#852 Cu Chi tunnels, Vietnam

The Vietnam War was one of the most brutal and violent in recent memory, with many atrocities occuring and such as strong clash of ideological beliefs in a culmination of Cold War hostilities. In Vietnam, I saw many remarkable things that represented this war, from bombed out valleys, the infamous China Beach near Da Nang, the former DMZ, and the headquarter cities of Saigon and Hanoi. 

However one of the most interesting features was the Cu Chi tunnels, a collection of the tunnels for tourists to see and get an idea of what covered vast amounts of territory and contributed enormously to the guerilla warfare -- in particular it was the base of the Viet cong during the Tet Offensive. Used for communication, supply, hospitals, storage, homes and means of movement, they were a very developed system. Despite being important to their resistance against the Americans, life in the tunnels was not particularly pleasant, as life underground with a plethora of tropical pests in abundance, and the other major killer: malaria.

The tunnels have been considerably widened and enlarged to allow for tourists, and the original trap door entrances camouflaged in the jungle floor were designed for the small Vietnamese bodies. Booby traps and other dangers were incorporated into the system including bambo spikes, cages, holes, etc. They really were an amazing piece of engineering and certainly an aid in overwhelming the Americas t

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi_tunnels

P.S. This is also one of the only posts on my blog where I am actually in the photos, which gives you a very accurate indication of how old the photos are!

#958 Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

An other-worldly place with plugs of limestone rock shooting up from a peaceful, picturesque bay as if someone decided to create a maze of rock, but then it eroded into the sea, Ha Long Bay literally means 'Dragon descending', and it's the kind of place where the mythology that named it seems like it could happen there.

With thousands of islands ranging in size, many with caves and minimal vegetation, the bay stretches several kilometers and from the place where you set sail in order to visit the many islands, you can't see the open sea. The distinctive twin sail boats with trapezoidal yellow sails are not a fast journey and feel timeless, despite the modern amenities.

Pictures: Film, 1998
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha_Long_Bay



#963 Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong River is one of the most impressive in South East Asia, flowing through several countries: China to Myanmar, Laos to Thailand, then Cambodia before ending its journey in Vietnam. Its name is of Lao and Thai origin and has been a trade route for centuries, although its flows change greatly from season to season. You can see the fresh water pink dolphin (although quite rare now), a softshell turtle, crocodiles and wave to the many different peoples living along the banks, but what I loved the most were the number of people who lived on the river itself. The trade was as it has been for centuries and the superstitions continued, such as putting eyes on the boat to prevent bad spirits.

Note: These pictures are so old they were taken with film: Christmas 1998. 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong