Cu Chi Tunnels

It was another early morning as we had to be on the bus by 8 am to drive to the Cu Chi tunnels. Brad managed to have pho for breakfast again as one of his goals is to eat noodles for breakfast every day!

The drive took about 90 minutes to reach the site of the network of tunnels the Viet Cong used during the war.

At the site, our first stop was lowering ourselves into one of the tunnel openings. As I sat on the edge, it didn’t seem possible to shimmy into the hole, but as long as you kept your arms straight up, you could manage. Once the cover was on the hole, it was incredibly dark and damp. I didn’t stay down too long before popping back up!

We also got to see many of the booby traps that the Viet Cong set up for the Americans. They were meant to maim and inflict a lot of pain-they looked almost like medieval torture devices. We observed reconstructions of cooking, medical, and artillery making facilities they would have constructed. Near the end, we had the chance to crawl through a tunnel network. The tunnel was incredibly small (despite being enlarged for tourists) and dark. I could only bear to do 20m of it before I took the exit out. My heart was absolutely beating out of my chest because it was mildly terrifying to be down there!

You could also go to a firing range and shoot a variety of guns. We didn’t do this, but the constant sound of gunfire was pretty unnerving!

Before leaving, we were given tea and tapioca to try. Soldiers would have eaten a lot of tapioca to survive. It was tasteless and starchy, but apparently it can be quite satiating. We also saw wild cats playing with millipedes!

Our bus ride back took about an hour and then we were on our own for lunch. Brad and I opted for a nearby, highly rated pizza place where they make their own cheese and source local ingredients. We ate octopus romesco pizza and crab pasta, both of which were excellent!

With full bellies, we braved the market. The market is full of people selling anything and everything, and the expectation is that you barter prices. Brad and I hate bartering, so we steeled ourselves for the experience. In the end, we got a “designer” purse for Evan’s girlfriend and a new North Face backpack. The sellers can be quite pushy, but again, it was an experience!

We did a bit more shopping before heading back to the hotel to cool down. At 5:30, the group met up to go to a sky bar. It was Helen’s 59th birthday, so we went up to the 25th floor to see the spectacular view and enjoy the buy 2 get 1 free drinks! We also had cake on the rooftop.

The weather was beginning to turn, so we headed downstairs only to find that it had begun to pour! This happened last night as well, so Brad and I were prepared with our umbrellas. Our guide had to run and buy rain ponchos for the rest of our group members, but then we were off to the restaurant. The food was nothing to write home about, but we had a nice time celebrating Helen’s birthday.

After dinner, Tong took us to this street full of bars and nightclubs. Despite the downpour, young men in the street kept trying to convince us to come into their establishment. We found a quieter lounge to have a drink and play some pool. Brad and I called it a night after one drink and walked back to the hotel. Our feet were pretty wet, but otherwise, we were unscathed!Read more