After arriving late afternoon yesterday (our bus that said 3pm arrival was more like 5pm!) we only had today to explore Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) or Saigon. It is interesting that so many people still call HCMC Saigon, even travellers who were not even born before the name was changed to HCMC, it seems either can be used interchangably.

We were up pretty early to catch a trip to the Chu Chi Tunnels that were used by the Vietcong in the American War. On the way there we stopped off at a government run factory that employs disabled people, many of those disabled from the effects of the chemical weapons of the war. They were doing a good job - apparently America funds it too.

It took us about 2 hours to get to the tunnels, they are in the conutryside 60km or so from HCMC. When we got there we watched a DVD about them, then we went into the outdoor museum. The tunnels were very clever - built on 3 levels and stretching over 250km, all dug out by hand! The levels were important - the top level was for living, the middle one for communications and the bottom one to retreat to when Napalm was dropped. There were exits into the river and the kitchens had chimneys far away from them so the smell of the smoke wouldn't lead them to be caught.

When the Americans started using dogs to track them, the Vietcong just used the rubbish and toilet roll discarded by the GIs to mask their smells around the entrances - very clever.

We were first taken to a sniper hole - it was about 1.6m dep and tiny, look at the photos to see! Then we were shown the booby traps - they had to be very ingenuitive with little resources and money - some of the traps are horrific, especially the ones made from sharpened bamboo spears. A lot of the booby traps were made using bomb casings and UXO (unexploded ordnance), very risky to take apart they did their best though. There were a few craters around caused by B-52 bombs, they were pretty big and must have caused considerable damage. We then paused for a drink and people that wanted to fire all sorts of guns did - we weren't too keen, didn't seem to be much point.

After this we were taken into the tunnels, at 1.6m high and 60cm wide they were a tight squeeze, some of the group didn't even go down! Sarah made the second level but got out about 50m in starting to panic in the cramped conditions, I made the full 120m and went down to the lower levels - it was really dark, cramped and humid. I came up sweating profusely and my legs were a bit wobbly, i maybe unfit, but the Vietcong who lived down there for ages must have been really fit, although they are smaller people too which must help.

Our guide for the day was really interesting although a little bit crazy, from HCMC yet he was in America at the start of the war training to be a doctor, so he fought for the US, or so he said!!

When we got back we went to the War Remenants Museum, which used to be called War Çrimes of the US and China, so we have been told! It was an excellent museum - very interesting with loads of great photos, at times though it was pretty upsetting, especially the sections on Napalm and Agent Orange that has caused so many birth defects and people with bad disabilities, really, really sad. It amazes me how forgiving the Vietnamese people are, the war is definately not forgotten but it seems all the atrocities have been forgiven.

We then walked back to the hotel briefly looking at the Reunification Palace that is a horrible 70's building and the main market. We also managed to get in a quick Bia Hoi, or fresh beer served from a huge vat in a litre plastic bottle. A litre is 30p pretty good too! I have been looking for it all over Vietnam and only seen it a few times, I am pleased I have managed to try it now.

Tomorrow it is another early start for a 3 day trip through the Mekong Delta, finishing in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It has a homestay one night too, should be interesting!

Keep in touch.

Love A&S xxx