While I'm not typically an advocate of guided tours while traveling, I can honestly say that I got more out of these few hours in Vietnam than I've gotten out of days, even weeks, in other places. The war became tangible for me on a tour of the Củ Chi Tunnels.
Here's a photo tour; I hope you approach it with skepticism.
A series of underground tunnels underlies Ho Chi Minh City. This network called the Củ Chi Tunnels is deeply rooted in Vietnamese soil and history. During the war, the tunnels hosted a whole range of activities- from hiding to combat, from transportation of supplies to access to medicine.
The tunnels have since been expanded to accommodate large groups of tourists, and large tourists.
Here's my foot next to the entrance. Hard to believe it used to be smaller, let alone the fact that people lived down there.
Paintings on the walls at the Cu Chi Tunnels exhibit.
The military cemetery for the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army.
The final stop in the tour was a shooting range. Yes, a shooting range. It cost extra, and it was a spectacle, to say the least. I couldn't shoot a gun on these grounds. Couldn't even consider it.
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