Second day in Vietnam was spent with a half day tour at Cu Chi Tunnels (approx 40km out of HCMC) and the second half walking on my own hitting some of the sights.
I had also booked a flight to Danang for the next day. Originally had wanted to spend an extra day floating down the Mekong Delta, but one of the fellow travellers came back from the tour and didn’t exactly recommended it.
I didn’t get to see the cows on fields and fishes in water. Spent much of the day on the bus instead, he grumbled.
Though I would have love to stayed on a bus and have a merry sing-a-long session with others who booked the tour to Mekong, after much consideration, I decided to fly out the next day instead and spend more time up north.
The tour agency for my Cu Chi Tunnels tour missed me out in the morning. I had to be picked up separately. Luckily, the rest of the tour group are just chilling out inside a handicap lacquer work workshop (literally chilling out in the air con as it was burning hot outside), so I didn’t miss anything.
Throughout the ride from HCMC to Cu Chi, our tour guide touched on its history and talked about his wartime experiences as well. He said he was with the US Navy as an officer at that time, and spent about 2 years in the States prior to the war and how he was given the name Billy. However, given his command of English, I had my doubts about the authenticity of all that he had said. No matter what, he made it entertaining with all those personal anecdotes, true, half true or false.
I had also booked a flight to Danang for the next day. Originally had wanted to spend an extra day floating down the Mekong Delta, but one of the fellow travellers came back from the tour and didn’t exactly recommended it.
I didn’t get to see the cows on fields and fishes in water. Spent much of the day on the bus instead, he grumbled.
Though I would have love to stayed on a bus and have a merry sing-a-long session with others who booked the tour to Mekong, after much consideration, I decided to fly out the next day instead and spend more time up north.
The tour agency for my Cu Chi Tunnels tour missed me out in the morning. I had to be picked up separately. Luckily, the rest of the tour group are just chilling out inside a handicap lacquer work workshop (literally chilling out in the air con as it was burning hot outside), so I didn’t miss anything.
Throughout the ride from HCMC to Cu Chi, our tour guide touched on its history and talked about his wartime experiences as well. He said he was with the US Navy as an officer at that time, and spent about 2 years in the States prior to the war and how he was given the name Billy. However, given his command of English, I had my doubts about the authenticity of all that he had said. No matter what, he made it entertaining with all those personal anecdotes, true, half true or false.
Vietnamese Propoganda
The tour was pretty straight forward, with it starting with a black and white video on events at Cu Chi. Happy music with scene of happy Vietnamese happily planting and harvesting fruit trees. Then the Big Bad Wolf came and rained a shitload of napalm bombs down. Lands were ruined, trees were burned and flattened. Sad music started with sad Vietnamese crying over the destruction with the narration ‘The people of Cu Chi never antagonised the U.S., so why are they so evil?’ The last part was on how the Viet Congs outwitted and created havocs for the U.S. at Cu Chi. I wonder how Americans will react on this tour.
After the video was the tour of the combat area (partially reconstructed for tourists). Bomb sites, different traps used, the small tunnel openings and sniper holes, destroyed tank etc.
After the video was the tour of the combat area (partially reconstructed for tourists). Bomb sites, different traps used, the small tunnel openings and sniper holes, destroyed tank etc.
Not a shithole, but one of the many tunnel entrances/exits
Apologies for the direction of the video, but attempts to rotate it resulted in truncation.
Some of the traps used by Viet Congs
At the half tour break, there is a firing range whereby tourists with money to spare can tried out different kinds of weapons used in the war. With money to spare are the keys words because, if I’m not mistaken, it cost USD$1 per bullet. Who in the right mind would just pay to shoot a bullet? It’s practically a goldmine of tourist money (there are tourists who tried)!
Baby guerilla shoes to gorilla shoes
Shortly after the break came the highlight of the tour – walking through the tunnels. 100m of it has been slightly enlarged and small unobtrusive lights placed in every few metres for tourists, with exits at 30m and 80m. Below is a Youtube video by someone else.
Ahhh....Daylight
I only managed to walk 80m of the tunnel before I gave up. It was stuffy, dark and my legs were already aching. Thank goodness no one released any chemical agents (farts) or else they’ll need to call in the emergency response team to extract us from the tunnels, with no alternate ways of escape and strictly one-way traffic. Definitely not for the claustrophobic and tall people. My legs were aching badly and I was waddling like Donald Duck for days after.
By 2pm (local time), I was back in HCMC. With half a day more to spent, I went on a walking tour with my (technically it’s NLB’s) trusty Lone Planet as a guide. First stop was the Ben Thahn Market. It sells practically everything. T-shirts, shoes, souvenirs, dried food, hot food, flowers, watches and a wet market. I was just so tempted to buy some stuff, but with another 8 days to go, I didn’t want to lug around an entire shop on my back.
By 2pm (local time), I was back in HCMC. With half a day more to spent, I went on a walking tour with my (technically it’s NLB’s) trusty Lone Planet as a guide. First stop was the Ben Thahn Market. It sells practically everything. T-shirts, shoes, souvenirs, dried food, hot food, flowers, watches and a wet market. I was just so tempted to buy some stuff, but with another 8 days to go, I didn’t want to lug around an entire shop on my back.
Notre Dame Church & Hotel De Ville - Day & Night
One of the more notable sights is the Hotel De Ville. No longer a hotel but a government building, it has an impressive façade and I just can’t imagine how nice it would be inside.
Walked all the way down to Saigon River hoping for some breeze. Ended up looking at an unimpressive river with clumps of giant water hyacinths and rubbish. There are boats restaurants along the river where they will travel up and down the river while you enjoy dinner. However, with all the rubbish in sight (at least along the particular stretch I was at), more likely I’ll contribute with my vomit.
River boat & rubbish on Saigon River
The pollution from the traffic was (and I’m sure still is) quite bad. Every now and then I had to escape into an air conditioned building or one of the small parks to get some better quality air. It’s times like these I wished I had a thick bush of nostril hairs and a moustache for filter.
Chatting outside hotel
Night fell and after walking for far too long without any rest, I headed back to my hotel. Back there, I sat outside the hotel and chatted with Max, a nice old pharmacist from Canada and some of the hotel staff. This homely atmosphere was to be something I wouldn’t get in my other stay in Vietnam.
Bye Bye
posted by Cylee at
1:20 pm I