Vietnam
Cu Chi Tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels can be found outside of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in Southern Vietnam. This famous"Vietnam War Memorial"l complex is 75 miles long and at the height of the "American War" (as it is known in Vietnam) there was 155 miles of tunnels extending from Saigon to the Cambodian Border.
What I found fascinating was the ingenuity of the Vietnamese people who originally dug a tunnel system to avoid the French colonialists. The network of tunnels was expanded when America ramped up their war effort. Crude yet effective "booby traps" were created to conceal entrances and stop the enemy soldiers known as the "Tunnel Rats" from entering their underground "city" which contained places for sleep, stockpiles of weapons and kitchens.
After learning about such a brutal and bloody war, I found it a bit unusual to end up shooting an AK-47 at the conclusion of the Cu Chi Tunnel tour before taking the bus back to Ho Chi Minh City.
ADDITIONAL TUNNELS:
The Vinh Moc Tunnels are 550 Kilometers south of Hanoi near the border of South Vietnam. These tunnels were over 6,000 feet long initially built 30 feet underground but ultimately as low as 90 feet underground due to American bombs penetrating to 30 feet below the surface.
V.I.P. LIST
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