Cu chi tunnels

Out for a morning stroll we followed this lady. Her baskets of fruit and other goodies looked like they weighed a ton.

This afternoon we took a tour with the very chatty and lovely  Lily to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

The Cu Chi are a large network of connecting underground tunnels in the countryside outside Ho Chi Minh City. They were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam war.

The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous North Vietnamese fighters. The tunnel systems were of great importance to the Viet Cong in their resistance to American forces and helped to counter the American military effort.

Checking out the weaponry.

Tools for tunnel digging.

See ya Freddy! This tunnel entrance has actually been made a little bigger for tourists, it's still tiny!

And for his next trick......

Mark fits too.

Elliot standing on Marks head! Ha ha!

It sure is small and I wasn't keen having the lid put on top!

Bomb crater.

Bamboo traps. These were used by locals before the war to catch animals. They then used them in the tunnels to catch American soldiers.

A giant millipede, bit of a distraction.

Air holes. Giant bamboo was hollowed out and used to provide air flow to the tunnels. There are three layers of tunnels at 2-3m, 6m and 10m.

US army tank.

We are given demonstrations of all the traps used by the Vietnamese soldiers. The metal used to make them came from US shells and bombs.

Models show how three people would work on digging the tunnels.

Sandals made from tyres. They were worn back to front so that anyone trying to follow the tracks would go the wrong way!

Door trap, ouch!

We were then invited to crawl through a tunnel, 20, 40, 60 or 100m long. Boys tried but we're not keen. Mark and I managed 20m!

Cannot imagine what it must have been like. Small, dark, hot and very claustrophobic was what it felt like for us.

The small, smokeless kitchen. Smoke went from the oven into a series of holes so that a minimal amount surfaced and activity could not be detected.

The smoke holes in the background.

We then got to sample tea and tapioca which was the main diet for the Vietnamese soldiers. We had no idea it was a root. We are it boiled and dipped in sugary nuts. I was expecting sloppy semolina type stuff. It was tasty.

With Lily our guide.

We had a great afternoon at the tunnels but arrived back to the city in the evening rush hour. Motor bikes rule as they fill every possible gap on the road. Cars constantly sound their horns to let bikes and pedestrians know they are coming. Add a downpour to that and you have  whole families on a bikes under a poncho, mother's clutching babies as they manouver around the 100s of others and squeeze beside cars. 

The whole thing is just unbelievable!