Mad World

I remember growing up to a background of news reports about the Vietnam war.
I never thought I would be here on holiday.
The Viet Cong hid out in the Cu Chi tunnels under the Americans' noses, in south Vietnam. They were guerrilla soldiers siding with the Communist North, believing passionately in their cause and carrying out raids and killings against the American soldiers. The Americans knew they were hiding nearby so they sprayed defoliating Agent Orange in the jungle greenery then set fire to it with Napalm to destroy their jungle cover.
The Viet Cong were cruel too, setting booby traps for the US soldiers to fall into, containing a variety of nasty sharply spiked bamboo sticks designed to cause hideous injuries.
The tunnels were tiny, suited to the petite build of the southern Vietnamese. The Americans couldn't have followed them down there. Neither could we.. We did crawl along a little way but it was almost impossible.
The Vietnamese seem very philosophical about all this now, they don't seem to bear any malice and often show veterans around.
I can't believe those places we thought of as so frightening are just a tourist attraction now.
This shot shows the entry to one of the claustrophobic tunnels.
See also LooseCanon 's blip for info