A full day of sightseeing with our guide is planned for today, starting with the bus picking us up at the hotel at 8 am. Our first destination is the Cu Chi Tunnels, which have become a major tourist attraction after the Vietnamese War. It takes about 1.5 hours to get there from our hotel.
Along the way we are updated on a bit of Vietnamese history, and hear a lot about family life today in South Vietnam.
We arrive at the tunnels on time, and after getting our entry tickets, a headed off to sit in one of the bunkers and watch a propaganda film which praises the efforts of the Vietnamese people in killing many Americans and winning the war. Having got that out of the way, we started our tour of a small part of the area where the tunnels are.
Our first stop was to see how well concealed the tunnel entrances were, and how small you would need to be to gain access.
Replacing the cover once inside
Further along the trail we were shown one of the swing traps that the Viet Cong commonly used, which gave way under weight and dropped the victim into a pit filled with sharpened bamboo stakes.
Our guide also explained how air vents were disguised along the trail to allow a steady supply of air into the tunnels. In many cases they were disguised as ant hills.
The tunnels in this area were very extensive and ran for about 250km, on 3 levels, the lower ones being about 12 m deep.
There were many exhibits of various types of booby traps that they set around tunnel entrances and at entrances to houses.
Door trap set behind the entrance door to houses
All were pretty gruesome affairs featuring sharpened spikes with barbs, made from metal recovered from unexploded bombs and other objects recovered from the Americans. The made do with whatever they could find, including making sandals out of Jeep tyres that proved ideal for the muddy conditions.
Even the roomy tunnels were pretty squeezy, a real disadvantage for western soldiers
Hospital bunker
Bunkers set below ground level but open at the top with thatch roofs housed essential facilities like , a hospital, kitchen, meeting rooms etc. Not sure whether these are original or constructed for tourists.
Kitchen bunker
Our next stop was the shooting range, where for a small fee, you could fire any number of weapons from AK 47's to machine guns. Mike W was tempted, but unimpressed when he noticed the weapons were firrmly fixed to a bench and he couldn't actually hold it and feel the recoil.
We passed a few other items of interest on the way back to the bus, including this prolific jackfruit tree.
Today the temperature is very hot and humidity high, we are all dissolving in the heat. The air conditioned bus is a welcome sanctuary after walking around in the bush for the last hour or so.
The plan now is to head back to Saigon for lunch at at local restaurant that specialises in Vietnamese noodle soup, "Pho". The food is good and cheap, and now fully recharged, our next stop is a tour of the Reunification Palace, (previously the Presidential Palace for South Vietnam), where the south surrendered initiating reunification of the North & South.
Reunification Palace
Main Meeting Room
Reception Room
Kitchen
Replicas of the tanks that stormed the gates forcing surrender
The palace had a huge underground bomb shelter / command centre with command centres, extensive communications installations, including a TV and radio station so they could still communicate with the people if above ground installations were wiped out by the enemy.
Fortunately for Saigon, surrender came before extensive bombing of the city, so much of the old French architecture remains unscathed.
Next stop was the War Remnants Museum, essentially a display of photos from worldwide journalists who covered the war, with a strong Vietnamese influence on how the story is told. nevertheless it is pretty confronting, in particular the section devoted to the use of agent orange and its long term effects.
There are also a number of exhibits of machinery used in the war scattered around the grounds, and adjacent is a prison where prisoners were held , in less than ideal conditions.
At this stage of the tour, the girls had had enough of the heat, and decided to miss the last part of the tour, and head back to the hotel. So for the remaining leg, which involved walking back to the hotel, taking in some of the old buildings, it was down to Mike, the guide and me.
The first building we came to was the Notre Dame Cathedral. Mike had tried to get a look inside yesterday, but it was closed, today he was in luck.
Inside Notre Dame Cathedral
Apparently Catholics make up about 6-7% of the population and Catholicism is the second most popular religion after Buddhism.
One of the most spectacular pieces of French architecture left is the Post Office, which looks more like a railway station from the outside. It is located just alongside the Cathedral.
The Post Office
Inside the Post Office
We next walk off in the direction of the Civic Centre ( Town Hall) which is at the end of a boulevard.
We are now almost back at our hotel, so part company with our guide and head back to escape the heat. There is a boutique brewery next to the hotel, so we decide to drop in and quickly rehydrate before going back to the hotel. It is sort of a brewery cum restaurant with a German theme. The beer was good !
The guide was back at our hotel at 7 pm to take us to dinner at another Vietnamese restaurant close to the hotel (about 7 mins walk). The restaurant looks very up market and is called Maxims. It was apparently a theatre in an earlier life.
Throughout a very nice Vietnamese dinner we are entertained by a 4 piece band who were getting on in years, but were very good musicians.
On our walk back home Mike spotted a roadside stall selling fans. He had already bought a small one for Joy at the Cu Chi tunnels, but these were a much better size and he decided to buy one, providing entertainment for all of us, and the 2 women selling them.
Mike searching for Dong to buy the fan
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