Our first and only weekend here in Vietnam was jam-packed with so many fun activities, where I made some of my most fond memories! We started with an early morning trip to Vung Tau City, on the east coast of the country, about 2 hours outside of Ho Chi Minh City. We started our day in Vung Tau with a small hike up a mountain. 814 steps up, brought us to the top where the famous Jesus Christ statue standing 32 meters tall (105 ft) stood. We were even able to stand at the top of the statue, inside the shoulder, we enjoyed the view of a lifetime. After this short trip, we headed to lunch at a private hotel right on the water. At this hotel, we were able to enjoy white beach comfy chairs, an infinity pool, and swim in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. I took the few hours we had here to really enjoy the weather and finally relax after such a busy and action-packed week. I regrettably tanned for twice the time I should’ve, as the morning after I was redder than the color of the Vietnamese flag! Out of all the activities we have, and will do here in Vietnam, Sunday was the day I cherished the most. Today we travelled the opposite way of the city for two hours to the famous Cu Chi tunnels. This area of Vietnam has years and years of rich history dating back to 1948. These tunnels were originally built by Vietnamese soldiers in the war against the French, where soldiers mostly hid and stored secret documents. During the Vietnam War, the tunnels were used again in 1968. Over 250 km worth of tunnels created a network that underlies much of the country. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, and living quarters for numerous North Vietnamese fighters. We were lucky enough to learn so much about the history and strategies Vietnam used to win the war against the US. We then were able to go in the tunnel system ourselves and go through 45 meters of the tunnel system. It’s astounding to think the Viet Cong were able to fit in these tunnels because we barely fit inside, and they were made double the size, for people to use now.