Excursion tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels and My Tho, the heart of the Mekong Delta

Today marked another booked guided tour, and the alarm rang shortly after 6:00 AM; I hit the snooze button to delay it a bit longer, but there was no avoiding it, as the bus was supposed to pick me up shortly after 7:00 AM, and at this hour, coffee is vital for survival ... The bus rolled in at 7:30 AM, and the first task was to pick up the other tour participants...

Once that was done and a colorful mix of Indians, Brits, Croats, and myself settled in the bus, we were off. First destination: the Cu Chi Tunnels. During the 1.5-hour ride there, we made a stop at the 'Quang Minh Lacquerware' production facility. There, people suffering from the physical (late) effects of the Vietnam War and the chemical warfare using Agent Orange, including some who were born over 20 years after the war ended, meticulously create artworks known as lacquer art, where varnishes are used for surface finishing along with everyday items (like eggshells), resulting in true masterpieces...

Afterwards, we proceeded to the Cu Chi Tunnels. During the Vietnam War, communist partisans on the side of the Northern troops (Viet Cong) constructed a tunnel system in the self-governing, US-supported South after the end of the Indochina War to support the 'liberation army'; largely hidden in the inhospitable jungle terrain. Activities from these tunnels significantly contributed to breaking the morale of the US military, culminating in the so-called Tet Offensive and the surprising occupation of the American embassy in Saigon.

After lunch, we traveled back on the bus for an extended time to the Mekong Delta in My Tho, where various tourist visits occurred. This shouldn't necessarily be construed negatively, as it offered interesting impressions. Initially, we embarked on a boat tour on the Mekong, where we gained quite a good insight into the lively - seemingly chaotic - shipping traffic. We docked at various stops. There, we observed the local processing of coconuts into various sweet treats followed by tasting. Naturally, this was also aimed at selling goods to tourists, but it wasn’t pushy or unpleasant. We also enjoyed some delicious liquor, infused for six months with a king cobra. Then we had a tasting of delectable local fruits accompanied by traditional singing from a local choir using age-old accompanying instruments. It was very interesting to listen to, but the record probably won't make it to my home, and before the tasting at a bee farm, we passed through narrow waterways on a Sampan ride. The mostly older ladies did not always navigate the boats through the narrow channels without collisions ...

Finally, we made the 2.5-hour return journey during sunset to my accommodation in Saigon, where I just took a little city tour before retreating to the air-conditioned comfort zone of my lodging ...