That's How We Vietnamese Roll: The Saigon Underground

The tunnels of Cù Chi are an immense network of connection underground tunnels located at the Cù Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Cù Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong's base of operations.

The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numbers North Vietnamese fighters. The tunnel systems were of great importance to the Viet Cong in their resistance to the American forces and helped to counter the growing American miliarty effort.

The 121km long complex of tunnels at Cù Chi has been preserved by the government of Vietnam and turned into a war memorial park with two different tunnel display sites, Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc. The tunnels are a popular tourist attraction and visitors are invited to crawl around in the safer parts of the tunnel system. The Ben Duoc site contains pats of the original system, while the Ben Dinh site, closer to Saigon, has tunnel reconstructions and some tunnels have been made larger to accommodate the larger size of western tourists. In both sites low power lights have been installed in the tunnels to make travelling through them easier.

(Thanks wikipedia)

We took a tour with "Les Rives - Authentic River Experience" which was recommended to us by our lovely friend, and South East Asian travel extraordinaire - Mrs Shelley Wilton. She said it was awesome and indeed, she was right.

As we were lining up to board our boat we heard someone scuffing along in their thongs. It was a little bogan chap, who pushed his way in front of us, just in case he missed out on a spot.

On our boat there were 4 young British girls in shorts that were way too short, a lovely American family with 4 gorgeous daughters, the little bogan and us. He bustled down to befriend the English girls.

We were all handed life jackets and asked to put them on….. everybody put theirs on except….. him. When our guide said, “Everyone must put on the life jacket please.” He replied his bogan Australian accent “What? Do we have to put it on?”

Just put it on you little twerp! is what we were all thinking.....

So he slung it around his shoulders with a look on his face that was trying to say 'I'll put it on, but I so totally don't need it bro"

We took off up the Saigon River which sailed us past some of the poorest areas in Ho Chi Minh City..... and possibly the world.

The river and it's banks are also filled with rubbish. It was heartbreaking to cruise through plastic bags and bottles and random trash and even more heartbreaking to watch people toss it in there without an ounce of guilt or concern.

Once we were out of the residential area, the captain gave it to her and let her rip, weaving in and out and around the massive growth of water hyacinths.

This is Chris imitating her gorgeous nephew, Wes

The river is a life source for some people who live it...

breathe it....

.... and fish in it.

This is our lovely guide who was extremely knowledgable and friendly.

He guided us through the maze of tunnels (above ground) and some of our group had a go underground. The four of us kept our eyes on the sky. The size of the tunnels is just incredible. I don't think I know anyone small enough to fit into these rabbit warrens (and I know a lot of kids!) I certainly wasn't going to be the first person to get stuck!

Now you see him.......

The tunnels were also filled with traps, so if they were ever discovered, that was pretty much as far as they would get.

The traps were creatively barbaric. It would be interesting to know where they came up with their ideas.

Apparently the tunnels were built using all sorts of bits of metal - whatever they could find, like pieces of shrapnel!

The tunnels were so intricate that they had three levels and air vents.

When we got off the boat, our tour guide told everyone to take a bottle of water before leaving... in fact, he handed everyone a bottle to make sure everyone had one.

We all trekked the 100 or so metres to the first lot of toilets (or Happy Rooms, as they are called here) and as we're standing there waiting for people, the little chap said to our tour guide, "Hey, I'm so hungover hey. Have you got any water Bro, I'm so dry cause I'm so hungover hey." The tour guide looked confused as he had already handed our the water, and he said, "No, the water is back on the boat." The little bogan replied, "Oh right, cause it's just that I'm sooooo hungover." And the guide gave him his own bottle!

I was starting to loathe this little man even though I didn't know him from Adam. He reminded me LOT of that twit that was on the news a couple of years ago for throwing a party that got out of hand and trashed his parents house - Corey Whatshisface.

Anyway.... moving on.

Because they had to make everything they needed right here in the tunnels, somebody had to be on shoe duty. These candles are made out of old tyres and Jenny said she read somewhere that they somehow made them or wore them so that the tread would look like they were walking in the opposite direction - smart cookies!

There were Health bunkers and Dining bunkers and Meeting bunkers....

We got to the Health Bunker which was like a mini hospital and Old Mate says loudly enough for anyone to hear.... "I'll only go down there if they've got a cure for a hangover." and then proceeds to laugh riotously at his own 'joke'.

There were mannequins dressed in soldiers outfits in a few areas around the grounds where people were taking photos posing with them. Our guide asked if anyone wanted to pose for a photo..... Guess who should pipe up? And now guess what he said..... "Can they cure a hangover? Cause I'll pose with them if they can." Cue laughter. He didn't seem to realise that nobody was listening to him, not were they being drawn in to the conversation he was so desperate to have. Not even his new found best friends, the English girls, who probably thought they had drawn the short straw with him tagging along behind them.

Little did they know that they could happily go on the merry holiday safe in the knowledge that they probably won't see him again.... Jenny and I, on the other hand, may bump into him as he lives in Mandurah! - Meadow Springs to be more precise. Maureen, do you know him?

We were coming to the end of our tour and the last little bit was sitting in an open, wallless room with fans to watch a documentary. However, the electricity had gone out and nobody knew what was going on. So we sat there in the shade for a while and as we did Chris spotted this multi coloured lizard type creature. We thought that he might be a confused chameleon. He sat on that tree quite still while we all took photos of him.