It’s been nearly a decade since I visited the tunnels. Yeah, did the “duck walk” inside and came out alive, gasping for breath. A decade later and here I am, older, weaker knees, agonizing whether to go with my grandnephew down the tunnel and risk losing oxygen. But he won’t go without me. Clingy? 🤷🏼‍♀️ So off we went!

Took us all of 2 hours getting here from Ho Chi Minh. Like the last time, I’m dripping in sweat just a few minutes after arrival in Cu Chi, meandering through the bamboo forest trying to imagine how the Americans set up camps while them Vietcongs survived underground. Like the last time, I’m still in awe of Vietnamese ingenuity and courage. And cringe at their horrible weaponry and victorious psyche war strategy. They used whatever was available (sharpened bamboos, nails, wood, etc) and it’s hard to wrap your head around these torturous war traps and combat gear without cringing.

Martin had his history lessons on the 🇻🇳 Vietnam War in a day with this visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, followed by a visit to the War Remnants Museum. I tried to wriggle myself out of the latter, but ended up sharing that horrible feeling one experiences reading war trivia and viewing all those war photographs by courageous war journalists and photojournalists. This is the real #buwisbuhay (life-threatening) job. After such a visit, you head home (or back to your hotel) feeling drained. Hopefully Martin gained a good appreciation of how there is clearly NO WINNER, NO REAL VICTOR in any war. Enough said. Enough seen.