Our first tour consisted of a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground city that the Vietcong used to hide from the American Soldiers. The whole place was really cool! I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area. Hidden amidst the jungle lay these trails where certain sections would show you examples of trapping techniques used to "catch" American fighters. One called the souvenir trap consisted of a pit and two planks of wood where once stepped on would impale the soldiers limb from all ends so that the only way to escape would mean leaving your leg behind. Others would were even more gruesome! While walking the trails we would hear the sound of gunfire, included in the tour we had the option of shooting a number of weapons in the ground's firing range. For an extra cost you can fire a grenade launcher. I chose not to, based on my experience with the lack of instruction that the Vietnamese seem to provide. Toward the end of the tour we were allowed to go through 100 meters of the tunnels. With no room to stand fully erect your only option is to crouch or crawl. These tunnels were widened a few centimeters to allow tourist to fit better. But for Nick who is the size of a small giant, must have had the experience of a true Vietcong. Jane, the smallest member of our group couldn't hang and chose to take the fist exit out! Thank goodness her family was from the south, because she could never have lived in the tunnels for two years like Charlie!
Here is one of the several entrances into the tunnels. The only way to enter is with my arms up.
That's me entering the second lower level of the tunnel. By the way this picture was taken with flash. It is almost completely dark the whole way!
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That is terrifying!
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