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Cu Chi Tunnels
They have enlarged them for us tourists as you can see!
Jason & Kirstyn O Caught an early bus from Phnom Pehn to cross the very flash border into Vietnam. Stayed in Ho Chi Minh City for a few days getting used to a new country and enjoying yet another new beer(s) and delicious new foods.
From Ho Chi Minh we visited the famous Cu Chi tunnels which was an elaborate system of underground networks built by hand by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam war. They were actually started earlier when the French had control of the country by the local villages but became a necessity when the western armies started bombing the shit out of the countryside and killing off the vegetation with pesticides and agent orange. Declined yet another offer to shoot an AK47 here but enjoyed the realistic atmosphere the sound of guns in the distance provide while exploring the tunnels and bunkers.
Visited a very interesting war museum in Ho Chi Minh which was a little one-sided (understandably) but very very informative. The Vietnamese are still very openly angry at the American government for their involvement in their own civil war and many will tell you that they are waiting patiently for the day when America apologises....especially for
the whole agent orange thing which is evident still now in many of the newer generations of Vietnamese. We hadn't really known a lot about the genetic mutations that this causes but have seen and met many people with either limbs missing, malformed, paralysed or weak. They see Australians more as puppets in the whole situation.
On a brighter note, we did quite a bit of shopping in the local market, getting some very cheap "Diesel" (??) jeans (3 for $40), some t shirts and casual shoes in preparation for our UK adventure.
We also visited the Reunification Palace which was suprisingly interesting and is now part museum but still used for diplomatic relations and some government use. It even included a very bizarre bunker, decked out 70's style with huge old radios, maps etc. Felt very much like Control in "Get Smart."
We caught up with Andy and Nicola again on our last night when they arrived after tripping over to Siem Reap. Our next stop, Mui Nei.
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