May 9

Starting off our weekend here in Vietnam, we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels for the day. The Cu Chi Tunnels were an elaborate tunnel network set up by the Viet Cong in the Cu Chi district outside of Saigon that were very effective in fighting the American forces. Getting up bright and early, we took a nearly two hour bus ride through the Vietnamese countryside to Cu Chi. Driving through the country, we saw a different side to Vietnam than what we have been able to see in Ho Chi Minh City. We saw some stereotypical images of Vietnam driving through rice paddies and small villages, but also saw some very nice houses and modern industrial parks out in the country. Arriving at Cu Chi, we prepared ourselves for what was certain to be an unforgettable experience. To start the tour, we saw some artifacts and a short video (from the 1967 Vietnamese perspective of the war) to explain some of the background of the tunnels. We then walked through the forest, which has completely regrown since being destroyed in the war and is still lined with craters from bombs, to the tunnels. I crawled through all of the tunnels available to us, including some extremely small ones. Given a glimpse into a completely different time and mindset of history, this was an incredible opportunity that I know was only possible here on this trip. After spending time at the tunnels, we went to lunch at a restaurant right on the river near Cu Chi. Here we could see some images of completely untouched (or at least rejuvenated) nature. Additionally, we went to a temple honoring those who fought in Cu Chi for the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong. In a building approximately the same size as the Lincoln Memorial, three of the four walls were covered with the names of the men and women they lost in the fighting. We also spent some time at a cemetery to see the scale of people who died in the fighting at Cu Chi. Returning to the hotel, we went out for our first dinner without any Vietnamese students or Dr. Berman or Bryan, and somehow arrived at a great restaurant and enjoyed a good meal. After dinner, we had our final fitting for our suits and went out for a fun night with some of our Vietnamese friends.