Comments on: Cu Chi Tunnels http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html Focus: Photo Journal featuring photos from around the world. Currently in Australia. Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:30:05 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: josh http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html/comment-page-1#comment-9703 josh Mon, 11 May 2009 13:15:49 +0000 http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html#comment-9703 The light was the flashlight of our guide. Without that, you couldn't see anything. The light was the flashlight of our guide. Without that, you couldn’t see anything.

]]> By: Peg http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html/comment-page-1#comment-9699 Peg Mon, 11 May 2009 03:57:09 +0000 http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html#comment-9699 I was thinking the light in the picture was from the far end of the tunnel. But now, after seeing Paul T's photo, I'm wondering if it's a flashlight? And the red? Clothes? I was thinking the light in the picture was from the far end of the tunnel. But now, after seeing Paul T’s photo, I’m wondering if it’s a flashlight? And the red? Clothes?

]]> By: Peg http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html/comment-page-1#comment-9698 Peg Mon, 11 May 2009 03:54:21 +0000 http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html#comment-9698 Oh, I guess it wasn't the title. Still . . . . Oh, I guess it wasn’t the title. Still . . . .

]]> By: Peg http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html/comment-page-1#comment-9697 Peg Mon, 11 May 2009 03:52:57 +0000 http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html#comment-9697 "A darkness more than night"--a title with a mood--a feel. “A darkness more than night”–a title with a mood–a feel.

]]> By: josh http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html/comment-page-1#comment-9696 josh Sun, 10 May 2009 21:46:16 +0000 http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html#comment-9696 Some Vietnamese guy working there took the photo. Some Vietnamese guy working there took the photo.

]]> By: Peg http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html/comment-page-1#comment-9690 Peg Sun, 10 May 2009 03:36:04 +0000 http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html#comment-9690 Fascinating and sort of horrifying. I, too, cannot even fathom what life must have been like there and then. Even you look pretty out of it in that window. I'm not sure I would have known it was you if I'd seen it independently somewhere. And, yes, you look pretty buff in the photo with the AK47. :-) Btw, who took the picture? I saw you're using it as your Facebook icon. Cool. Kind of. ;-) Glad you sent the tunnel photo, too. So dark. Again, just can't fathom . . . . XOXOX Fascinating and sort of horrifying. I, too, cannot even fathom what life must have been like there and then. Even you look pretty out of it in that window. I’m not sure I would have known it was you if I’d seen it independently somewhere. And, yes, you look pretty buff in the photo with the AK47. :-) Btw, who took the picture? I saw you’re using it as your Facebook icon. Cool. Kind of. ;-) Glad you sent the tunnel photo, too. So dark. Again, just can’t fathom . . . . XOXOX

]]> By: dadman http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html/comment-page-1#comment-9688 dadman Sun, 10 May 2009 02:21:38 +0000 http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html#comment-9688 how creepy to be in there!!! But an amazing experience. Glad it's now and not 1970!!!!!!!! how creepy to be in there!!! But an amazing experience. Glad it’s now and not 1970!!!!!!!!

]]> By: Clara http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html/comment-page-1#comment-9687 Clara Sat, 09 May 2009 23:18:38 +0000 http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html#comment-9687 How interesting! I'd wondered if you got to see any tunnels. You certainly did--from the inside. I'd imagine these were just a few of the many hundreds of tunnel systems in Viet Nam during the war. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be a Vietnamese person during the war and have to spend so much time in these tunnels. I also wonder if tunnels in some parts of the country were utilized by the VC to surprise American troops. What biceps! How interesting! I’d wondered if you got to see any tunnels. You certainly did–from the inside. I’d imagine these were just a few of the many hundreds of tunnel systems in Viet Nam during the war. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be a Vietnamese person during the war and have to spend so much time in these tunnels. I also wonder if tunnels in some parts of the country were utilized by the VC to surprise American troops.

What biceps!

]]> By: josh http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html/comment-page-1#comment-9685 josh Sat, 09 May 2009 19:55:56 +0000 http://focus.circulargenius.com/se-asia/vietnam/cu-chi-tunnels.html#comment-9685 After leaving Beth in Hanoi, I caught a quick plane to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon (before its fall to the North Vietnamese on April 30th, 1975). I didn't have much time there before my flight back to the USA, only a couple of days. Many people had told me I should go see the Cu Chi tunnels, so I did that on my first day. Cu Chi is a town north of Saigon. During the Vietnam War, a huge network of underground tunnels were dug here. The entire town lived underground (to avoid the constantly dropping American bombs), and came out at night to tend their rice fields. The tour was very interesting, taking us into the tunnel seen above. The photo itself isn't much, but it gives you a bit of an idea what it would be like to be down in one of those things. We crawled about 150 meters, and I was certainly ready to be back above ground. The highlight of that trip for me was getting to fire an AK47. Not that I'm a huge fan of guns or anything, but shooting something like that was quite an experience. After the first couple of bullets my ears numbed, and it didn't seem so loud anymore. <img src="http://focus.circulargenius.com/images/ak.jpg" alt="ak47" width="600"/> And here's me underground: <img src="http://focus.circulargenius.com/images/tunnel.jpg" alt="ak47" width="600"/> After leaving Beth in Hanoi, I caught a quick plane to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon (before its fall to the North Vietnamese on April 30th, 1975). I didn’t have much time there before my flight back to the USA, only a couple of days. Many people had told me I should go see the Cu Chi tunnels, so I did that on my first day.

Cu Chi is a town north of Saigon. During the Vietnam War, a huge network of underground tunnels were dug here. The entire town lived underground (to avoid the constantly dropping American bombs), and came out at night to tend their rice fields.

The tour was very interesting, taking us into the tunnel seen above. The photo itself isn’t much, but it gives you a bit of an idea what it would be like to be down in one of those things. We crawled about 150 meters, and I was certainly ready to be back above ground.

The highlight of that trip for me was getting to fire an AK47. Not that I’m a huge fan of guns or anything, but shooting something like that was quite an experience. After the first couple of bullets my ears numbed, and it didn’t seem so loud anymore.

ak47

And here’s me underground:

ak47

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