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After independence in 1954, the Northern Vietnamese went to war with the south. Cu Chi is located only a 35 miles from Saigon/Ho Chih Minh City. The American infantry had large amounts of forces here, as they protected the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon. The tunnels proved a critical ally for the Viet Cong. They hid, fought, and lived in the tunnels. The VC built 250km of tunnels at Cu Chi - all connected into a large network. The VC could enter any of the trap door entrances and go anywhere within the 250km. There were even underwater entrances via the Saigon River. The VC built 3 levels of tunnels, living on the top level which was about 10 feet below the ground, subject to bomb and artillery fire. The second & third levels were used for fighting and protection from bombing raids. When tunnels were successfully bombed, the VC simply built new tunnels around the bombed area - keeping the network of tunnels full integrated. They even cooked, had hospitals, and sewing areas within the tunnels!
We arrived in Cu Chi around 10am, and had a short walk to the tunnels. Along the way, we first stopped a secret door entrance to the tunnels, a short 2 foot by 1 foot rectangular hole in the ground. There were hundreds of these around the tunnel network. We had a chance to try to fit in. The local Vietnamese guide got in and out in a heartbeat - he was quite a bit smaller. One westerner tried, but couldn't fit his shoulders through (I think he was more nervous - and didn't give it a good go). After a few others tried, I gave it a shot. It was a tight fit, you had to lift your arms over your head to be able fit. Once the trap door was on top, it was almost impossible to see. Go figure that American forces would chase the VC, and then they would vanish!
They had their tourism route set up well here - we had to visit a few different places before the tunnels, and one of them was a rifle range. For $1 per bullet, you could shoot a Chinese made Russian AK-47 or an American M16. As I'll never have another chance to shoot an AK47, I decided to give it a shot (ha), and bought 5 bullets. The firing was incredibly loud - and while I was a decent shot, hitting around the 300 ft target, I didn't hit it perfectly (they were giving away some freebies if you hit the target - none of the 25 or so people who tried in our group got a hit).
After the firing range, we finally made it to the tunnels. We entered the Ben Dinh tunnel network fairly easily, as the government had installed concrete steps and enlarged the tunnel themselves. Even with the enlargement, however, we had to get on our knees at some points, to crawl through the tunnel. There were "emergency" exits every 50 ft, and normal exits at 100, 200, and 300ft. The tunnels were very faintly lit - and going from the bright sunlight made it almost completely dark. Luckily, we had brought a flashlight (no one else had one), which made navigating the tunnels easier. Some decided to exit at the earlier exits, but we decided to go the whole length. In fact, I think just about everyone behind us exited earlier, because they didn't have the advantage of the flash light (as I heard them discussing after we exited). Good thing we remembered to bring the light :) . It was tighter fit than the pyramids, but, as the VC installed air vents every 50 feet, there was more circulation, and it wasn't suffocating - so overall, an easier walk than the pyramids. However, I don't think I could do more than a few minutes in the tunnels - surprising that the VC could spend weeks at a time in there.
After our hot tunnel excursion, we were more than happy to revisit our AC bus :). We took our 1 1/2 hour ride back to HCMC. We were quite hungry (amazing how a little tapioca root doesn't fill you up). Luckily, the bus dropped us only 1 street over from our hotel, and after walking around for somewhere to eat, we decided on a Thai restaurant around the corner. They had good Thai iced teas and we had some stir-fried dry curry chicken and Phad Thai tofu (guess who had which :)). The food was great - it's hard to say which is better, Vietnamese or Thai! :) We took the afternoon off - catching up on photos and CNN news. We had dinner at our "favorite" sushi restaurant, it's so cheap we couldn't refuse it! Off to Hong Kong tomorrow, to meet up with our secret visitors!
Food: Delectable! Whether it's local Vietnamese cuisine, including Pho - a soup with noodles, or any international cuisine, the Vietnamese know how to prepare food! Another former French colony, ice is delivered everywhere - making ice shakes and iced drinks feasible for foreigners - we will certainly miss the ice we've been enjoying in the last few countries! Beer of Choice: 333 Beer Memories: Custom clothes and rings, the Mango Rooms (over and over again!), chopstick shopping, coconut breaks, the friendliest hotel person in Hoi An, froggering across the streets but with motorbikes this time, in awe of the super cool Ao Dai uniforms, the no internet at the internet hotel, cheapest sushi ever, squeezing through the Cu Chi tunnels, exploring the ruins of My Son.
Climate (April): Just as hot as Cambodia - and that was (as Jaimie put it) "Hot. Hot. Hot.". I love how the locals would stare at us, sweat dripping, and get so concerned - they would come bring us 3 fans (meanwhile, they exerted more work than we have, and they're just completely dry!). Exchange Rate: 1 US dollar = 15,900 Dong (watch out, because one time I asked someone how much Bong! :).
Recommendation to friends: 9.5 out of 10 - Wow, so much more than we expected! Cuisine is incredible, the sights and sounds just as captivating. If you like motorbiking, there are excellent trips along this narrow and long country. While we didn't have a chance, we have heard from other travelers that the beaches are fantastic too! We could have spent much more time here, and someday will have to come back.
Day 119 - Ho Chi Minh City < | Index | Photo Galleries | > Day 121 - Hong Kong © 2007 Blue Ocean Studios, LTD. All rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Services | About | Contact Prints | Return Policy | View Cart World Travel Galleries | World Travel Blog | Links |
Cu Chi tunnels was on our hit list for Ho Chi Minh City. During the war for independence against the French, the Vietnamese army (Viet Minh) built tunnels about 10 feet underground, only 2 feet wide and tall, large enough for the local revolutionists to fit but small enough so that the French soldiers couldn't (especially with their guns). The tunnels played a key role in overthrowing the French - they even built tunnels within the French bases! 
We decided to take a $4pp tour bus to Cu Chi. It was a long ride - about 1.5 hours - as we heard the max speed around the country was 60km/hr (for safety reasons). Along the way, we saw endless rows of rubber tree farms - they looked interesting neatly aligned as far as we could see. It is amazing that they can actually grow anything, as much of the jungle here was sprayed with defoliants to clear the brush away, and subsequently napalmed once the vegetation had dried up. Reportedly, the chemicals still prevent high yield crops in the area as well. 
As we continued, we were introduced to a few of the boobie traps that were setup - some with bamboo spikes, some with horrible metal spikes that would wound/maim or kill "the enemy" walking along the jungle.
Once out of the tunnels, we walked through some kitchen areas, and had a "light lunch" (at least, that's what they called it). The lunch was representative of some VC meals - just tapioca root boiled for 2 hours, with ground peanuts as a dip.
Final thoughts on Vietnam:
People: Surprisingly friendly - even after they found out we are Americans :). There are your typical tourist annoyances, with people asking what country you're from, how long have you been here (always say a couple of days, less you excite them as a newbie ready to be taken back to their shop!). Everyone that is sitting on the motorbike doing nothing (there are quite a few on the streets) is a moto driver, and they're at your beck and call, even if you don't want a moto bike ride anywhere. Thus, as you walk down the street, even though you just passed 6 other drivers, and politely refused each, the next one will still ask!! But they're just trying to make a buck, no harm done. Communism may be the political arena, but capitalism is surging through the Vietnamese veins. And, luckily for foreigners, the Vietnamese Dong is super cheap compared to the Dollar! People are very nice everywhere we went - many were even excited to get their photos taken - giggling and laughing even at the Chinese medicine store while we took photos.
Economy: Similar to Cambodia, 80% of the workforce is dedicated to agriculture, however, the agricultural industry only comprises 20% of the GDP. During the 1990's, the Vietnam government loosened the reigns, and capitalism exploded, growing the economy at about 9% per year (on par with China). The main exports are crude oil, rice, coffee, and (surprise) garments. Capitalism is in the eyes of everyone we saw. Like the Chinese, this is a country to keep your eyes on.
Safety Rating: 
