Củ Chi Tunnels In Vietnam
The Vietnam War (as folks in the US call it) is a HUGE part of Vietnamese History.
And it isn’t purely history in Vietnam. Fields are contaminated with Agent Orange today. Babies are still being born with birth defects due to it. Lives are being shortened.
(As a side note, the Vietnamese tend to be very friendly and are usually polite toward Americans.
But, if you are American, know that Americans WERE the enemy.
EVERYONE knows someone Americans killed and/or had tortured.
So, yes, ask questions. Listen and learn.
But keep your opinions and your own experiences to yourself.)
No visit to Vietnam is complete without a tour of a portion of the Củ Chi tunnels.
Some tunnels have been fortified and better maintained allowing daring visitors to navigate them.
The site we visited also had other items from the war – like different types of ingenious traps set for the enemy, tanks, medical kits, etc.
It was sad, of course. The entire ‘war tour day’ the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I participated in was very sad and often quite horrifying. (So plan around that.)
But the tour of the tunnels was informative and it gave us a deeper understanding of the Vietnamese people.
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Coconut Boats / Basket Boats In Hội An, Vietnam
One of the activities to do in Hội An, Vietnam is to take a coconut boat or, more correctly, a basket boat tour.
The round boats were designed to get around tariffs being levied by the French on boats.
They were traditionally made from woven bamboo, sealed with a waterproof natural resin and were shaped like baskets because, the locals argued, they WERE baskets, not boats.
And since they were clearly baskets, the taxes on boats didn’t apply to them.
(grins)
I thought this tour would be a peaceful paddle around the mangroves, looking at nature, and listening to the birds.
And there was a bit of that.
A TINY bit.
Most of the tour was a very loud, boisterous party. There were hundreds of other people in boats. Music blasted constantly. There were shows on the water. And cheering. And bumping into other boats.
Expect THAT experience and don’t expect to see much nature.
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Looking For Pearls In Vietnam
Part of the bus tour to Hanoi, Vietnam was a bathroom stop at a pearl ‘factory.’
This was free. The expectation was some people in the tour would buy some pearl jewelry or other items (and some people in our tour did exactly that).
There was information about pearls and a demonstration on how they are ‘harvested’ and processed.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I also trekked around the grounds. There were birds and other wildlife.
It was an interesting stop to do…once. (grins)
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Sung Sot Cave, Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
The Dear Wonderful Hubby arranged for a boat tour of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. There were plenty of operators at the cruise terminal. The prices were reasonable and the stop at Sung Sot Cave alone was well worth it.
The approach was like a scene out of Jurassic Park. I half expected a pterodactyl to fly out of the mist.
The boat dropped us off near the entrance of the cave and then relocated near the exit of the cave.
Because the cave was that fraggin’ big.
It was one of the most impressive caves the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I have ever explored. And we’ve explored quite a few of them all over the world.
The rock formations were amazing.
The pathways and stairs were well kept.
The cave was illuminated just enough to still give it that dark and delicious cave feel.
It is a must see in Ha Long Bay!
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Queen Cable Car, Halong Bay, Vietnam
One of the paid things to do in Halong Bay, Vietnam is to take the Queen Cable Car. When the weather is right, it gives travelers great views of the city.
The weather was NOT right when the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I visited Halong Bay. It was rainy and and the views would have been…not great.
But we enjoyed watching the cable car operate! And that was free to do!
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Muse Food – Sung Sot Cave And Other Portals To Adventure
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I spotted this ‘secret opening’ near Sung Sot Cave in Vietnam.
And we imagined all the possible places (and times!) this entrance was a portal to. I imagined dinosaurs, a land full of giant ferns and equally as large dragonflies. The Dear Wonderful Hubby imagined a private beach edging a pristine sea that was the home to colorful fish no other human had ever seen.
Where do YOU think it leads?
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