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Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » Cu Chi
January 31st 2008
Published: February 8th 2008
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Next stop Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
What a busy spot this is, the streets are teeming with shiny new scooters.
We caught a bus to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a spot where you can see what it was like for the 500,000 locals that during the war hid in the tunnel network that weaves it's way under this country.
We got to fire off a few rounds with an AK47 assault rifle. That was pretty cool.

We also were shown to a factory where agent orange victims handcraft wooden art. This was pretty sad, but I suppose there's always going to be parts of a trip that make you feel uncomfortable.


by chris: Yeah Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon as the locals still call it) isd a pretty hectic place, for those of you who know, just think dubai and replace cars with scooters and smaller roads and youll have a fair idea of what im talking about, but i really like the city, theres heaps of cool little side of the road place wehere you can crash out on a plastic chair and just wathc the people on the scooters whizz by and for a dollar thetyll tkae you to where you want to go (a bit more if its a lonmg journey) I guess the only peril is the infamous 3-dollar bill (lady boy) but a guy whos a bit of a modern day vietnam vet expat NZer pointed out a coupla girls that were actually guys !!! Id heard about them but seriously there make-up people do wonders !!!

The Cu Chi tunnels, although a bit oturisty were great and for those of you who have a bit of knowledge about the Vietnam war, then youd really appreciate it anmd you really have to repsect a) the viet cong for actually digging and living in these rabbitt warrens (and I mean everything, like schools, hospitals, shops) and b)for tye american ''tunnel rats'' for having the balls to actually go down there with nothing but a pistol, it was wiggy enough being there in a tourist grouop let alone with thousands of VC armed with AK47s !!!


The woodwork factory was pretty cool the work the guys did there was beautifula nd some of the highest quality woodwork id ever seen, its a pity i dont own a house ans there would be some mint stuff to put in it from there

Oh yeah and if you get a chance to fire an AK47.................. do it !!!!


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