{"id":7628,"date":"2011-08-08T23:48:00","date_gmt":"2011-08-09T03:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/voidofinspiration.com\/voidofinspiration\/?p=7628"},"modified":"2011-08-11T05:32:27","modified_gmt":"2011-08-11T09:32:27","slug":"next-time-matt-doesnt-go-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/voidofinspiration.com\/voidofinspiration\/2011\/08\/next-time-matt-doesnt-go-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Next time Matt doesn’t go first"},"content":{"rendered":"

I went to eat at Subway sandwiches for the sole reason being that it made me feel a little bit like being at home. While there, I happened to meet two awesome Americans \u2013 Matt and Chris \u2013 who are currently teaching in China but took a holiday to travel around south-east Asia. After going to see a movie \u2013 Cowboys and Aliens \u2013 we went on the local strip to grab a few beers. While chatting away we all decided to book a $5 tour to the Vietnam War ground the next morning.<\/p>\n

A great day followed as we took a surprisingly air-conditioned bus an hour and a half away. Our tour guide was fantastic as he explained how they had outsmarted the Americans, never failing to look our way when speaking, as if to hint at us how horrible we helped make that war. Then we got a little taste of what the fighters actually went through. The three of us took turns testing out the hideouts, where you could only put the lid on with your arms straight in the air, enough to house one or two people underground.<\/p>\n

As we made our way through the now grown over mess of holes where we dropped our bombs, we were shown many tactics of warfare that the Vietnamese used against us. Being there made me realize just how cruel war can be, just how scary the human mind really is. Though the tunnel system showed us how crafty the mind can be as well. Of course, when offered, we had to be the first ones to try out the 100 meter tunnels \u2013 Matt getting to go first and attempting to scare the life out of me along the way (never succeeding of course).<\/p>\n

Instead of trying to trade cameras in the tunnels we all decided to just take pictures of each other and trade later on \u2013 so below are also some shots that I gathered from Matt\u2019s camera. These pictures give a real good sense of what it was like to be there, but actually being there gave the best sense of all. I secretly wish that everyone would be able to experience what I have, for maybe it would finally sink in the horrors that we instill upon our fellow men. Just reading about it all in books or studying it in class cannot come close to the actual experience of being up in its face. Unless you are up in its face, you are only privy to third party awareness. The imagination can go far, but the first hand experience will always go the farthest.<\/p>\n

\n