The DMZ

Today we took a full day tour to the Demilitarized zone (DMZ), which formerly marked the border between North and South Vietnam, when they were separate countries from 1954 to 1975. Ironically the area became one of the most militarized areas during the American War (that's what the locals call it) in the 60s and early 70s. After crossing the Ben Hai river, where the old border was, and taking photos of the border gate, we visited the Vinh Moc tunnels, a labyrinth of underground passages and living quarters, which the locals hand built to hide and protect themselves from the American bombing raids - a remarkable building feat, considering the limited resources available in the area. We then visited several historic war sites, whilst our guide recounted to us what life was like around the DMZ during the American War. The tour culminated at Khe Sanh combat site and where one of the bloodiest battles of the war occurred - its now a very peaceful hillside town near the Laos border, but the museum and the abandoned American military armoury and helicopters on show remind you that a generation ago things were very very different......