All that I can see, is just another rubber tree

This morning we woke up bright and early to head to Cu Chi, a city that is known for its tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. It is located an hour and a half away from Ho Chi Minh City, so we did get a nice nap. It was the first time we had been out in the countryside and it was a completely different world from the city. It was what I had pictured Vietnam to be before coming here: rice patties, small little houses surrounded by grasses, wildlife everywhere, etc. Even though it was so opposite from Ho Chi Minh, it was still just as beautiful but in a different way. We got to Cu Chi and were given a tour of the grounds. We got to see how the citizens of Cu Chi survived the war by living in underground tunnels, which were also used to fight American troops going through the area. We saw the different types of traps that they used to fight soldiers, the types of clothes they wore in the trenches, and even got to see the tunnels themselves. A bunch of people even got to crawl through them, and we all had a lot of fun at Cu Chi. Next we headed to Tay Ninh to see a huge Cao Dai temple. It was absolutely incredible and may have been the prettiest building I've ever seen. We were fortunate enough to be able to witness a worship ceremony. Those who were worshiping wore all white and prayed together on the floor of the temple while a musical ensemble full of instruments I had never seen before and singers made music in the background. It was such a unique experience and I'm really glad I was able to see it.

 A bamboo trap for US soldiers in the Vietnam War

 An entrance to the underground tunnels of Cu Chi

 Some buildings in Cu Chi

 The Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh 

 A worship service going on in the temple

Rice patties!

Tonight was the last time we were going to be able to hang out with our UEF friends at night. First, they took us shopping at Ben Tanh Market again to buy any last minute souvenirs we might need. Then we went to a t-shirt shop where we could buy less touristy shirts with actual vietnamese writing on it. Then about half of us went to the Adidas store while the others stayed behind and got sugar cane drinks (which were really good). We got dinner at a European restaurant and everything was great as usual. We got the UEF students to agree to pay for their dinner because they have been so hospitable and have been with us everyday for the last two weeks. After that it was time for one last motorbike ride from my driver Dang! Dang has pretty much been my chauffeur for the last two weeks and has kept me very safe on the streets of Ho Chi Minh (which is not an easy task, believe me). We said goodbye to a lot of our UEF friends tonight and it was so sad. At the beginning of this trip, I never could have imagined that I would make so many good friends. But I'm proud to say that I have met so many wonderful people and I know I will always have friends here if I decide to one day come back to Vietnam (or if they decide to visit Pittsburgh, which they all totally should!!!!).

Tonight we went to Lush for one last time and spent our last night in Ho Chi Minh as a group. Team Yolo is so awesome and I'm so happy I got to travel abroad with this group of people. Tomorrow is our last day in Vietnam before venturing back to the States and we have such a busy day planned! Which means I need to start getting ready for tomorrow. Goodnight from Ho Chi Minh! 

-Hailee