Weather: Mostly sunny, excessive heat. Temperatures from 26c (79f) to 39c (102f). Real feel 31c (88f) to 42c (108f)
We were up very early today (5.30am) as we were off at 7am to the Mekong Delta, a two-hour car journey away.
The Mekong Delta encompasses a vast and fertile floodplain of the Mekong and Cuu Long rivers with a maze of waterways. It is a mass of rivers, swamps, islands, Khmer pagodas, and villages and is surrounded by rice paddies. The Mekong Delta is known for its unique rice cultivation tradition, floating houses, floating markets, and farming practices. Boats are the primary means of transportation.
We enjoyed our trip to the Mekong Delta, but it was extremely hot and humid and very tiring. We first went to a huge open-air market, then on a 20-minute boat trip down the Mekong River.
We visited a small company that processes coconuts and turns them into many different products, including milk, oil, and sweets. We then switched to a hand-rowed sampan for a trip down a smaller canal. We were the only boat on this waterway, which was very peaceful.
We had lunch at a restaurant on the Mekong River bank. We were due to go on a cycle ride, but it was so hot and humid that we canceled this and traveled back to Ho Chi Minh City.
While visiting the Mekong Delta, Scott hired a motorbike and drove to the Ben Douc Viet Cong Tunnels with a tour guide from the Saigon Riders. These are part of the Cu Chi Tunnels in the Cu Chi district of Vietnam.
Two tunnel systems are open to the public: the Ben Dinh and the Ben Duoc.
Most tour operators take tourists to the Ben Dinh tunnels, which are nearer to Ho Chi Minh City. The Ben Denh tunnels have also been modified and enlarged to accommodate taller and bigger Western tourists.
Ben Duoc tunnels are more authentic, have not been modified, and stretch over a bigger distance. So, if you want to visit the tunnels, insist that you are taken to Ben Duoc. You will miss the crowds and have a far better experience.
However, one word of warning: the Ben Duoc tunnels are very low and narrow. Our Scott had to crawl on his hands and knees to get into them; even so, he could not get far.
The tunnels were uniquely designed with multiple bends for protection against explosions, U-shaped passages filled with water to shield against toxic gases, and narrow dimensions to facilitate Vietnamese movement while hindering American forces.
Wildlife from the jungle sometimes took refuge in the tunnels, adding to the peril. Inside, entire villages were reconstructed, complete with ammunition depots, hospitals, bedrooms, meeting rooms, food storage areas, and even theaters.
Many Vietnamese would spend their entire days inside the tunnels, emerging only at night to engage in combat. This tactic confounded the Americans, who found it difficult to track the elusive Vietnamese fighters.
However, this prolonged tunnel living brought about health issues due to the subterranean living conditions and the absence of sunlight.
If you are interested in the tunnels, read this article.
What I found interesting is that the tunnels were originally built to fight the French colonists in the 1940s and then greatly extended during the Vietnam War. They stretch over 75 miles and are on three levels.
The tunnels linked villages in the Cu Chi district, which surrounded Ho Chi Minh City. They allowed the Viet Cong (South Vietnamese guerrillas supporting Ho Chi Minh and his forces in the North) and the North Vietnamese army to attack in ambushes, set up booby traps, and escape through the complex network of underground tunnels. For U.S. forces, even just finding their enemy proved difficult.
If you would like to read a short guide to the Vietnam War read this:
Coleman Adventures- North Coast 500 