by Debra CorbeilHo 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.
The American’s knew they were there, they just couldn’t find them. Not for lack of trying however. Agent Orange, napalm and constant bombing was used to try to find the tunnels that had eluded them. The jungle was completely wiped out and barren. It had been ruined by man, but Mother Nature’s is a strong entity and with time has healed herself and it is now lush and green.
At times, the tour can feel like it is exploiting an important event in history, but look past the contrived organization and you will be able to learn a lot. Some of the guides are actual former soldiers and they are filled with excellent information that they don’t mind sharing at all.
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.
The Cu Chi Tunnels were littered with crude and painful booby traps. When the Americans did find an entrance, a tunnel rat had the thankless job of having to enter blind not knowing what or who would be around the corner. Bamboo spikes, knives and spears were set up to trap the enemy in a slow and agonizing death.
Not only did the Americans have to deal with booby traps, heat and fear of not knowing what was around any corner in the jungle. They had the added burden of foot rot. Their heavy army boots didn’t allow for room to breathe and being in water and humidity took its toll on their feet making it impossible to walk. The Vietnamese avoided this by wearing sandals made of tire rubber allowing their feet to breathe. These sandals are on display at the tunnels and you can even buy a pair as a souvenir.
Life was difficult in the tunnels and they lived in them for years at a time. They contained functioning kitchens, hospitals and sleeping quarters. They managed to survive underground dealing with the elements. Some rooms were very spacious, but mostly the passageways were very tight being no more than a meter high. Malaria ran rampant and the unsanitary conditions caused infection and illness. Not only did they have to deal with American bombing and fighting, they had to deal with deadly snakes and spiders underground.
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.
Your guide will take you to an original entrance which is simply a very small hole in the ground. He will show you how to enter and then you are on your own to squeeze through and make your way to the other end. It can be frightening indeed, but be sure to give it a try. It is a crazy experience to crawl through these tiny tunnels and imagine what it must have been like for its inhabitants.
During your tour you will learn little tricks like how the Viet Cong tracked U.S. soldiers by following these fascinating plants that actually pointed in the direction that people walked. As you brush by, the leaves of the plants curl in the direction that you are heading. A dead giveaway for the unsuspecting American soldier. You will try to food of the Viet Cong and you will visit different rooms that were camouflaged above ground, learning all about how the Vietnamese kept themselves from being discovered.
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.
The Cu Chi tunnels are a fascinating piece of history that must not be missed if you are visiting southern Vietnam. They have survived 60 years and for most of that time relentless bombing and destruction. To learn about life here during the war is worth the day trip from Ho Chi Minh City.
