Saturday: Cu Chi Tunnels

We visited Cu Chi, a district 40 miles from Saigon and east of the Ho Chi Minh trail where Viet Cong built a sophisticated system of tunnels. Tunnels were first used to hide weapons in their fight against the French, but were greatly expanded during the war against South Vietnam and the Americans. Before visiting the tunnels we saw a graveyard of American planes and armored tanks that had been shot down and captured: “a testament to the failure of the US army” according to the tourist brochure.
By the end of the war, there were some 140 miles of tunnels, many three levels down, with some larger rooms, and escape routes. We also saw various traps. Entrances to the tunnels were very well camouflaged! We entered several: they were dark and tiny - only about 3’ tall, and 3-4’ wide. The ones we entered varied from 10 -100 feet in length. We saw photos of kids taking classes underground and a baby’s birth, and met a retired Viet Cong soldier who spent 6 months entirely underground after he was injured.
One of the underground rooms we visited had a 10’ table and was where the military leaders made key decisions.
Returning to the hotel, a few of us went to the nearby market where you can buy knock-off name brand clothes, though I didn’t buy anything. Then Jane and I made a quick visit to Independence Palace, the home and office of the president of the South Vietnamese government until tanks from the North crashed through the front gates on 4.30.75, marking the end of the war.
Tonight we had a farewell dinner at which everyone gave a few highlights of the trip. Overall it was very successful - saw a huge variety of natural beauty, handicrafts and got to meet many people from different walks of life. Having an excellent guide and nice fellow travelers were the icing on the cake!Read more