Slideshow « Vietnam Trip, Day 13 | Cu Chi Tunnels and Climbing in Saigon

In morning it was time to head off to the famous Cu Chi tunnel network located in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City. On the way there we stopped and visited a handicapped handicrafts shop that supported handicapped people that were mostly victims of Agent Orange used during the Vietnam War. An hour later we arrived at the Cu Chi tunnels. The Cu Chi tunnel network were very impressive, particularly the methods used to conceal their presence. Even the smoke from the cooking stoves were eliminated through ingenious ways. At the end of the tour you were also given the opportunity to fire an assault rifle at the shooting range, for some cash of course

Here’s a short clip a took of some people releaving their stress. You may not notice it, but the noise was extremmly loud and not comforturable at all.

Here are some more impressions from my visit there.

Handicapped Handicrafts

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Cu Chi tunnels

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In the evening I went climbing at X-Rock Climbing to relax and get some exercise. My interest in climbing had already been sparked up again by my fantastic rock climbing experience in the Lan Ha Bay. Back in my old school days I used to go climbing with my girlfriend, who was an avid climber and taught me the tricks of the trade. After a few climbs my hands, especially my joints and tendons, were so sore that I to take a half an hour break from climbing. And it was also during this time where I met a few expats from UK who were working for Osprey, a backpack company. Before I went on my Vietnam trip I was looking for a backpack and was torn between the Osprey Argon 85 and the Aircontact PRO 70+15, of which neither would have been a bad choice, as they both felt very comfortable on my back with 20 kg load.

So here I got to talk with a products manager from Osprey. I couldn’t resist to make some suggestions on how to improve the Osprey Argon 85 and what additional features I would like to see in their next refresh, basing my experience on my backpack, the Aircontact PRO 70+15. Although I’m not very confident that you’ll be able to see these improvements and new features in their next backpacks, at least I can say I tried