We said our goodbyes to Hoi An and were headed back to Da Nang's airport to fly to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. Just before turning inland we stopped for a quick photo op at Da Nang Beach. Ah the happy couple at Da Nang Beach We got to walk on the beach a little which was a very nice experience. The driver of our bus was quite clever. He had a little air hose which he used to clean the sand off of our shoes before getting back onto the bus. We were at the airport very quickly and after grabbing our luggage we made our way inside to check in with Vietnam Airlines. Our local guide Trun went with us and was also our guide in Ho Chi Minh City. While waiting for our flight we shared a Vietnamese coffee which is expresso with sweetened condensed milk over ice. Wow this was really incredible, very flavorful. We'll definitely try this amazing drink again. Our flight was about 50 minutes late in arriving so our late departure's continue. The flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh city was about an hour and 10 minutes. After deplaning and getting our bags we were led to our bus. We were going to get lunch before going on to see the Cu Chi tunnels which is about an hour and 30 minutes outside of the city. Once we arrived and got off the bus we applied insect repellant as our guide advised. It was hot and humid and we were going to be walking in a heavily wooded area. Our guide Trun showing us the map of the Cu Chi Tunnels Communist solders living in the south known as the Viet Cong dug thousands of tunnels all over the Saigon area. These were in the Cu Chi district that is northwest of Saigon. They actually began digging tunnels in the late 1940's while they were fighting against the French colonials. They expanded and dug many more tunnels during the Vietnam war with the United States forces. The tunnels were used to house the VC troops, hold and transport supplies and communications, place booby traps and mount ambushes against unsuspecting American and South Vietnamese troops. The US strategy relied on heavy and frequent aerial bombing so the VC went underground not just to survive but to continue their guerrilla tactics. Now you see him Going, going Almost gone Gone It was truly amazing to see just how effective these tunnels were. Scary and lethal booby traps Our guide explains that these openings were made much larger for the tourists Walking through this area as a tourist it was hard to try to imagine what it must have been like for the solders that fought in this area. Very small and cramped conditions Resembling huge ant hills this was actually how the tunnels were ventilated More examples of very brutal booby traps Underground living conditions These larger underground areas served as living quarters, kitchens, supply and manufacturing facilities and even crude hospitals. Rubber from tires was used to make sandals for the VC Sandals ready for wearing They made some of the sandals backwards and the VC wearing them would carefully leave a trail that looked like they were going in the opposite direction, again quite clever. Openings in the tunnels to ambush troops The openings from inside the tunnel to shoot through We kept seeing tree's that resembled snakes because of the way they grew. Here's probably the best example we saw. Unbelievable twisting of trees For a few moments I thought this tree was a huge boa constrictor. Notice how our guide Trun is keeping his distance though. As we were about finished we passed this unique water collecting system they had set up. Water is collected and distributed As we finished our tour of the Cu Chi tunnels I feel I had learned a lot about how this ingenious series of tunnels was so useful and successful against the US troops. We boarded our bus and headed towards Ho Chi Minh city. It was late afternoon so of course we hit rush hour traffic all the way in to our hotel. It was dark by the time we got to our hotel the Intercontinental Asiana Saigon. The city was decorated and brightly lit up for the upcoming Tet holiday. Bright lights on our route The view out from our hotel room We decided to eat dinner in the hotels Italian restaurant. We shared spinach ravioli's in cream sauce and a 4 cheese pizza. For dessert we had a crepe with butterscotch sauce which was prepared right at our table. Spinach ravioli's 4 cheese pizza Our young server prepared a very nice crepe with butterscotch sauce We finished our evening with a Vietnamese coffee from the Starbucks which was located in our hotel.
Next time an Exclusive Lecture and Walking Tour in Ho Chi Minh City
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