sat day 148

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Today was tour number 2! Again with an early start but heading off with a smaller group towards an area just outside of Saigon called Cu Chi. It was here that the local villagers dug themselves basically out of harms way during the Vietnam war. By 1965 there were 250km of tunnels that crisscrossed Cu Chi and the surrounding areas. Some of the tunnels were 4 levels deep and as small as 80cm wide and high. The tunnels contained meeting rooms, latrines, dorms as well as a rudimental hospital - carrying out operations by torchlight using shards of ordnance as instruments! At times the Vietnamese would stay down in the tunnels for weeks at a time - having to lie on the ground to get enough oxygen. The Americans attempted to flush out the tunnels but failed. An area around a small section of the tunnels has been turned into a visitor attraction, seeing how the locals would have spent their time, making traps and weapons to defend themselves etc. There is a hundred metre stretch of the original tunnels ( which have been widened for tourists) that you can walk/crawl along - they are still pretty small - even for me! I managed half the distance in the pitch black before getting the jitters and heading up. How people had the strength of character to stay down there in itself in something to be admired. The tunnels were a really interesting visit and i got to learn a little more about the war. On the return to Saigon I got dropped off at the War Remnants museum to have another look around. With more exhibits in the grounds than I had first noticed I walked around and looked at the various methods of torture the Americans used on innocent people. Some of it is so shocking its hard to believe that some of these things actually took place. After here I headed off to find the Notre Dam Cathedral and the beautiful old Post office and after popping in to have a look and taking some pictures I headed onto the Ho Chi Ming city museum. Housed in a beautiful building that used to be the Gia Long Palace where the president of south vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem stayed in 1962. With an interesting section on the war I stopped for an hour or two and had a look around before heading on. Walking past the Reunification Palace which was now closed for the day I started back in the direction of the hostel. About 5 minutes away the heavens opened and crashed down on the city. Stopping for shelter and watching the world go by until the rain eased off slightly i made a bit of a run for it - still got soaked! I guess rainy season is starting then?! Back at the hostel I dried off before heading out for some dinner.

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