Day 8 HUE

The Royal Family after having enjoyed a wonderful dinner together the previous night gathered together aboard a boat for a ride down the Perfume River to pay their respects to Thien Mu Pagoda before entering the grounds of their royal kingdom of the Citadel. Just kidding, we reverted back to being awestruck tourists learning more about Viet Nam’s royal history and main faith tradition of Buddhism. There is a major construction effort to return the royal grounds to their former splendor. We then enjoyed cyclo rides around the citadel outer perimeter. Many of our drivers had to work very hard in the hot sun. A comment was made that we would not have had the nerve to weave though such traffic the first days of our trip, but it doesn’t seems to phase us now.

We then loaded the bus for the ride to Hoi An. We climbed some mountain ranges and continued to be amazed by the skill of our bus driver. Well sort of. None of us wishes to gain a driving license here. We stopped along the way at an Orphanage to eat lunch with the children and take a tour of the facilities. Here they showed us the two clothing cabinets we provided the funds to buy. The children were so beautiful. One young man now owns Howard’s hat and I am sure his heart as well. We were even entertained by some impromptu break dancing. After driving through another mountain pass by tunnel we arrived at Da Nang, a large sea side city. We could still see remnants of a devastating cyclone and the old American Air base. Then to the resort at Hoi An. We ate dinner at a local place in the old city and on the way back enjoy a Buddhist parade for Versek. Sleep is a marvelous thing. Catherine

Day 7 Quang Tri - Service Project

Each day seems to top the day before. Today was no different. We headed out to Quang Tri for a tour of the DMZ and our Community Service Project. It was a short two hour trip from the hotel. We traveled through the mountainous region viewing mountains named “the rockpile” and “the razorback” which were important points in the war between North Viet Nam and South Viet Name and the USA. The affects of agent orange could be seen in the lack of vegetation. It still causes defects in people three generations after it’s use. We arrived to our service project, a house sponsored by our donations being built for a woman who suffered a land mine injury two years ago. It continues to be a great problem here. Some shoveled dirt, sand, and stone mixture for the floor of this one room structure. Others tamped the mixture to form a compact floor. Still others mixed sand and cement to make stucco which was applied by others to the brick walls. They only allowed us to work a couple of hours before taking the work back from us. Presentations of gifts and gratitude were exchanged. Then we took a trip up the road to the 17th parallel where the country was divided until the end of the war. We were then off to a center for blind and disabled people where they are taught a trade to provide skills, income, and sense of pride. There we presented them with a television and radio. After which we were invited to the local high school to interact with the 11 grade English class. Gifts, speeches, songs, and games were shared by all. Then we broke into small groups to share cultural understanding by use of the English language. Each of us was given gifts of friendship and many emails were shared. Howard attempted to recruit new students for St. Andrews. It was a long but blissful ride to the hotel sharing all our stories together. When we didn’t think it could be topped, we gathered for dinner at a local restaurant which dressed as in traditional royal party clothing and entertained us with original Vietnamese Music and Food. The artistry of sound and taste was fabulous! Tomorrow we will tour Hue and then travel to Hoi An. Catherine

Day 4 and 5 Ha Long Bay

Sorry for the delay but we did not have internet. It was worth it. After a false start we headed out of Ha Noi City by bus to Ha Long Bay. If you thought navigation in city traffic was stressful, just ask a few of our fellow travelers located either in the front or the rear with full view. Street lanes are only a suggestion. And there are no speed signs here. They are not needed. We saw many a live lawn mower, i. e. cows and water buffalo along the way clearing paths around the rice patties. Many a field has ancestral tombs in their center. Much construction is happening and the main power source in this area is fueled by coal. We stopped for the “happy” room and some shopping at a craft center set up to train children affected by Agent Orange. Their work was exquisite. Everyone was excited to board our boat at the bay. The scenery was beyond description and the food just kept coming. At one point we stopped to tour the caves and swim on the beach. Some with energy to spare also climbed the mountain for a grander view. A few even swam from the beach to the Junk. People in san pans continued to beg us to buy their wares. Eventually the water lulled us to sleep.

The next morning after breakfast, we hopped a small boat to visit a lagoon not accessible by our luxurious Junk. It is amazing this world created for us. No one wanted to leave. It was so peaceful after visiting the bustling city of Ha Noi. But alas, we needed to head back to the airport to catch our flight to Hue (pronounced “way”). It may have been the same route out but the trip was very different. We stopped for different “happy” room and shopping. Then shortly after, our guide asked if we wanted to check out this large church on the hill. He was curious. It was the Temple of Miriam. A Catholic church decorated with dragons. Inside were Stations of the Cross and typical Catholic configuration but I could not locate the tabernacle. A short way down the street we stopped at a typical village to check it out. As our guide introduced us, village people ushered us in providing wonderful hospitality. The children at first shy, continued to congregate, popping out to see the foreigners with the “big nose.” One elderly man welcomed us into his home and wanted to share tea. It turns out that he was 101 years old. The house was basically one room. A tribute to Ho Chi Minh took center place. He was part of the army and had certificates of honor commemorating his service on the wall. We wandered the streets (alleys) along side children, dogs, cows, bicycles and motor bikes. Each village is surrounded by rice patties where families make at least part of their living. Many work in the fields in the morning, rest during the heat of the day, and go back to finish in the late afternoon. We waved at many young children in a day care. A couple bags of candy brightened all the faces that were no longer shy to speak or have their pictures taken. The villagers also welcomed us into their newly built Buddhist Temple. Boarding the bus was a mixed blessing, we did not want to leave but the air conditioning was too good to ignore. Once back at Ha Noi airport, we prepared to make the one hour flight to Hue. No one looked forward to another flight so soon. Tonight we are staying at The Huong Giang Hotel (5 star) along the river. Tomorrow we will complete our service project. Catherine

Day 4 - Hanoi

Today we enjoyed breakfast at our hotel. Some dined on typical western faire while others became more adventurous. The Army Hotel is still connected with the Vietnam Army. Part of it has been converted for private guests. Many different military people from other countries were dinning there as well. We then traveled off to see the sights. We experienced the Tan Quoc pagoda and the Quan Thanh Temple (Buddhist). Then the temple of Literature which is of Confusion learning. We hoped to see Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum but alas, today they closed early. We have enclosed a picture for you of us gathered outside. We were able to visit the grounds of the French Governor’s Quarters where Minh refused to stay, having built instead a modest three room house on the grounds. After lunch we visited The Ethnology Museum and grounds, experiencing the many different ethnic cultures. Then another temple. We finished a long day by enjoying the famous water puppet theater complete with traditional music. Their skills made these puppets on bamboo poles dance effortlessly on water. After dinner together discussing such things as language skills gone bad this day, some still had the energy and curiosity to walk on to find the “Goat” Restaurant whiles others went back to the hotel to pack for Ha Long Bay. I can’t wait to hear the new stories of adventures experiencing night life in Hanoi. Catherine

Day 3

We arrived safely, after checking into the Army Hotel and we had lunch at the Viet Kitchen family style. Then visited the old quarter for an hour long walk through narrow and winding streets. Many small shops with varieties of wares. It reminded me of historic Charleston. No big conglomerates here yet. We also learned how to cross the street. That is not easy or for the faint of heart. We were directed by our guide to "walk slow but just go." Motor scooters, bikes, cars and trucks are only inches (if that) from you. Some how you just make it. Truely it is amazing. Catherine

Long Day in the Big City

Hey people! A nice woman came up to us and offered to take our picture with my camera right before I tried to do it Lyndsey McCall style. Strangely enough my peace sign is right below the statue of liberty (this is as close as we got to it because the line for the ferry was crazy long) and a little to the right of mom is Ellis Island. We had a fun day wandering around NYC: saw a bit of the downtown including where the World Trade Center was and found a nice Irish pub to eat a late lunch before finding the famous bull statue which is not on wall street (it's on broadway). That's all for now kids, we've got a few more hours till our twelve hour flight from JFK to Hong Kong, and then a much shorter flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. Wish us luck, if the NYC subway was any kind of prediction we may need a little to help us through the next two weeks. Love you all and stay safe! - Midorichan

Day One

Our journey starts today in NYC.