Cu Chi Cu Chi Cu!

Last week, Aunt Monique and Uncle Tony, who we hadn't seen for over two years, came to spend a few days with us in Vietnam, and one of the places we wanted to go to with them was the Củ Chi tunnels, about 30 km from our place. Rather than take a cab or our bikes to get there, we booked an early boat trip that came with a light breakfast.

The ride there was the coldest I'd felt since coming here; the first and probably last time I felt cold enough to wear a jacket.

We arrived early, so managed to avoid the main rush of tourists as we went through the main entrance and started the guided tour. First, we all sat down while the guide told us a bit more about the tunnels and how they were used in the Vietnam War. He explained that tunnels could and did collapse due to rain and/or bombs, but what killed about a third of the Viet Cong who used the tunnels frequently was disease from the incredibly cramped conditions and insect bites. We saw large (as in 6-10 cm long) millipedes that dripped acid, but thankfully no spiders.

One of the first things we went to was a firing range where you could fire real AK-47s, M16s and even and M60. However, you had to pay per bullet, so most people went for the semi-automatic ones. Uncle Tony was kind enough to pay for a clip and let me fire most of them via an AK, but sadly we didn't think to bring a camera down with us. I didn't hit anything, but it was fun.

Wandering around, we were shown lethal looking traps that the Viet Cong would leave for the American G.I.s, ranging from your run-of-the-mill sharpened hidden pit filled with sharpened bamboo, to rollers that would impale you multiple times as you fell between them, to door traps that would turn you into a pincushion if they swung into you.

In another part, we were shown what a hidden entrance looked like. Funnily enough, we couldn't see it. Then the guide lifted up this tiny rectangle of wood, about the size of a large book, that was hidden under some leaves. An assistant then demonstrated how to get inside. Once he was in and the lid was back on, it was like he had vanished; there was no trace of him.

This isn't him, our assistant didn't smile.

A couple of others had a go, then it was my turn.

I only got a little bit stuck...

Next, we got to actually go inside the tunnels. The ones the tourists were allowed through had been made much taller and wider, the Viet Cong had to scootch along on their stomachs to get from room to room. Even so, it was a tight fit and my legs were sore for two days from crouching and running (the guide didn't go easy on us). Still, I was one of only three who stuck it out for the whole length of the tunnel (the other two being Lena and Amberly). The others took exits from a quarter of the way to halfway through. I was mildly surprised to see the small distance we'd covered; it had seemed like more. Again, we didn't get any photos of this part.

We wandered for a bit, taking photos with some of the various displays, then left by boat again. The trip was about an hour and a half each way, but we got a very nice lunch while we waited.