Cu Chi Tunnels {Darrell}

---

Once again we had to join in a package tour to get to a sight we were really keen to see. This time it was the elaborate tunnel system dug by the Viet Cong around the area of Cu Chi during the American war. The Sinh Cafe bus took us (via the standard curio market stop-off) to the area where we would have a morning tour of the underground network that was made up of 3 levels and 250km of incredibly narrow tunnels.

Over 4 years 16,000 Viet Cong guerillas lived fought, and for 12,000 of them, died in the cramped, dark subterranean town. Despite the losses, the tunnels were so effective that they were apparently a major reason that the American troops were ultimately withdrawn from Vietnam.

Several of the tunnels had been widened to allow our Western-sized bodies to pass through, but it was still no place for claustrophobics, and I can't imagine never being able to stand up. After crawling through just 100m I felt tired and sweaty. The tunnels open to the surface at very well disguised trapdoors, which is why the VC were able to appear and disappear so suddenly.

We were served a typical VC lunch of tapioca and green tea, and then taken to the shooting range. There are an array of left over weapons from the war, so I bought a few bullets and went to perforate a target with an M16. After the first shot, I was half dazed by the sound. Being that close to an assault rifle doing it's thing is definitely not a career I'd chose. I value my hearing way to much.

Back in HCMC we went for a walk, and picked up a baguette and fresh strawberry shake for less than a dollar from one of the vendors. Vietnam is such a great place to be a budget traveller! As we were eating it started to rain, so we did like everyone else and stood under shelter for the 10 mins of downpour and then went back out into the sunshine.

We dropped into the indoor market, where we ha to practically fight off the people grabbing at us trying to sell us T-shirts. We did manage to find a coffee stand, however, and we picked up some of the great Vietnamese coffee that had fuelled our holiday.

After picking up a few souvenirs, we decided to try to find a soup shop that had been a former VC planning HQ. We picked up 2 cyclos and agreed to pay them 15,000 dong to take us. They dropped us off on the other side of town, and then insisted that we owed them 150,000 dong (about the price to the airport, 1 hr outside town, iand back). The guy was so ridiculous and obviously scamming us, and we stood on the pavement shouting at each other. Cath was worried that we'd end up throwing punches, so she got in between us and I snapped at her too. We paid the guys 60,000 dong to get lost and walked along the road, trying to smooth things out between us.

After about 30 mins of walking, we realised they had dropped us in completely the wrong place. We caught a taxi back to the motel and found a cafe to get some food. Two guys we had met on the homestay in SaPa noticed us through the window and joined us for a drink. It was good to be relaxing in the middle of an exciting city, chatting to new friends from the other side of the world.

After supper we caught a taxi to the airport and checked in Cathy's bags. She'd be flying back to Korea, and I'd be following her in a week's time. We tried to get one last Vietnamese coffee as we waited at a ridiculously overpriced cafe, but after 3 orders that were all wrong, we gave up laughing and drank the iced coffee. We chatted, danced a bit to the background music in the deserted airport (it was almost midnight) and eventually put Cath on the plane.

In the taxi on the way back I was a bit lost as to what to do on my own in this big foreign city. I was exhausted, but not in the mood for sleep. Instead I bought a book and a mini bottle of whisky from a roadside vendor and returned to the tiny balcony hanging over the small road outside my motel room. I settled in to sip and read in the muggy night air with the sounds of the city in the background.

---

Photos

Art shops in HCMC
Incredibly good copies sold on the street. Recognise any of them?

Through the tunnels
Imagine living down here for years!

A rare traffic light
The mobs of traffic waiting for green

An American tank
Proudly displayed where it died

A tight squeese
And these ones have been widened for the tourists

Green tea and tapioca
A traditional VC lunch

Coffee!!
We had to pick up some of the Saigon Kickstart to take home with us.