Cu Chi Tunnels

On our last day, the highlight was to be the Cu Chi tunnels. I thought the place should be pronounced coochie, but our guide made it sound like cookie.

On the way I had to take some pictures of the motorbikes. They are everywhere and nowhere is safe. To cross the street, you can't wait for a break in the traffic, only for it to ease up a bit. Then you raise your hand and walk slowly. The bikes go around you. This works (I never saw any collisions) because the traffic moves slowly and everyone is willing to give a little.

At Cu Chi, this is the first tunnel we found. It has been opened up and enlarged for tourists.

When in use, none were so open, nor did they have such roofs.

It looks like an anthill, but is actually an air vent.

This is more like a real entrance into the tunnels.
Going!

Going!

GONE!
Do you think you could find him?

Oh! There he is! (about twenty feet away).

An Entrance
Because the Americas could not find the Viet Cong, they developed the defoliant Agent Orange.

At the bottom of this trap, sharpened stakes waited.

The cooking tent did not vent directly outside. Smoke was directed through several
rooms and filtered through vegetation. When it did reach
the surface it was barely visible.

Dining Bunker

Uniforms are created and repaired.

Demonstrating the creation of Ho Chi Minh sandals.

Thinh demonstrates that some sandals were narrower at the front.
A soldier wearing such a sandal would leave a trail that
looked like he was travelling in the opposite direction.

The Viet Cong used unexploded American Bombs to create landmines.

This diagram demonstrates the tunnels were on several levels. At this site, there were more than 200 kilometres of tunnels.