The Cu Chi Tunnels are an elaborate underground community made up of 155 miles (250 km) of tunnels outside of Ho Chi Minh city. The tunnels took over 25 years to build and provided refuge for the Viet Cong during the conflict in Vietnam. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters.
As we walked through the vegetation and jungle-like surroundings of the site, I was struck by the realization of the importance of being able to visit this historic place. Although the Vietnam war was before my time, it was an era that left a lasting impression on present day society. When I arrived to Vietnam my mother had asked me to say a prayer at some point for all those who lost their lives in battle. The grounds of Cu Chi seemed like the best place to honor my mother's wish. So I stopped along the path, near to a B52 bomb site, and let the group walk ahead of me as I took a moment to whisper my prayer.
When it came time to explore the tunnel network our friend John braved the narrow passage of the original tunnel structure, while Jon and I opted to enter the larger and less claustrophobic western tunnel. Despite the larger size, it was still very confined down in the western sized tunnel. It was hard to imagine how people actually lived and carried on daily life within the smaller tunnel system.
There is a gun range on the Cu Chi tunnel site where tourists can fire a variety of semi and automatic weapons, if so desired. A number of tourists take the chance to fire weapons at Cu Chi and the crack of the guns echoing through the forest is eerily reminiscent of what it must have sounded like during wartime.
We closed out our tour of Cu Chi and made our way back to Ho Chi Minh, with just enough time for me to pack up my bag and head to the airport to catch my flight. I said goodbye to Jon, my wonderful partner in this chapter of my Operation Live Life adventure and my new friend John who I was fortunate to meet along my travels in
Vietnam.
As the taxi pulled away from the airport, I couldn't help but think about how quickly the past three months had passed and also how much I experienced and grew along this part of my journey. I knew the next few weeks in Europe were bound to be a bit of a culture shock after spending so much time in the developing world. And with the cooler weather and climate, what on earth was I going to wear.
The entrance sticker to Cu Chi tunnels is placed on your arm like a badge of honor when you visit the site.
While walking along the barren paths above the Cu Chi tunnels system it is hard to imagine the intricate underground network below.
I got Jon to pose in front of a US tank and inside the crater of a B52 bomb site while visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Snapshots from our experience exploring the Western sized tunnel at Cu Chi.
Jon couldn't pass up the opportunity to fire at weapon at the gun range at the Cu Chi Tunnels.
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