Ho Chi Minh City – first thing’s first: the name. the official name is Ho Chi Minh City (often abbreviated HCMC), although the southern metropolis has been called Saigon for centuries. We heard and used both names interchangeably. My understanding is that Saigon is more formal and less “all encompassing” and HCMC is more modern and includes rural areas. Either way, this is where we were for two days.

On our first day, John was getting over a mini flu (nothing serious but enough to where he needed to lie low and get fully better) so Ryan and I went on an excursion on our own. We went to the Cu Chi Tunnels – and wow – it was an amazing excursion. The Cu Chi Tunnels are a vast underground network of tunnels that hid and protected thousands of Viet Cong troops during the Vietnam War. The section that we toured lies beneath the Cu Chi district in the countryside north of Ho Chi Minh City. Communist forces began digging the tunnels in the late 1940s, when they were fighting the French for independence. As we discovered, the tunnels span thousands of miles and once hid an underground city of sorts with living quarters, smokeless kitchens, hospitals, and even schools.

The tunnels were typically five feet high and not even three feet wide, with air passages to the surface camouflaged to look like natural holes from tree roots or animals. Every time you would see what looked like a large termite mount, it was actually an air vent. They were roughly every 10-20 meters.

Digging the tunnels was an incredibly arduous and time-consuming endeavor, as they were often dug by hand. We were able to climb into the tunnels and see what it was like. It was so squished and claustrophobic. And, shockingly, the tunnels that we traversed have been expanded somewhat for safety and convenience. So as cramped as they were, they would have been even smaller in their original size.

Before abandoning the tunnels, the Viet Cong left booby traps for the invading troops. We were able to see many booby traps set up to show how they worked. It was crazy to see them “in action” as you could just feel how painful they would have been.

At one point, they showed us a secret entrance to one of the holes. You couldn’t tell there was an opening unless you knew it was there. They allowed some of us to climb into the hole and virtually disappear in front of everybody’s eyes. It was wild.

There were some hands-on activities and demonstrations as well while we were at the tunnels. For example, we were able to see rice paper being made, and Ryan demonstrated the use of a churn-like device for the group. They also had a shooting range, so the whole time we were there we heard the sounds of M-16s and other guns being fired. It added to the whole setting and gave a sense of eeriness. Overall, this was a very moving excursion.

During our drive, we stopped for a “comfort stop” to stretch our legs and grab a drink at a place that also sold artwork made by disabled people impacted by Agent Orange. The artwork was really nice and seeing the people actually working while we perused the items compelled us to buy some stuff. So Ryan and I each bought a small piece.

We arrived back to the ship a little past 7pm and after a quick game of ping pong with Matthew and a shower, John and I ventured out into the city for an adult evening. We went to a couple brewpubs and enjoyed some local craft beer and food.

When we got back to the ship, I went to bed because I need my beauty sleep. John, however, feeling way better from lying low in the day hung out longer outside the ship with some of the ship’s crew and other guests. He had a great time before retiring for the evening.

The next morning, John, Ryan, and I went on another excursion – this time to see a Caodaist temple.

We had never heard of this religion, but it’s a big one here. Founded in Saigon in 1926, Caodaism borrows a number of ideas from other religions. There are about four million followers in Vietnam alone who practice prayer, nonviolence, veneration of their ancestors, and vegetarianism in order to reach heaven. As we browsed the colorful temple, the guide pointed out the architectural elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, and Confucianism throughout.

The guide also explained that Caodaists worship the left eye, which was a unique element.

After the visit to the temple, we went to a coffee shop and enjoyed some Vietnamese iced coffee (for me and John) and fresh squeezed orange juice (for Ryan) along with some hot tea for all of us. It was a cool coffee shop with an indoor waterfall.

Lastly, we went to a local restaurant where we made some dumplings and enjoyed a tasty soup for lunch. The dumplings were filled with chicken, fish, and shrimp. We made probably 20 dumplings between the three of us but were only served 6 total that were cooked, so we’re pretty sure we worked for the restaurant as part of this excursion, haha.

After enjoying our lunch, we headed back to the ship. Before calling it quits, we spent the rest of our Vietnamese money at a souvenir shop right outside the ship. And that concluded our time in Saigon. 😊