By Ed Elliot
June 29 2018

"Given the catastrophic damage over a period of three decades, it's a wonder anything's working at all, frankly," admits railway historian Tim Doling.

"By 1973, all that was left of the south Vietnamese network was something like 47 kilometres of line running out of Saigon, so the whole thing just ground to a halt," continues the middle-aged British expat, who chronicles the railways of his adopted home.

A tale of construction and destruction, railways were introduced to this corner of south-east Asia by French colonists in the 1880s, after they envisaged an opportunity to capture the rice market, a project beset by poor planning and financial failures.

Decades of foreign occupation and international interference have left multiple marks on Vietnam's landscape.Thankfully, the remarkable railway line running down its spine remains one of them.

Full article https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/ ... 50117.html

LoL "Uncle Ho" this nickname was given to him by sourtherners coz they do not want to call him by his revered name as the northerners do, but they cant insult him either, so uncle ho kinda sticks the fact that the author knew this meant that he spend quite some times in vietnam

hanno wrote: ↑Sat Jun 30, 2018 1:32 pm

Shuffling tentatively into the darkness, the stifling heat is close to unbearable. Squatting and hunched, my shoulders span almost the entire width of the confined space, while my head is in constant danger of grazing the unforgiving stone ceiling.

First time I went to Cu Chi, the tunnels hadn't been widened yet; most claustrophobic thing I've ever done.

for specific reason, so that the bigger size yanks cant go in after them, and saves time n effort while excavating, brilliant, absolutely brilliant, yanks got their ass handed to them in vietnam

bolueeleh wrote: ↑Sat Jun 30, 2018 2:14 pm

hanno wrote: ↑Sat Jun 30, 2018 1:32 pm

Shuffling tentatively into the darkness, the stifling heat is close to unbearable. Squatting and hunched, my shoulders span almost the entire width of the confined space, while my head is in constant danger of grazing the unforgiving stone ceiling.

First time I went to Cu Chi, the tunnels hadn't been widened yet; most claustrophobic thing I've ever done.

for specific reason, so that the bigger size yanks cant go in after them, and saves time n effort while excavating, brilliant, absolutely brilliant, yanks got their ass handed to them in vietnam

I though the widened tunnels was a replica made for fatass yanks and the original tunnels designed for skinnies were still there.
Given the quality of driving on Vietnams roads travelling by train is probably far safer