After leaving Beth in Hanoi, I caught a quick plane to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon (before its fall to the North Vietnamese on April 30th, 1975). I didn’t have much time there before my flight back to the USA, only a couple of days. Many people had told me I should go see the Cu Chi tunnels, so I did that on my first day.
Cu Chi is a town north of Saigon. During the Vietnam War, a huge network of underground tunnels were dug here. The entire town lived underground (to avoid the constantly dropping American bombs), and came out at night to tend their rice fields.
The tour was very interesting, taking us into the tunnel seen above. The photo itself isn’t much, but it gives you a bit of an idea what it would be like to be down in one of those things. We crawled about 150 meters, and I was certainly ready to be back above ground.
The highlight of that trip for me was getting to fire an AK47. Not that I’m a huge fan of guns or anything, but shooting something like that was quite an experience. After the first couple of bullets my ears numbed, and it didn’t seem so loud anymore.
How interesting! I’d wondered if you got to see any tunnels. You certainly did–from the inside. I’d imagine these were just a few of the many hundreds of tunnel systems in Viet Nam during the war. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be a Vietnamese person during the war and have to spend so much time in these tunnels. I also wonder if tunnels in some parts of the country were utilized by the VC to surprise American troops.
Fascinating and sort of horrifying. I, too, cannot even fathom what life must have been like there and then. Even you look pretty out of it in that window. I’m not sure I would have known it was you if I’d seen it independently somewhere. And, yes, you look pretty buff in the photo with the AK47. Btw, who took the picture? I saw you’re using it as your Facebook icon. Cool. Kind of. Glad you sent the tunnel photo, too. So dark. Again, just can’t fathom . . . . XOXOX
I was thinking the light in the picture was from the far end of the tunnel. But now, after seeing Paul T’s photo, I’m wondering if it’s a flashlight? And the red? Clothes?
9 Comments »
Comment by josh — May 10, 2009 @ 5:55 am
After leaving Beth in Hanoi, I caught a quick plane to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon (before its fall to the North Vietnamese on April 30th, 1975). I didn’t have much time there before my flight back to the USA, only a couple of days. Many people had told me I should go see the Cu Chi tunnels, so I did that on my first day.
Cu Chi is a town north of Saigon. During the Vietnam War, a huge network of underground tunnels were dug here. The entire town lived underground (to avoid the constantly dropping American bombs), and came out at night to tend their rice fields.
The tour was very interesting, taking us into the tunnel seen above. The photo itself isn’t much, but it gives you a bit of an idea what it would be like to be down in one of those things. We crawled about 150 meters, and I was certainly ready to be back above ground.
The highlight of that trip for me was getting to fire an AK47. Not that I’m a huge fan of guns or anything, but shooting something like that was quite an experience. After the first couple of bullets my ears numbed, and it didn’t seem so loud anymore.
And here’s me underground:
Comment by Clara — May 10, 2009 @ 9:18 am
How interesting! I’d wondered if you got to see any tunnels. You certainly did–from the inside. I’d imagine these were just a few of the many hundreds of tunnel systems in Viet Nam during the war. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be a Vietnamese person during the war and have to spend so much time in these tunnels. I also wonder if tunnels in some parts of the country were utilized by the VC to surprise American troops.
What biceps!
Comment by dadman — May 10, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
how creepy to be in there!!! But an amazing experience. Glad it’s now and not 1970!!!!!!!!
Comment by Peg — May 10, 2009 @ 1:36 pm
Fascinating and sort of horrifying. I, too, cannot even fathom what life must have been like there and then. Even you look pretty out of it in that window. I’m not sure I would have known it was you if I’d seen it independently somewhere. And, yes, you look pretty buff in the photo with the AK47.
Btw, who took the picture? I saw you’re using it as your Facebook icon. Cool. Kind of. 
Glad you sent the tunnel photo, too. So dark. Again, just can’t fathom . . . . XOXOX
Comment by josh — May 11, 2009 @ 7:46 am
Some Vietnamese guy working there took the photo.
Comment by Peg — May 11, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
“A darkness more than night”–a title with a mood–a feel.
Comment by Peg — May 11, 2009 @ 1:54 pm
Oh, I guess it wasn’t the title. Still . . . .
Comment by Peg — May 11, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
I was thinking the light in the picture was from the far end of the tunnel. But now, after seeing Paul T’s photo, I’m wondering if it’s a flashlight? And the red? Clothes?
Comment by josh — May 11, 2009 @ 11:15 pm
The light was the flashlight of our guide. Without that, you couldn’t see anything.
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