Depart 6:30
am
Return 6 pm
In the
morning, after breakfast,
head out on a scenic drive along the coastal area to visit the DMZ
(Demilitarized Zone), set in the rugged, jungle-shrouded mountains
along the Laotian border of South Vietnam:
Visit
a bullet
ridden church and at the remains of the Quang Tri Citadel., Visit Hien Luong
bridge and the Seventeenth parallel,
.At Dong
Ha town, take Highway 9 towards Laos, visiting some of U.S. outposts during
the war, including Camp Carol and the "Rock Pile". Continue to Khe Sanh
where there is the biggest U.S. base in central Vietnam during the war.
Proceed to the Lang Vei Special Forces Camp, where North Vietnamese forces
first used tanks against U.S. forces. In the afternoon, cross the Dakrong
Bridge to visit a village of Van Kieu ethnic minorities. Drive back towards
the coast to visit
the intriguing network of underground
tunnels at Vinh Moc where guerilla fighters lived and planned attacks. In
late afternoon, drive back to Hue
Trip
includes
transportation,
boat ride,
English
speaking
guide, lunch
and
admission
fees
Trip price:
in USD
per
person in the party of 2
US $85 per person(
2 to 3 persons).
US $72 per person(
4to 6 persons).
.
.
This was along Highway 9, a road that runs parallel to the
DMZ, and there used to be a lookout point on top in this rockpile, so soldiers
could see the fiel 
Hmmm, let's go to Khe Sahn, a former American airstrip and
base (and now a stretch of barren earth, and some coffee plantations.)
Khe Sahn was a strangely affecting stop on the tour of
America's greatest hits because there's still a supply of wartime American
planes now used as part of a museum, as well as a pile of leftover detritus from
wartime (old phones, etc.) And a journal, for travelers to record their
thoughts. And old photos and historical information, to enrich the experience.
.
.
The barren Khe Sahn airstrip, where nothing will grow.
The barren Khe Sahn airstrip, where nothing will grow.
The Dakrong Bridge, important for reasons I have forgotten.
.
and the Ben-Hai monument, erected at the foot of the
bridge.
.
Ben-Hai River, running along the DMZ.
.
and the shores of the Ben-Hai. 
Where the tunnels open onto... 
.
What do you see here? Look closer. If you're still
baffled, then the Vietnamese have done a good job, hiding the access points for
the Vihn Moc tunnels, where the Vietnamese tunneled three floors underground to
escape the American bombing, and raise entire families. Sorry, too dark to
photograph in the tunnels. And Meredith was having a claustrophobia panic attack
anyway...
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