Our day started with a bus ride scheduled at Tom & Anna's hotel at 7:35. By 8:30, after being driven around for a while picking up other tourists, we noted that we were nearly back where we started the day. Oh well, sleeping in is overrated anyway.
After another couple of hours in busy, bumpy roads on a bus lacking suspension we arrived at Cu Chi.
The museum has a good variety of war time things on show. There are a number of traps on display which the Viet Cong dug and hid throughout the jungle that were effective. The traps were elaborate and gruesome, varying in style but all with a similar theme: gravity and something sharp. There were holes dug out from which one could be completely hidden and emerge silently when needing to (much like in the Vietnam war movies) The hiding holes were tiny and very hard to spot. There were cooking facilities that had chimneys directing smoke a long way away, great for misleading the Americans as to the kitchen's/settlement's exact whereabouts. The tunnels were complex, winding and small. Due to the sheer quantity of tourists this area has seen the tunnels have increased to about 40% larger than back in the 70s. They are however tiny, humid, warm and dark.
After we were shown a number of sights, demonstrations and offered the chance to shoot some guns (we declined), we found ourselves at the main attraction, the tunnels.
Anna refused outright to enter. Tom, Dustin, Craig and myself ventured further. Tom made it down the first few meters before muttering 'I can't do it' and balked. We last three ploughed on. It wasn't long before we were on our hands and knees due to the lack of room. Along, down, along, around, down, along. There were some lights illuminating the way but a number were out, leaving sections of the tunnel in complete darkness. I'd say we spent about 5+ minutes underground and the tunnel was certainly enjoyable in short doses. It would undoubtedly have been a dark, smoky, twisting, fear-inducing pathway in to the depths of nightmares during war-time. Much nicer now.
Anyway, that done, back to Saigon. Slept on bus. We managed to get the same bunch of seats together for the return journey too which was ace. Dodgy donner kebab for lunch, 10.000 dong beer to accompany, and now we (Craig, Dustin and I) have booked in to Anna and Tom's hotel for the night.
Tomorrow we're all departing Saigon and moving on to Mui Ne.
Today's photos.
A street we passed whilst on the bus out from Saigon.
Our tour guide talking about a hole in the ground
Tom stifling his enthusiasm.
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