Over our first and only weekend, we embarked on some awesome adventures. We began Saturday with a long bus ride to Vung Tau, where we first climbed a small mountain to see a massive Jesus statue reminiscent of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. The ascent consisted of over 800 steps plus some additional steps to reach the top of the statue. On a 100-degree day, this was quite the task, but nevertheless, everyone persevered and made it up. The view from the top was impeccable, showcasing the massive city and miles of coastline dividing the buildings from the crystal blue water. After our descent, we ventured to a nearby hotel resort and beach club where we had lunch consisting of exotic delicacies. During lunch, I tried stingray for the first time along with many other dishes. After lunch, we spent time at the private beach and ended the day with some football in the pool.

While Saturday was a fun R&R day, Sunday was full of new experiences and lessons on Vietnamese history. We woke up bright and early to take a two-hour bus ride to Cu Chi, where major war remnants are located. On the bus, our guide filled us in on intricate details from the war with America. Upon arrival, we were met with many decommissioned planes, tanks, and helicopters left by the Americans and captured by the Vietnamese. It was intriguing to see how, even though the vehicles were not Vietnamese, they are still doing their part to preserve history. Our next stop was a short film that gave a brief history of the war and a few statistics.

The main attraction came when we crossed a small bridge to get to the tunnel exhibition. In this area of the museum, there were examples of the VC traps and common houses during the war. After seeing the traps and houses, we were met by the tunnels. We first entered a 15-meter long tunnel and, to put it simply, it was a “tight fit” for me given my size. The funniest part for all of us was that we struggled to fit, and the tunnels were expanded to twice their original size for tourists. Overall, it was a very fun, very hot, and very educational day—definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far.