Around the World With Uncle Moose: Saigon and the Cu Chi Tunnels (19 FEB)

My official touring for the day wasn't scheduled to start until noon so I had a couple of hours to walk around central Saigon. But first, a couple of obligatory shots from my hotel room.

And a view of the outside of the hotel in daylight.

Now, I hit the streets.

Food vendor setting up for the day


No cash? No Problem....

They haven't discovered underground utilities in Saigon, either

Apparently the Vietnamese Communist Party was founded in 1930. Happy Birthday.

Early morning transaction

Now I get to see the buildings I saw last night, but this time in the daylight. I was very impressed with now nice the center of town was--very well kept up with lots of greenery.

Reunification Palace, home of the South Vietnamese president (when there was a South Vietnam)


City of Motorcycles


20 years of war with the Americans so they could have a New York Dessert Company

Notre Dame Basilica, built (obviously) by the French in the 1800's.

Caravelle Hotel

Rex Hotel

Opera House, with Caravelle Hotel behind it

Hotel Continental, another one of the "classic" hotels. Parts of the novel "The Quiet American" took place here. I never read the book, so I don't how significant that is.

The Opera House (officially the Municipal Theater), built in 1897.

Saigon City Hall, with a famous statue of Uncle Ho providing comfort and advice to a child

Wider view of City Hall

Rex Hotel--this is where the US Army held its press conferences in Saigon.

Fountain near City Hall

Some modern construction near the Opera House

Hotel and office buildings near the Saigon River. This is about 1/2 mile from the center of the city.

New housing across the Saigon River

Another view by the river.

Bitexco Financial Tower, the tallest building in Saigon (861 feet)


A street near Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market, the largest indoor market in Saigon (the same one I was at the previous day)


Some goodies at the market

After my walk, I had about half an hour to rest up before the guide came to get me for my tour. So, I took a trip up to the roof of the hotel.

The lobby of my hotel

View of Ben Thanh Market from the roof of the hotel

Another view from the hotel roof


Rooftop pool

View of Central Saigon from the roof

Lunch at Pho 24. Franchises are available.

At noon, we headed for the Cu Chi Tunnels, about 40 minutes north west of Saigon.

On our way out of Saigon

More scenery on the way out of Saigon

On the outskirts of Saigon

A food vendor on the outskirts of Saigon

A closed (or abandoned) slide on the outskirts of Saigon

A cemetery on the outskirts of Saigon

After about an hour we made it to the Cu Chi Tunnels. This is a network of tunnels (about 200 KM in total length) dug and maintained by the Viet Cong. This is where they (and their families) lived while the US and South Vietnamese were bombing and defoliating the land above them. According to Wikipedia,
"Air, food and water were scarce and the tunnels were infested with ants, poisonous centipedes, scorpions, spiders and vermin. Most of the time, guerrillas 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."

My guide describing the arrangement of the tunnels.

Uncovering a tunnel entrance

Descending into a tunnel

Replacing a tunnel cover.

A booby trap. You didn't want to step on this.

A captured tank

Demonstration of how they built bombs out of old US shells

Some of their collected ammunition

The original tunnels were too narrow for Westerners to fit in, so they expanded some of the entrances to accommodate tourists. Even then it was a very tight squeeze.