Cu Chi Tunnels
Trip Start
Apr 08, 2005
1
266
270
Trip End
Apr 09, 2006
Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam
Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Almost all hotels are still shut, now nearing 5.30, so we stand on the poorly lit street, flicking through our guidebook. Which way to go?? We spot a couple of hotels, which are open and make in that direction. However at $15 per room we are not interested. We are contemplating where's next when a lady appears out of nowhere and recommends her hotel with $10 rooms. Suspicous, but with few alternatives at 5.30am we decide its worth a look.
The hotel is on a back alley behind the main street and after meeting the friendly host and having a cup of coffee we are soon given our keys. We climb the perilously steep staircase, three floors. Fergus settles down to watch Arsenals match (re-run from the weekend) while Ad showers and reserves seats on today's tour to Cu Chi Tunnels.
A quick breakfast and dash to the bus as the tour departs at 8.15 am. Its a short journey north west of Saigon to the Chu Chi Tunnels.
Initially we watch a short video relating to the history and reason why the tunnels were established......
During the American War, the villages around the district of Cu Chi supported a substantial Vietcong presence. Faced with American attempts to neutralize them, they quiet literally dug themselves out of harms way, and the legendary Cu Chi tunnels were the result. The tunnels crisscrossed for 250km around the Cu Chi area, the tunnels were 80cm wide and 80cm high and were sometimes four levels deep. There were latrines, wells, meeting rooms, dorms as well as hospitals (where operations were carried out by torchlight). We learn how it was sometimes necessary to stay below ground for weeks on end; inhabitants often had to lie on the floor in order to get enough oxygen to breathe. American attempts to flush out the tunnels proved ineffective. They evacuated villagers into strategic hamlets and then used defoliant sprays and bulldozers to rob the VC of cover, in scorched earth operations. GI's known as tunnel rats would go down themselves, but faced booby traps and bombs. Finally, they sent in the B52's to level the district with carpet bombing.
Afterwards, our group (approx 20) walk around the compound. The tour is fantastic, we are encouraged to discover the man holes, which are exceptionally well disguised, under leaves and natural debris. There is a scary resemblance to war times as there is noise of gunfire and bombs exploding. We soon discover visitors are encouraged to purchase rounds of ammunition to hit targets. Fergus gives it a shot, a XXXXXX.
The tour includes visits into underground dug-outs used for cooking/booby trap makers/hand-made weapons etc. Our guide gives s some demonstrations of the booby traps and hand made weapons, which were very inventive. Few Americans could have survived the tunnels had they managed to enter.
The highlight of the tour is the chance to crawl on our hands and knees through the only remaining tunnel, for 40mtrs. It's a very claustrophobic experience, there are no lights, just enough room to crawl, but keep your head low. Occasionally there are wee lanterns but for the most part its complete darkness. The tunnels have been modified in recent years to facilitate larger persons that the Vietnamese! In other words, if they hadn't neither Fergus nor I would have fitted!
Back in Siagon we split up so catch up on some window browsing before meeting up for a dinner in a British Pub, where we watch Munster in action!
