Ho Chi Minh City and Cu Chi Tunnels

We arrived in Saigon after a flight from Danang to Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City is the name of the capital, however Saigon is preferred by the locals. The flight layout was 3 seats by each window and four seats in the middle, as you may have guessed considering our previous fortunes with this group, we were distributed the very middle of the middle seats. We were wedged in with the fat American on one side and a mother with newborn baby on the other. Excellent. The American man was making stupid faces at a crying baby across the aisle, only making the poor thing cry even harder. Naturally he was unaware that he was making the situation worse so kept at it for a good twenty minutes, whilst glancing over at us to check if we found him funny. We didn't.

Saigon is a typical large city with people absolutely everywhere and mopeds practically running you over. The trick to crossing the street in Vietnam is to simply step straight out into moving traffic and whatever you do, do not stop. Cars and mopeds will swerve for you if you keep walking at a steady pace, stopping or running will result in collision. At first this was the scariest encounter of our lives but we quickly adjusted.

Our first day in Saigon we walked around and enjoyed the fresh smell of pollution. After ditching the group (who wanted to go to a fish market) we sat in the park and enjoyed some incredible frozen yoghurt. This seemed to be the meeting point for all locals; people in circles were playing a cool hackysack game with a feather attached to the ball and children were running around. After roughly half an hour all people moved into a formation and out of nowhere techno music starts blasting and a group aerobics session commences! Picture 50 people all doing hip thrusts and high knees in sync! Incredible! We were told that this is a way for locals to keep fit as well as a fun way of bringing people together.



Day two we departed for the Cu Chi Tunnels. During the war, the Vietnamese Guerilla fighters (aka the VietCong) dug tunnels as a way to attack the enemy and stay out of harms way. These tunnels are still in tact and have been widened for the sake of tourists- so as not to discriminate against potential fatties. We were shown around by our local guide, he was a very flamboyant man to say the least, sporting a diamond ring and gucci manpurse.

We were shown traps that had been set up to catch and torture American soldiers.


We were shown extremely small secret entrances to the tunnels covered with leaves. Sheldon the manboy of the group hopped inside...


Then we were taken to the actual tunnels- correction widened tunnels. We had been warned that bending down was necessary in order to fit through these passages. I can on occasion feel claustrophobic so was sceptical about entering. I walked down the mud-steps leading into the tunnel and didn't get further than the entrance before freaking out. I realised that I had to crawl whilst being wedged between two people and at the same time and I was unable to see the opening as it was 30 metres ahead of us. I had to get out. Hanna had to back out to let me run up to safety.

Note from Hanna the Brave who walked 30 metres under the surface of the earth with noone but the fat American keeping her safe (this was the first and only time we broke our Number One Rule: Never Separate) : So after Julia chickened out, I was left by myself in the tunnels. It was three million degrees hotter and really humid, AND you couldn't see anything. It did not make the situation better that I refused to crawl because i was wearing shorts and the floor was gross. It was fine at first but the mental and physical exertion of not being able to breathe stand or sit soon became too much. I had to get out, so I backed up to what I thought was an exit, and unwittingly put my ass in The German Guy's face....great. Not only was I near hyperventilating but also flaunting my ass in an unknown guys face. Awkward....anyway I asked the guide where the nearest exit was and he told me 50m. I nearly died, but luckily an english woman told me to turn at the next left. I got out of the tunnels alive, but only just. I am amazing.

This is the fat American man disappearing into the tunnel of doom...

After Hanna's intense tunnel experience we enjoyed some icecream to the peaceful sounds of gunfire. We were at a shooting range. Strange how a place previously used in the resistance against the US still encourages violent behaviour.

Later that day, we visited the war remnants museum. There were many pictures on the walls depicting scenes from the war as well as how agent orange affected Vietnamese people. It was horrific and we can not understand why young people are not obliged to learn about the Vietnam War as it is such an important part of history.