After our adventurous dinner on Friday we headed to the backpackers' area for more drinks and a bit of dancing but Karen and I were quite restrained and back at the hotel for 1.30am (with a craving for fried rice!). We were leaving at 8.30am to do a day trip to Cu Chi , about 75km away from Ho Chi Minh. Blair (our guide) saw us off in the morning but he was looking very much the worse for wear, as he had left the bar at 4am. Oddly he told us that he had been mugged - he had been propositioned by some Vietnamese women when he was walking back to the hotel and before he knew it, his wallet was missing. They suddenly found it but his money was missing. None of us were really sure why he told us, I mean it is highly embarrassing being your guide and being pickpocketed when you are so wasted leaving a bar at 4am. Plus he didn't even take any of his own advice - ie his wallet wasn't even in his money belt! It all sounded a bit dodgy too me.We haven't been that impressed with him as our guide. I think he has a bit of a drink problem and he hasn't a clue how to take charge. We almost feel as if we should be looking after him!
The tunnels of Cu Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi district and are part of a much larger network of tunnels which underlie much of the country (see second picture of model tunnels). The Cu Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War and were the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnams' base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968. The tunnels were used by NLF guerillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The role of the tunnel systems were important to the NLF in resisting American operations and protracting the war, eventually persuading the Americans into withdrawal.
The tunnels are made of clay, very narrow (on average 80cm by 1 metre) and extend over 200km (see photo - demonstration of how small the entrance is!). There are three levels, at 3m, 8m and 10m and various dead ends and exits into the Saigon River. For the NLF, life in the tunnels was difficult. Air, food and water were scarce (with no light in the tunnels) and the tunnels were infested with ants, poisonous centipedes, spiders and mosquitoes. Most of the time, guerrillas would spend the day in the tunnels working or resting and come out only at night to scavenge supplies, tend their crops or engage the enemy in battle. Sometimes, during periods of heavy bombing or American troop movement, they would be forced to remain underground for many days at a time. Sickness was rampant among the people living in the tunnels, especially malaria, which accounted for the second largest cause of death next to battle wounds. A captured NLF report suggests that at any given time half of a NLF unit had malaria and that “one-hundred percent had intestinal parasites of significance.” In spite of these hardships, the NLF managed to wage successful campaigns against a conscripted army that was technologically far superior.
The Americans recognized the advantages which the NLF held with the tunnels, and accordingly launched several major campaigns to search out and destroy the tunnel system. Trap doors lead from the jungle floor down to the tunnels and as they were camouflaged, they were almost undetectable. Operation Crimp began on January 7th 1966, with B-52 bombers dropping 30-ton loads of high explosive onto the region of Cu Chi, effectively turning the once lush jungle into a pockmarked moonscape. Eight thousand US troops combed the region looking for any clues of NLF activity. The operation was, for the most part, unsuccessful. On the occasion when troops found a tunnel, they would often underestimate its size. Rarely would anyone be sent in to search the tunnels, as it was so hazardous. Besides being too small for most Western men to fit through, the tunnels were often rigged with explosive booby traps or stake pits. The two main responses in dealing with a tunnel opening were to flush the entrance with gas or water to force the guerillas into the open, or to toss a few grenades down the hole and “crimp” off the opening. The clever design of the tunnels along with the strategic use of trap doors and air filtration systems rendered American technology ineffective.
The tunnels have been preserved by the Vietnamese government and turned into a war memorial park. We crawled for about 50 metres up and down one part of the tunnel system (see photo of me coming out of the tunnel), but the tunnels have been made larger to accommodate the somewhat fatter western tourists and there are low-power lights to make traveling through them easier. It did not feel too claustrophobic but I would hate to imagine what it would have been like during the war. I also had a try at shooting an AK-47 rifle, which was used by the NLF during the war (see photo). It cost US$1.3 per bullet, with a minimum of 5 bullets. The guy showing us how to use the gun was impressed with my skills, and I managed to hit the target (a red spot on a cow) on my first shot. Not bad for a shooting novice!
This evening we had happy hour cocktails in the bar of the Sheraton hotel. It is on the 23rd floor and has amazing views over the city (see photos). It was our last dinner in Vietnam - boo hoo, but we head into Cambodia by bus tomorrow.
The tunnels of Cu Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi district and are part of a much larger network of tunnels which underlie much of the country (see second picture of model tunnels). The Cu Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War and were the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnams' base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968. The tunnels were used by NLF guerillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The role of the tunnel systems were important to the NLF in resisting American operations and protracting the war, eventually persuading the Americans into withdrawal.
The tunnels are made of clay, very narrow (on average 80cm by 1 metre) and extend over 200km (see photo - demonstration of how small the entrance is!). There are three levels, at 3m, 8m and 10m and various dead ends and exits into the Saigon River. For the NLF, life in the tunnels was difficult. Air, food and water were scarce (with no light in the tunnels) and the tunnels were infested with ants, poisonous centipedes, spiders and mosquitoes. Most of the time, guerrillas would spend the day in the tunnels working or resting and come out only at night to scavenge supplies, tend their crops or engage the enemy in battle. Sometimes, during periods of heavy bombing or American troop movement, they would be forced to remain underground for many days at a time. Sickness was rampant among the people living in the tunnels, especially malaria, which accounted for the second largest cause of death next to battle wounds. A captured NLF report suggests that at any given time half of a NLF unit had malaria and that “one-hundred percent had intestinal parasites of significance.” In spite of these hardships, the NLF managed to wage successful campaigns against a conscripted army that was technologically far superior.
The Americans recognized the advantages which the NLF held with the tunnels, and accordingly launched several major campaigns to search out and destroy the tunnel system. Trap doors lead from the jungle floor down to the tunnels and as they were camouflaged, they were almost undetectable. Operation Crimp began on January 7th 1966, with B-52 bombers dropping 30-ton loads of high explosive onto the region of Cu Chi, effectively turning the once lush jungle into a pockmarked moonscape. Eight thousand US troops combed the region looking for any clues of NLF activity. The operation was, for the most part, unsuccessful. On the occasion when troops found a tunnel, they would often underestimate its size. Rarely would anyone be sent in to search the tunnels, as it was so hazardous. Besides being too small for most Western men to fit through, the tunnels were often rigged with explosive booby traps or stake pits. The two main responses in dealing with a tunnel opening were to flush the entrance with gas or water to force the guerillas into the open, or to toss a few grenades down the hole and “crimp” off the opening. The clever design of the tunnels along with the strategic use of trap doors and air filtration systems rendered American technology ineffective.
The tunnels have been preserved by the Vietnamese government and turned into a war memorial park. We crawled for about 50 metres up and down one part of the tunnel system (see photo of me coming out of the tunnel), but the tunnels have been made larger to accommodate the somewhat fatter western tourists and there are low-power lights to make traveling through them easier. It did not feel too claustrophobic but I would hate to imagine what it would have been like during the war. I also had a try at shooting an AK-47 rifle, which was used by the NLF during the war (see photo). It cost US$1.3 per bullet, with a minimum of 5 bullets. The guy showing us how to use the gun was impressed with my skills, and I managed to hit the target (a red spot on a cow) on my first shot. Not bad for a shooting novice!
This evening we had happy hour cocktails in the bar of the Sheraton hotel. It is on the 23rd floor and has amazing views over the city (see photos). It was our last dinner in Vietnam - boo hoo, but we head into Cambodia by bus tomorrow.
1 comment:
Hope it wasn't a live cow.
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