Day 16, Vietnam, Cu Chi tunnels!

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Today was a day in which I learnt alot. Today we got up at 6:00 in the morning, got ready and ate a breakfast of 2 boiled eggs with juice by 6:45. We went down stairs to be escorted by our escort to the port. Once we got to the port we had to wait a bit because 2 people hadn't arrived. When everyone had finally arrived, we got on the boat to start our 1.5 hour trip to the Cu Chi tunnels, this is where the Vitnamese dug tunnels to protect themselves from the American bombs. it was an underground village connected by networks of tunnels. it consisted of bedrooms, kitchen, hiding rooms, bunkers, oxygen tunnels and water rooms but no "happy stations" (that's how they refer to toilets here), if you needed to go to the loo you had to risk being bombed and go outside. First of all, we saw an enlargened entrance of a tunnel, which was still only about half the size of a place mat. I got to go down the tunnel and I put the lid on over my head. Then we walked arround a bit more and saw fake soldier models sitting on rocks resting after a 45km walk and getting ready for the rest of the 5000 km walk on the Ho Chi Minh trail that goes through Laos and Cambodia.Thats a long way! The reason that they went through Laos and Cambodia is so they would be safe because if the Americas bombed Laos or Cambodia the Russians would join the war and fight on the Vietnamesse side. I got to take a photo with the people. Next we got to see a tank. It was really cool because you were allowed to climb into the tank and have look around. It was fully sick dude! Next we went for another walk to the entrance of the tunnels and we got to go inside and crawl around the intertwining tunnels and come out the other side. It was a ripper of an experience! Next we went to a shooting range. You got to buy bullets and then shoot them. There was even an AK-47! Kyle and I didn't get to shoot because kids weren't allowed. Then we saw the smoke less kitchen. It was an underground kitchen that had a pipe that took the smoke to another place to come out of the ground and be doused by leaves so the Americans couldn't see it. Neat huh! Then we saw all the bombs that the Vietnamese and the Americans used. It was horrifying. Some bombs had 300 little bombs inside which when released would release hundreds of ball bearings or nails on the opponent. Disgusting!. Anyway that concluded our Cu Chi tunnels tour and we went back on the boat and went home. When we got home we had a little rest then went to the markets. Kyle and I both got an angry birds ipod touch case and a little bracelet thing it was really cool. Then we had a delicious dinner and went home to sleep. Looking foward to writing to you tomorrow. Zac.

P.S. If you are a kid my age I found a free game thats quite good. It's called Tanki Online. This one i think you will enjoy Josh.

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