Cu Chi Tunnels and Water Puppet Show

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Cu Chi Tunnels and Water Puppet Show

Vietnam-Cambodia Tour Itinerary

Just like during our first day, we woke up at 7 am to get ready for the Cu Chi Tunnel tour. For this tour, we paid $5 each for the tour guide and transportation but we also paid 80,000 VND as entrance fee to the tunnel.

The trip was scheduled to start at 8am and finish at 2pm. This was the half day tour. The whole day tour included a visit to the faraway Cao Dai Temple but we'd get back at 6:30 pm and probably miss the Water Puppet Show. So the half-day tour was what we got.

Handicraft workshop stopover

The finished products

Before going to the tunnels, we had a stopover at a handicraft shop where tourists had the option to purchase souvenirs.

Our tour guide said there were mosquitoes at the tunnels but in my opinion, there weren't any. I forgot to take insect repellant but fortunately, I didn't need to.

I could get in but needed help getting out!

During the tour, our tour guide showed us the entrance to the tunnels created by Vietnamese guerillas while fighting the Americans. The entrance was so small, about 1ft x 0.5ft, and could be hidden by leaves. I tried getting into it, which was a piece ok cake, but had a hard time getting myself out. Lol. No arm strength whatsoever.

We also saw traps, a tank, life size models depicting life inside the tunnels, and a video showing Vietnamese war history.

Traps for used in guerrilla warfare

All in all, it was interesting and an eye opener. At the end of the tour, we were allowed to travel the tunnels as far as 100m. I found that it hurt my thighs when bent over and moving in such confined space. Then I later found out that the tunnels we used were already enlarged for tourists! Wow.

Finally, it was time to go back. Charles and Ian did some more bag shopping while I rested in the guest house. At around 5pm, we left again to catch the Water Puppet Show at the Dragon Theater. This show costs $6. I read in the forum that some people found this show boring because it was all in Vietnamese. So I didn't have high expectations for it. I just wanted to see what a water puppet show was. Lol.

The Fairy Dance

I was pleasantly surprised when I found I actually enjoyed the show. I had the program sequence on hand so I could follow what was being depicted by the puppets. I personally found it entertaining. Maybe because we were near the center and had an unobstructed view of the stage? Or maybe because it was something new? Whatever it was, I found it enjoyable and worth it, although the music was rather loud. The poor kid in front of me thought so too because his mother kept her hands over his ears for the entirety of the show.

Phoenix Dance

The show was long, maybe 2 hours. After having dinner, we finally went back to the guest house for the last time and prepared to head to the airport for our 1am flight back to the Philippines. The staff got us a taxi for $7. Because of the time difference, we arrived in Manila at 4am.