Cambodia & Vietnam Trip – Day 8
Pictures from HCMC & the Chi Chi tunnels
Chu Chi tunnel tour today, so we are up at 5:50am to get ready. Same, very ordinary, breakfast again, and set to go.
Picked up from hotel (15 min late), then transferred to a bigger mini bus – 8 other Aussies also on the tour, from Tassie and Melbourne.
Another ½ bus ride and we arrive at the tunnels, and as usual it is very hot. First we watched a short video about the tunnels, with a little anti-American propaganda included, which David enjoyed. Then it was off to the jungle.
We were shown an entrance to the tunnels, which the guide showed how to get into, it’s only about 40cm x 30cm. Brendan fit in Ok, but one of the other Aussies got stuck at chest height ( He wasn’t a big man!). We then saw a few bunkers which showed how they cooked and made weapons etc, and then we saw some of the methods they used for traps, very nasty! Then off to the actual tunnels.
There are actually 3 levels of tunnels.
The first level is about 3m down, the second about 6m down, and the lowest level is about 8-10 m down. There are breathing holes every 15m or so. These tunnels have had the entrances widened for us foreigners!
A few people chose not to go down, but Brendan had already gone off with the guide and another Aussie boy, so we had to follow. Big mistake! We had to carry our bags in front of us, crawling on hands and knees, with our shoulders scraping the walls. I couldn’t see a thing; they had a few small red lights but if someone was in front of you then now light shone through. It was extremely uncomfortable, hot, and very claustrophobic and I just can’t imagine people living, eating & fighting in them. Even Brendan had to bend over to go through. That was only the first level, and there was absolutely no way I was going any further. It was only about 30m but it felt like I had travelled over 1 km.
Had a photo taken with some Viet Cong look a likes, and saw some of the breathing holes, cunningly disguised in a rock!
Back on the bus to the hotel in HCMC, then had a rest till around3:30pm, then ventured out walking the town. Went to the outdoor markets and then to a few shops. All ready for our flight, to Nha Trang, tomorrow.
Could have spent a few more days here, too!
Had sneezes all day
Brendan has HCMC Belly again, and David still has it too!
