Using bamboo wood to attract termites to build their nest, the VC could disguise their ventilation tubes for the tunnels and underground rooms*

A leftover US tank stripped down for anything they could recycle. The sound in the video is the firing of an AK-47 which tourists could do for about $30 for 10 bullets. Creepy.