ultimatevietnamcambodia2015: Friday 30th October. Saigon

An 8am start this morning for our journey out to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Traffic was heavy in the am peak hours so it was 9.45am before we arrived. This is my 4th visit to the tunnels and I would have to say that nothing has changed in the presentation. We headed straight to the hut that gave the Vietnamese version of the war with the enemy (USA) but you had to be impressed with the resilience of the VietCong in standing up to the allied forces. The 3 tier layer of tunnels at 3 metres, 6 metres and 10 metres approximately and the ingenious methods of hiding cooking smoke and fresh air ducts in termite mounds still captures the imagination. The various displays highlight the booby traps set by the VC and really brings home the futility of this war that achieved nothing but misery for families both in Vietnam and with the allied forces.

Most in the group ventured into the tunnel, but with its short distance, concrete reinforcement and enlargement for westerners it is hardly a challenge for "tunnel rats". I do have the utmost respect for those soldiers who actually climbed into the tunnels during the war to flush out the VC and with over 200kms in the complex this must have been difficult and extremely dangerous.

Tinh walked us to Al Fresco's restaurant tonight for a pleasant meal with 3 choices for each course. There was still time after that for some of the group to visit the Nga lacquer shop near the hotel while a few of us headed to Saigon Square, which was closed. We regrouped on the upper level of the Rex Hotel and enjoyed a drink while listening to a very good 3 person band. The Rex in Saigon is quite upmarket and this is reflected in drink prices, but the atmosphere is great. I have said before that Saigon is a much more westernized city than Hanoi and there is a real sense of vibrancy in the streets, particularly in the large square that fronts the city hall. Thousands of people, mostly young, crowd this square to dance, mingle and generally have a good time. In addition, some areas have fountains with colored lights that operate spasmodically and the overall impression is one of people enjoying themselves.

Believe it or not this is the fruit of the cashew. You can see the nut forming on the bottom. Imagine how many of these fruits you need for a kilo of cashews. Hence the cost!