Off to the infamous Cu Chi to the network of 250km of tunnels constructed to defend this agricultural area from the US forces. These tunnels are although individually tiny (they have been made bigger for us tourists) had a big impact on the war. As a US commander said "how can we fight them if we cannot see them".

Constructed over three levels to a depth of 10m these tunnels were a place of safety and a place of war for the Viet Cong and civilians. There were even kitchen, surgery and workshop areas underground. The engineering was very clever. Various air holes were hidden by fake but lifelike termite hills. When the US flooded the tunnels to try to drown them out they retaliated by building a tunnel to the Saigon river 1km away so that it would drain. When constructing - just like a scene from The Great Escape the clay debris was taken to the river to wash away or used to fill in the craters left by the B52s. Considering that the Viet Cong were poor and had basic tools it really was a feat of ingenuity especially as they re used the empty shells and other artillery that were used on them by The US to make weapons and booby traps of bamboo spines which inflicted terrible if not fatal injuries on their enemy. After a crawl through these claustrophobic tunnels we head off to the riffle range where we re-enacted scenes from 'Full Metal Jacket' v 'Rambo' by firing rounds of ammo at distant targets. Every time a shot was fired the sound was deafening.
Finished the trip off by visiting a government run lacquer wear factory where people who had suffered deformities at birth due to their parents being exposed to various chemical weapons such as Agent Orange were given employment hand-making beautiful vases, plates ornaments and much more. We don't normally buy these sorts of things but succumbed to the good cause and great craftmanship.

After days visiting museums about war, crawling through tunnels and firing off M16's we have now officially been to Nam - and are converts. We say down with the imperialist aggressor US and up with the Ho Chi Minh!!

We, the peoples party of flashpackers have officially been allowed to catch the night train to Nha Trang for some R&R, bon voyage.