We left early this morning for a trip to Cu Chi. Cu Chi is a suburb of Ho Chi Minh City and it is famous for the tunnel network that Viet Cong guerrillas constructed during the Vietnam War. A portion of the tunnels has been restored and turned into a war memorial park by the Vietnamese government.
The park is about a 1.5 hour ride from downtown Ho Chi Minh City. It lies along the main road that runs from HCMC to Pnomh Penh, Cambodia, passing through Tay Ninh province. Once we arrived, we made our way to the tunnel complex with our guide. The tour began with a brief video history of how and why the tunnels were constructed. After the video we were allowed to tour some of the existing network. The boys were very interested in the tunnels and in going down inside them. A young Vietnamese boy showed everyone how the entrance to the tunnels was camouflaged and how the soldiers would disappear down inside them. J.R., James, and Jett went down into the hole as well and pulled the top over themselves.
 |
| James in the Tunnel |
The area has been replanted with trees within the last 30 years. Once the US realized the significance of the Viet Cong presence in the area, we began to bomb the area regularly. By the early seventies, much of the area was nothing but a desolate moonscape. Many of the bomb craters can still be seen.
 |
| Standing in a Crater Left by a B-52 Payload |
 |
| Unexploded Bombs Recovered in the Area |
The tunnels were so tight. We went through a 15 meter section that had been enlarged for tourists. I was able to fit sideways in the tunnel, but I had the most trouble with my length. We crawled on our hands and knees, except for Jett who could stand with slightly bent knees. There was also a section where visitors could shoot weapons from the war such as the AK-47, M-16, and M-60. At the end of the tour there was a kitchen bunker that was set up. We all sat down and ate Cassava and drank hot tea, the staple diet of the Viet Cong guerrillas. The cassava was given to us with a small dish of ground up peanuts and sugar for dipping. It was pretty good and the boys actually liked it.
 |
| Cassava and Dipping Mixture |
 |
| One Monkey in the Jungle |
 |
| Boys With a Tank that was Disabled by a Mine on the Sight |
After we finished the tour, the rain set in. We rode all the way back to the hotel in the rain and then spent much of the day in the room because of it. Tomorrow will be our last full day and night in Saigon before we return. Since tomorrow is Sunday, we will be returning to church in the morning. I really hate to see this trip wind down, because it has been an awesome experience. There are so many other things that I would like to do and see while we are here, but all good things must come to an end. We had talked about staying longer, but since the car is in New York we are going to come on back. We will probably stay a few days in New York and then slowly make our way back to Georgia. Anyone with any tips for a two night stay in New York, please share. We really would like input on a short list of must see places for the boys.
