Day 21 October 16

Today Alan got up very early to take the tour bus out to the Cu Chi tunnel complex. During the Vietnamese War the Viet Cong had an extensive system of tunnels, with nearly 20 kilometers of tunnels in the Cu Chi district near Saigon. These tunnels were built close to an American base to dissuade bombing the area. They contained hospitals, wells, air vents, and kitchens. Cooking was done during times when the heat wouldn’t be noticeable, and an ingenious system was used to minimize any smoke. Alan crawled about 70 meters through one of the tunnels, which were small enough that most Americans would get stuck because of their larger body size. There were also displays of various booby traps, uniforms, workshops, and captured equipment   There is a lot of walking over rough terrain, so BJ stayed at the hotel.

For lunch today we went to Le Corto a French restaurant, as a group. We started with pate, then lamb, and ended with a delicious apple tart.

Early this evening, we went to the Opera House to see a show AO similar to Cirque du Soleil. It was very well done with lots of bamboo poles, and bamboo baskets. It started with early Vietnam themes progressing to modern themes and modern music. We really enjoyed it.

We ate at the hotel afterwards and had an excellent meal. BJ had a squid salad and Alan had an Italian inspired fish soup. Both meals today were unusual as they were not Vietnamese or Cambodian cuisine.