We had the smoothest short flight from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh and I am grateful for that because the hubby does not fly well. We initially wanted to go to Cambodia prior to Vietnam but because we didn’t organise the Visa paperwork on time, we decided to head straight to Vietnam instead and spend a couple of days there before flying to Singapore.
I have always been fascinated with Vietnam – the food, the people, the culture and its history. Unfortunately we only had few days in this country which was such a shame as I would have loved to see the northern part of this country too. Anyways, here’s the photo diary of our trip to this fascinating country :-).
Cu Chi tunnels have always been on my bucket list and the major reason why we chose Ho Chi Minh city as our base. It was quite amazing how the Viet Cong soldiers endured living in the tunnels considering the air, food and water were scarce not to mention that the tunnels itself were infested with ants, poisonous centipedes, spiders and vermin.
“Most of the time, soldiers would spend the day in the tunnels working or resting and come out only at night to scavenge for supplies, tend their crops, or engage the enemy in battle. Sometimes, during periods of heavy bombing or American troop movement, they would be forced to remain underground for many days at a time. Sickness was rampant among the people living in the tunnels, especially malaria, which was the second largest cause of death next to battle wounds. A captured Viet Cong report suggests that at any given time half of a unit had malaria and that “one-hundred percent had intestinal parasites of significance”.
Fun facts about the tunnels:
- The Viet Cong soldiers used these underground routes to house troops, transport communications and supplies, lay booby traps and mount surprise attacks, after which they could disappear underground to safety.
- At least 45,000 Vietnamese men and women are said to have died defending the Cu Chi tunnels over the course of the Vietnam War.
- Viet Cong soldiers lurking in the tunnels set numerous booby traps for U.S. and South Vietnamese infantrymen, planting trip wires that would set off grenades or overturn boxes of scorpions or poisonous snakes onto the heads of enemy troops. To combat these guerrilla tactics, U.S. forces would eventually train some soldiers to function as so-called “tunnel rats.” These soldiers (usually of small stature) would spend hours navigating the cramped, dark tunnels to detect booby traps and scout for enemy troops.
Fun facts about Ho Chi Minh:
- Ho Chi Minh city was named after the Vietnamese Communist Revolutionary leader who led the Vietnamese nationalist movement for more than three decades: First against the Japanese, then the French colonial power, and then the US. He was president of North Vietnam from 1954 until his death.
- Ho Chi Minh, also known as Saigon, is not the capital of Vietnam, but the economic centre.
- The city has the largest number of reported robberies, snatches and thieves in the country. It is so bad that it is the first city in Vietnam which has voluntary robbery prevention teams.
- Yellow traffic light means “Drive faster” to pass the intersection rather than “slow down”.
- The most popular places for a kid to celebrate their birthday party include KFC, Lotteria, Jollibee. 70% of kids choose these restaurant for their birthday – this makes me sad because nothing beats a good traditional Vietnamese food.
Hello Drazics! 