Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. A destination known for its famous war with the Americans throughout the 1960's until 1975. Learn all about what life was like in the jungle with an interesting visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, located 70 km from downtown.
Gorilla warfare took place all over the countryside and a visit to the tunnels explains just how the Vietnamese managed to defeat the Americans by hiding in a 200km system of underground mazes. Left over from the 1940's when the Vietnamese were fighting the French, the Cu Chi Tunnels grew extensively during the Vietnam War in the 1960's. It became an elaborate tunnel system set up right under the noses of the US army.
Surprisingly, the U.S. knew that the tunnels were there, they simply could not find them or destroy them. They put everything they had into taking out the tunnels from dispersing agent orange and napalm to relentlessly dropping bombs, but the caves remained in tact. The land didn't fare as well and the jungle was completely destroyed along with everything in it. Today it is thriving once again however, showing that with time, the earth can repair even the harshest results of destruction.
If you are lucky, you may receive a first hand account from a former Vietnamese soldier. Guides will tell you stories of their time in the war and can give you information on intimate details of the war that took place in this jungle. If you listen carefully, you can learn a great deal about history.
You will learn all about how the Vietnamese managed to defeat the powerful Americans. They fought on their home turf being the jungle and they used it to their advantage. Cave entrances were hidden by placing termite hills over top. To throw off their scent to guide dogs, they would sprinkle cayenne pepper confusing the animal. Even if the soldiers managed to find and opening, they were tiny and made for the slight Vietnamese frame. U.S. soldiers would have to blast a hole alerting any inhabitants that they have been found. With 200 km of caves to disappear in, it wasn't likely that they would be caught.
When they did manage to make their way into the tunnels, they were greeted with booby traps. False floors caused the enemy to fall into a bed of sharpened bamboo poles. Spikes were placed on the floors and traps were set everywhere. You had to know your way around the tunnel to escape injury.
U.S. Soldiers struggled greatly with wet feet rotting in their boots. Little did they know, sandals were their best defense. Vietnamese soldiers wore sandals made from tire rubber to keep their feet from getting jungle rot. The tire rubber was durable and protected them as they ran through the jungle, but the sandal allowed their feet to breath unlike the heavy army boots. You can buy a pair at the Cu Chi Tunnels and enjoy them for the rest of your trip. They are surprisingly comfortable.
People lived in these tunnels for years on end. Kitchens, living quarters, makeshift hospitals and their headquarters were all underground. Communities were made here. That is not to say it was comfortable however. The tunnels were tiny, dark and damp. At many points they were only one meter high and less than a meter wide. People suffered from malaria and infection and they had to worry about poisonous snakes and spiders.
When visiting the tunnels, your tour will take place in larger quarters that have been blasted out for tourists. But if you are very brave, you can decide to crawl through a 150 meter long piece of the tunnel left in its original form.
First you will have to enter through a small hole in the ground. This is enough to make many tourists chicken out. Some people won't even be able to fit inside and will not even have the option to go. But if you can manage to squeeze through, be sure to do so. You will have the one true experience of the day, feeling what it actually must have been like for a soldier to crawl through this claustrophobic space.
After you have thoroughly explored the caves, you will also learn other ways that the Vietnamese managed to defeat America. They could track soldiers easily in the jungle by using plants. You will see how they cooked only during the foggy mornings to hide their smoke and you will learn how farmers smuggled food to the Viet Cong. It is a very informative day.
Now that you have learned all that there is to know about the Cu Chi Tunnels, you will be given the opportunity to feel what it was like. Believe it or not, you are given the chance to fire and AK 47. Or can choose your automatic weapon of choice. and for the cost of $1 a round you can feel the power of these destructive weapons by firing them at the shooting range completing your Vietnam war tour.
Visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels will definitely give you a feeling as to what life was like during the Vietnam War. It is unbelievable to think that these tunnels remained in tact through two major wars. One with the French and one with the Americans. If you are visiting Ho Chi Minh, they are certainly worth a visit.
Gorilla warfare took place all over the countryside and a visit to the tunnels explains just how the Vietnamese managed to defeat the Americans by hiding in a 200km system of underground mazes. Left over from the 1940's when the Vietnamese were fighting the French, the Cu Chi Tunnels grew extensively during the Vietnam War in the 1960's. It became an elaborate tunnel system set up right under the noses of the US army.
Surprisingly, the U.S. knew that the tunnels were there, they simply could not find them or destroy them. They put everything they had into taking out the tunnels from dispersing agent orange and napalm to relentlessly dropping bombs, but the caves remained in tact. The land didn't fare as well and the jungle was completely destroyed along with everything in it. Today it is thriving once again however, showing that with time, the earth can repair even the harshest results of destruction.
If you are lucky, you may receive a first hand account from a former Vietnamese soldier. Guides will tell you stories of their time in the war and can give you information on intimate details of the war that took place in this jungle. If you listen carefully, you can learn a great deal about history.
You will learn all about how the Vietnamese managed to defeat the powerful Americans. They fought on their home turf being the jungle and they used it to their advantage. Cave entrances were hidden by placing termite hills over top. To throw off their scent to guide dogs, they would sprinkle cayenne pepper confusing the animal. Even if the soldiers managed to find and opening, they were tiny and made for the slight Vietnamese frame. U.S. soldiers would have to blast a hole alerting any inhabitants that they have been found. With 200 km of caves to disappear in, it wasn't likely that they would be caught.
When they did manage to make their way into the tunnels, they were greeted with booby traps. False floors caused the enemy to fall into a bed of sharpened bamboo poles. Spikes were placed on the floors and traps were set everywhere. You had to know your way around the tunnel to escape injury.
U.S. Soldiers struggled greatly with wet feet rotting in their boots. Little did they know, sandals were their best defense. Vietnamese soldiers wore sandals made from tire rubber to keep their feet from getting jungle rot. The tire rubber was durable and protected them as they ran through the jungle, but the sandal allowed their feet to breath unlike the heavy army boots. You can buy a pair at the Cu Chi Tunnels and enjoy them for the rest of your trip. They are surprisingly comfortable.
People lived in these tunnels for years on end. Kitchens, living quarters, makeshift hospitals and their headquarters were all underground. Communities were made here. That is not to say it was comfortable however. The tunnels were tiny, dark and damp. At many points they were only one meter high and less than a meter wide. People suffered from malaria and infection and they had to worry about poisonous snakes and spiders.
When visiting the tunnels, your tour will take place in larger quarters that have been blasted out for tourists. But if you are very brave, you can decide to crawl through a 150 meter long piece of the tunnel left in its original form.
First you will have to enter through a small hole in the ground. This is enough to make many tourists chicken out. Some people won't even be able to fit inside and will not even have the option to go. But if you can manage to squeeze through, be sure to do so. You will have the one true experience of the day, feeling what it actually must have been like for a soldier to crawl through this claustrophobic space.
After you have thoroughly explored the caves, you will also learn other ways that the Vietnamese managed to defeat America. They could track soldiers easily in the jungle by using plants. You will see how they cooked only during the foggy mornings to hide their smoke and you will learn how farmers smuggled food to the Viet Cong. It is a very informative day.
Now that you have learned all that there is to know about the Cu Chi Tunnels, you will be given the opportunity to feel what it was like. Believe it or not, you are given the chance to fire and AK 47. Or can choose your automatic weapon of choice. and for the cost of $1 a round you can feel the power of these destructive weapons by firing them at the shooting range completing your Vietnam war tour.
Visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels will definitely give you a feeling as to what life was like during the Vietnam War. It is unbelievable to think that these tunnels remained in tact through two major wars. One with the French and one with the Americans. If you are visiting Ho Chi Minh, they are certainly worth a visit.
About the Author:
Deb Corbeil is one half of Canada's exciting Couple. Together with her husband Dave Bouskill they have trekked, hiked, biked and climbed to over 30 countries around the world. check out their website http://tinyurl.com/lzwalv To see useful tips, advice and inTo seemation on travel and exciting destinations. To see more of their great travel photos go to picturetheplanet
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