Saigon & Cu Chi Tunnels

After getting a bus from Phnom Penh we arrived in Saigon, South Vietnam 8 hours later.

Saigon is crazy busy, definitely gets first prize for the highest number of mopeds we have seen so far.

You can see them in the background all waiting to go, crossing the road is an experience.

With only one full day in Saigon we decide to organise a trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

The Cu Chi tunnels are a network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi area of Saigon used during the Vietnam War. The tunnels were used by the Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat against the Southern Vietnamese & American Army.

You can see how small the tunnels were as this man gets into a well disguised entrance.

This is an American M41 tank destroyed by a delay mine in 1970.

These are an example of  booby traps that the Viet Cong had set for the enemy, you wouldn't fancy falling into this!  There was of different styles of traps set up all over the jungle.

This probably wouldn't kill you but would lead to a nastily infected wound.

The tunnels were originally thought to cover 171km , they have preserved a 100m section for tourists.  'Slim Jim' the tour guide said the tunnel had been made 'king-size' for the tourist!

American soldiers used the term "Black echo" to describe the conditions within the tunnels. For the Viet Cong, life in the tunnels was difficult. Air, food and water were scarce and the tunnels were infested with ants, poisonous centipedes, spiders and mosquitoes. Most of the time, guerrillas would spend the day in the tunnels working or resting and come out only at night to scavenge for supplies, tend their crops or engage the enemy in battle.

Sometimes during periods of heavy bombing or American troop movement, they would be forced to remain underground for many days at a time. Sickness was rampant among the people living in the tunnels, especially malaria, which was the second largest cause of death next to battle wounds.
The tunnels were pitch black inside and had 6 exits along the way for the tourists, Mark took the first exit, Kate went onto the end through the different levels ;-)

This is an example of an underground kitchen, the chimney for the fire would be maybe 20 metres away so the smoke could disperse without anyone noticing.

The cross section of the tunnels shows the different levels, they went over 18m underground and even had their own water supply. Its no wonder tthe Viet Cong were impossible to find.

After we got chance to fire an  M60, American Machine Gun.

Mark saved 1 last bullet for me to fire :-)

After the tunnels we visited the War Remnants museum.

It was  very interesting  if not a little one sided information on the Vietnam War. 

This picture says it all , there are many mine & Agent Orange victims around.