Our 36 day adventure was escorted by Overseas Adventure Travel, OAT, the second tour company that we have used preferring to travel on our own. Our other tour was through China Focus for a 30 day tour of China in 2007.
I was impressed with the OAT travel philosophy that is built around travel, adventure, and discovery. This resulted in an in-depth exposure to the country, and culture of the countries visited. Beyond seeing the big cities and the usual tourist attractions we went to small out of the way villages, had dinner with families in their homes, visited schools from elementary level to university and were able to interact with the people of Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. However I felt that the tour focused more on the failures of the countries rather then the successes of the countries. I never saw a nice home in Thailand or any of the beautiful beaches and resorts of Thailand. I left Thailand with the impression that the monarchy holds all wealth and the country and citizens spend a fortune praising the king and queen. If Thailand would spend the money that they spend on bigger than live banners, billboards, and monuments of their king and queen on sewage disposal, garbage pick-up and street paving in their remote villages the country could take a major step into the 21st century.
The real asset held by OAT is their tour was the tour guides. We were assigned a guide from each country who escorted and coordinated our visits in each country. Our Cambodia guide, Thai , grew up in a floating city and was chosen to be sent to an inland school and continued his education to become an extremely knowledgeable and personable guide, as a part of our trip he took us to his family home on the water and introduced to his family. He was able to provide a knowledgeable and insightful answer to every question ask. His knowledge of Ancor Wat that the other temples and their history was inspiring.
Our Thailand guide, Poupe, a 46 year old single mother is one of the most personable and versatile people that I have ever met As well as a knowledgeable guide she sang, danced, and educated us on virtually every aspect of Thai live. At times she provided TMI, but it was done in good spirit and with the best of intentions.
Our Vietnamese guide Dy, pronounced Yee, was a true professional, maintaining control of the group, sharing his knowledge, and giving us a valuable exposure to the Vietnam people while helping many of us answer the many questions that we brought with us about the Vietnam War. Dy also introduced us to his family, which I believe to be a part of the OAT program, thus allowing us to see how a successful middle class Vietnamese family lives.
The hotels were for the most part very good, we only had one that I would have not stayed in if we were traveling on our own. Although it was on a beautiful setting on a river with nice grounds and pool the room was not clean and the facility had fallen into disrepair. The hotels for the most part place you in the middle of the activity of the bigger cities and with easy access in the smaller cities, we were never in the suburbs where activity might have been out of reach. A cab fare to a market or restaurant never was more then $3.00. Although it was on a beautiful setting on a river with nice grounds and pool the room was not clean and the facility had fallen into disrepair.
Currency was difficult to adjust to; 3400 Bat equaled a dollar and 17,000 Dong equaled a dollar. Thus I found myself getting one million Vietnamese Dong out of an ATM to get spending money. So a cab ride would cost 34,000 Dong.
The food was good but I did tire of Thai food before we moved on to Vietnam. Lunches and dinners provided through OAT were always from a fixed menu and many times were excellent, but the best meals that we had were those that we had when we sought out top quality restaurants when we were on our own. We were able to find them through our Lonely Planet travel guide or through internet search. With the low cost of transportation you could get the best meal in town including cocktails and wine for $30.00 as long as you stayed out of the multi-national hotels.
We choose not to take any of the optional tours, about seven offered, choosing instead to explore the cities and countryside on our own. In the one cases that we wanted to go to the same location that the optional tour, the Cu Chi Tunnels, we were able to purchase the tour locally at the Saigon Post Office for less then half the price that OAT asked; ours did not include lunch but eating in Vietnam is quite cheap. It was also nice talking with another tour guide and getting their perspective on the was, the government and the economy. Some of our best times were striking out on tuk-tuks to the Chinese Market, or a temple, or a restaurant on our own and experiencing the country at our own pace.
The only real issue that I have with OAT was their tipping policy. In the pre-trip information they informed us that tipping was optional for the exceptional service of our tour guide and $7 to $10 per day per person was customary. Upon arrival we were given an orientation pamphlet that repeated the $7 to $10 tipping to the tour guide but added $4 to $6 per day per person for the bus driver, $2 to $4 for the driver assistant, $1 for the room maids, and additional for boat drivers, local tour guides, elephant drivers and elephant snacks. On our China trip we tipped our tour guide and he took care of all additional tipping that was required or expected. Several of us felt this was a shirking of the responsibility of OAT to take care of their hired employees and independent contractors. If you met their suggested tipping the total would amount to 10% of the tour price.
I look back on the tour now and feel it was more of an education than a vacation, and that is not to say that I didn’t enjoy the trip and that I will not use OAT in the future. We were up every morning at 5:30 to 6:30 AM and on the road by 8:00 AM and our day ended after dinner at 7:30 to 8:00 PM. Some of our fellow travelers, there were 15 of us, often chose to skip dinner and get to bed early. The average age in our group was probably 60 years old, but all were relatively fit and able to keep up the pace.
I feel I know Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, I know their people, I understand their economies, and I understand their culture. If I’d taken a cruise that stopped in these countries I don’t think I would have been able be achieve the level of understanding that I have today.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Our Last Day in Saigon
Saigon is a city of 8 million people, many motorcycles and few cars, this is because there is a heavy import tax on automobiles ranging from 100% to 250% so a $50,000 German car will cost a Vietnamese $125,000. They also only allow the importation of new automobiles. Today we traveled to the Mekong Delta which required us to go through southern Saigon. This is where the growing upper-class lives, this is where you see the imported cars, the larger homes, the upscale shops and the massive apartment complexes. We didn’t see any of north of Saigon in any of the other cities that we visited. We proceeded to the Delta where we boarded a tour boat to see how the local fishing industry worked the river, the China Sea, and the growing fish farms. This was the area that the US Gun Boats patrolled winding in and our of the numerous islands in their attempt to drive out the Viet Cong. The government of the north had two army’s, the Viet Ping, recruited men and woman of the north who served the Peoples Republic of Vietnam and the Viet Cong the people of the south who either sided with the political views of the north or more often the people of the south who wanted to rid their country of the invaders.
We got out of our tour boat and boarded a san-pan, a small three passenger boat that was able to navigate the shallow waters that ran between the numerous islands. Our passage took us to a bee farm where we sampled the honey, had snacks and played with their python, an opportunity which I couldn’t pass up.
We then took a mile walk to a coconut candy factory that wouldn’t meet OSHA standards but did put out a unique and tasty form of taffy. Then a trek through the coconut plantations where we saw deserted plantation homes that had been the property of South Vietnam supporters that fled the country at the end of the war. We stopped in a small village for a fish dinner Vietnamese style (see the pictures) the young lady presented a grilled fish which she stripped the meat from and combined with rice, herbs, and vegetables to make a spring role which you wish you could buy in the US. Back on out tour boat and back to our bus we made our way back into Saigon.
Our Vietnam farewell dinner was held at Po Cho, a stylish restaurant, but not memorable food. After our meal our group went to the Grand Hyatt for a cocktail, a Chocltini, which I will be drinking more of in the future. The pianist vocalist was an added treat to a very sophisticated room that added a new element to your 36 day journey.
In the rain five of us made our way to one of Saigon’s most famous bars, Apocalypse Now, dating back to the early 60”s and the Vietnam War. It’s now a techno-pop club with loud DJ spinning and strobe lights. Although we found the bar unique the balance of the young Vietnam patrons found us unique; American 60 something’s that were willing to get-down to their music. We were truly an oddity in their domain and they welcomed with smiles, pictures and dance. It will be one of our cumulative captured memories.
This morning we board a plane back to Bangkok for a nigh layover and then a 23 hour flight through Tokyo and back to Atlanta.
Vietnam is a beautiful country that will change dramatically over the next ten years, the people are friendly, and most of all forgiving. They have a long history of wars with the Chinese, the French, America, and Australia, and they now welcome them all to their country as tourists.
Tomorrow morning we catch a 5:00 am flight to Tokyo than on to the US.
We got out of our tour boat and boarded a san-pan, a small three passenger boat that was able to navigate the shallow waters that ran between the numerous islands. Our passage took us to a bee farm where we sampled the honey, had snacks and played with their python, an opportunity which I couldn’t pass up.
We then took a mile walk to a coconut candy factory that wouldn’t meet OSHA standards but did put out a unique and tasty form of taffy. Then a trek through the coconut plantations where we saw deserted plantation homes that had been the property of South Vietnam supporters that fled the country at the end of the war. We stopped in a small village for a fish dinner Vietnamese style (see the pictures) the young lady presented a grilled fish which she stripped the meat from and combined with rice, herbs, and vegetables to make a spring role which you wish you could buy in the US. Back on out tour boat and back to our bus we made our way back into Saigon.
Our Vietnam farewell dinner was held at Po Cho, a stylish restaurant, but not memorable food. After our meal our group went to the Grand Hyatt for a cocktail, a Chocltini, which I will be drinking more of in the future. The pianist vocalist was an added treat to a very sophisticated room that added a new element to your 36 day journey.
In the rain five of us made our way to one of Saigon’s most famous bars, Apocalypse Now, dating back to the early 60”s and the Vietnam War. It’s now a techno-pop club with loud DJ spinning and strobe lights. Although we found the bar unique the balance of the young Vietnam patrons found us unique; American 60 something’s that were willing to get-down to their music. We were truly an oddity in their domain and they welcomed with smiles, pictures and dance. It will be one of our cumulative captured memories.
This morning we board a plane back to Bangkok for a nigh layover and then a 23 hour flight through Tokyo and back to Atlanta.
Vietnam is a beautiful country that will change dramatically over the next ten years, the people are friendly, and most of all forgiving. They have a long history of wars with the Chinese, the French, America, and Australia, and they now welcome them all to their country as tourists.
Tomorrow morning we catch a 5:00 am flight to Tokyo than on to the US.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Saigon and Cu Chi Tunnels
Monday morning we flew to Saigon, our first stop was the Scars of the Vietnam War Museum. The Museum consists of a collection of photographs taken by photographers from around the world in an effort to explain what happened in the Vietnam War from the North Vietnamese point of view. A major part of the display was devoted to the US’s use of chemical weapons in particular Agent Orange, and the initial effects as well as the lasting effects. This is not the place for me to express my feelings on what I saw and what I felt.
We ate lunch at a hot pot shop, Vietnams fast food. Hot Pot is a little meat and a lot of vegetables and noodles submerged in a hot chicken broth and seasoned to taste, it was quite good filling and very low calorie. It’s easy to see why the Vietnamese are so thin, I have yet to see a fat Vietnamese. The day was concluded with a bus tour of Saigon, a vibrant city of 8 million that is more western than any other city that we have seen in Vietnam. That’s not to say it looks like your city, but it is cleaner, laid out more like a western city and wealthier. The average Saigon worker makes $400 a month and that has been pulled up with the major investment in their Technology Park by Intel which pays its average worked $800 per month.
Tuesday morning five of us left the hotel and went out on our own to see the Cu Chi Tunnels 24 miles outside of Saigon. For decades the Cu Chi people had dug shelters under their homes to hide from intruders then the French and then the Americans. They soon learned that if their enemies discovered their subterranean hiding place they were easy killing so they started to build tunnels from one hideout to the other. Most of the tunnels were 9 to ten feet below ground while some went as deep as 36 feet all leading to underground bunkers. By the time the Americans set up their Army base outside of Saigon and neighboring the Ch Chi land the tunnel city had reached over 200 miles of tunnels and bunkers. This served as an excellent hiding and staging ground for the Vietcong. While the American used the latest technology and military hardware to fight the Cu Chi people the Cu Chi’s used the tools that they had been using for centuries to trap and kill animals, including punji pits, leg spikes, and
Punji sticks would be placed in areas likely to be passed through by enemy troops. The presence of punji sticks may be camouflaged by natural undergrowth, crops, grass, brush or similar materials. They were often incorporated into various types of traps; for example, a camouflaged pit into which a man might fall . They were often smeared with human feces to increase the risk of infection.
Sometimes a pit would be dug with punji sticks in the sides pointing downward at an angle. A soldier stepping into the pit would find it impossible to remove his leg without doing severe damage, and injuries might be incurred by the simple fact of falling forward while one's leg is in a narrow, vertical, stake-lined pit. Such pits would require time and care to dig the soldier's leg out, immobilizing the unit longer than if the foot were simply pierced, in which case the victim could be evacuated.
Punji sticks were sometimes deployed in the preparation of an ambush. Soldiers lying in wait for the enemy to pass would deploy punji sticks in the areas where the surprised enemy might be expected to take cover, thus soldiers diving for cover would impale themselves.
The time spent in the tunnels served to again present the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese people point of view. I find it amazing the this same company is now under the rule of the same Communist Party that ran the Americans out and now is dependant on companies like Intel, Microsoft, Coke and Budweiser for its future development.
We ate lunch at a hot pot shop, Vietnams fast food. Hot Pot is a little meat and a lot of vegetables and noodles submerged in a hot chicken broth and seasoned to taste, it was quite good filling and very low calorie. It’s easy to see why the Vietnamese are so thin, I have yet to see a fat Vietnamese. The day was concluded with a bus tour of Saigon, a vibrant city of 8 million that is more western than any other city that we have seen in Vietnam. That’s not to say it looks like your city, but it is cleaner, laid out more like a western city and wealthier. The average Saigon worker makes $400 a month and that has been pulled up with the major investment in their Technology Park by Intel which pays its average worked $800 per month.
Tuesday morning five of us left the hotel and went out on our own to see the Cu Chi Tunnels 24 miles outside of Saigon. For decades the Cu Chi people had dug shelters under their homes to hide from intruders then the French and then the Americans. They soon learned that if their enemies discovered their subterranean hiding place they were easy killing so they started to build tunnels from one hideout to the other. Most of the tunnels were 9 to ten feet below ground while some went as deep as 36 feet all leading to underground bunkers. By the time the Americans set up their Army base outside of Saigon and neighboring the Ch Chi land the tunnel city had reached over 200 miles of tunnels and bunkers. This served as an excellent hiding and staging ground for the Vietcong. While the American used the latest technology and military hardware to fight the Cu Chi people the Cu Chi’s used the tools that they had been using for centuries to trap and kill animals, including punji pits, leg spikes, and
Punji sticks would be placed in areas likely to be passed through by enemy troops. The presence of punji sticks may be camouflaged by natural undergrowth, crops, grass, brush or similar materials. They were often incorporated into various types of traps; for example, a camouflaged pit into which a man might fall . They were often smeared with human feces to increase the risk of infection.
Sometimes a pit would be dug with punji sticks in the sides pointing downward at an angle. A soldier stepping into the pit would find it impossible to remove his leg without doing severe damage, and injuries might be incurred by the simple fact of falling forward while one's leg is in a narrow, vertical, stake-lined pit. Such pits would require time and care to dig the soldier's leg out, immobilizing the unit longer than if the foot were simply pierced, in which case the victim could be evacuated.
Punji sticks were sometimes deployed in the preparation of an ambush. Soldiers lying in wait for the enemy to pass would deploy punji sticks in the areas where the surprised enemy might be expected to take cover, thus soldiers diving for cover would impale themselves.
The time spent in the tunnels served to again present the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese people point of view. I find it amazing the this same company is now under the rule of the same Communist Party that ran the Americans out and now is dependant on companies like Intel, Microsoft, Coke and Budweiser for its future development.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Saturday and Sunday in Da Lat Vietnam
Saturday September 19, we drive five hours , 4500 feet, up the mountains to Da Lat, a community originally built by the French in an effort to escape the heat of the low lands. Along the way we stop at a village of river fisherman that speak a different dialect of Vietnamese thus our guide is not able to understand their language. I see my first pot belly pig other then the one used for shark bait by the sea fisherman yesterday. A local fisherman is net fishing in the river and catches a fish no bigger then a minnow which he puts on a stringer. Now that I think about it I did see fish that small for sale in some of the markets.
A the top of the mountain we stopped to see a waterfall and received a promise of cooler weather for the next several days. On our way up we came across Chinese construction companies widening the road, when we were down at China Beach we saw that most of the resort construction was being done by Chinese companies and the new casino in Laos was being built by a Chinese company. It appears that all the money that we are sending to China is being spread around other developing economies. We are seeing the many different part of Vietnam and it’s culture as well as the tentacles of the next economic power of the world.
As we neared Da Lat the landscape changed from corn and tobacco farming to hillsides covered with greenhouses filled with vegetables and flowers.
Tonight we had a home hosted dinner; we were met in the hotel lobby by a bubbly Vietnam girl in a pink motor cycle helmet. She put the six of us in a van and told us she would meet us at her home. The cab drive wound through the streets of Dalat and we came to a stop in front of the 19 Family Home. Yee, pink helmet, introduced us to her mother, father, two younger sisters, Tea and Bond, and her cousin Bao, a young man. This was the beginning of one of the most delightful evenings of our trip. Mom, Tuan, and Dad, Lien, cooked the meal while Yee, and her younger sister, Tea, served us. We started with home made banana wine, sweet, smooth and it didn’t stop coming. The main course was a rice pancake filled with shrimp, bean sprouts, and herbs. We submerged this in a sweet sauce and topped it with lettuce, basil, tarragon, mint and other herbs. It was delicious and different from anything that we had had thus far on our trip.
Yee is the most dynamic Asian girl that I have ever met, her personality grew as the evening continued. I asked her if she was married, she’s thirty years old. “No she was not” Would you be interested in marrying an American boy? “It would be my pleasure.” Her younger sister Tea is dating a French boy with hopes of a future together. He came from France to develop a wine industry in Vietnam.
I made a commitment that I would do what I could to let as many available American boys know of Yee’s availability. She can be contacted at mailto:unlined@yahoo.com, you’ll find her picture on my Picasa Album http://picasaweb.google.com/kjohng/AsianTrip2009#. Yee’s 30 years old works for a consulting company in Da Lat, Vietnam and comes from one of Da Lat’s leading families. This is a must see.
Our Sunday adventure started early. Seven of us caught an old chug train for a 30 minute ride through the country side to Chua Tinh Quang. It gave us an up close view of the greenhouse operations of the area. Da Lat grows and exports vegetables, fruits, and flowers thus employing many of the residents. Because of the altitude the weather is cooler and less humidity, thus providing us with a welcome break form the draining weather that we have been enduring the past several weeks. In Chua Tinh Quang we found a bustling country town where no one was able to speak English to assist us in finding the Broken Bottle Pagoda. Finally we found a young girl who understood the word Pagoda and pointed us in the right direction. The Broken Bottle Pagoda consisted of a temple overseen by monks, one of which was an 83 year old man who spoke perfect English and invited us in to take pictures and worship. The Pagoda was a six story tower that allowed us the ability to climb the narrow steps to get panoramic pictures of the terraced landscape. Having overstayed our time we hurried back to the train for our return trip to Da Lat. Da Lat is a major travel destination for Japanese golfers because of its beautiful golf course, so our next stop was the Grand Palace Golf Course for a relaxing time in the highly manicured surroundings.
We then made a stop at the local Botanical Gardens, admission 10 Dong or 66 cents. Although cheap it didn’t stand up well against the Golf course and the local farms that we saw from the train ride. We then took a 2 mile hike around the city lake to the Sunday Market, my pictures tell that story best.
After a great lunch at the An Quy resturant we went to see the Hotel Soffitel the major high end promoter of tourism in the area. The hotel reflects the heavy French colonial influence seen in all of the architecture of Da Lat. The hotel was a photographers playground with its elegant furnishings and appointments, it even offered me an antique urnal shot which is always one of my photographic objectives in our worlds travels.
We met us with the rest of our group at 3:15 for a visit to Da Lat University. After a lecture from one of the Universities Language professors, monthly salary $200, we were assigned a student to escort us around the campus giving us an opportunity to learn more about Vietnamese life and them an opportunity to practice their English. I met up with Thuy, a 19 year old farm girl from a neighboring providence. She is a sophomore in the English program hoping to become an English teacher in her hometown high school. She rents an apartment in Da Lat with two other girls for $30 per month, her father sends her $10 share each month as well is able to pay the $200 per year tuition so that she may have a better life for herself. As we were completing our visit to the University Thuy shared with me that her assigned English name in the class room is Karry. I felt that karma had drought us together for this hours exchange of culture, we parted with two big hugs and an exchanged of email addresses so that we could continue our brief but meaningful friendship.
Back on our bus we headed out of town to spend some time with the people of the original Da Lat tribe.
While the predominate religion in Vietnam is Buddhism the Da Lat tribe are Catholics that have incorporated some of their tribal customs into their devout believe in Catholicism, to include the regular sacrifice of a buffalo at the alter. We didn’t arrive on a timely basis so as to participate in the sacrifice but we did enjoy a spirited demonstration of their native dance and music, to include group participation in both the singing and dance and the ceremonial communal drinking of rice wine through a bamboo straw from an earthen jug. We finished our long and eventful day with a dinner at a small restaurant which served traditional Vietnamese food including Hot Pot and a contribution of Crickets and Scorpions by David and Kim. Both were very fibrous and tasted like nuts.
A the top of the mountain we stopped to see a waterfall and received a promise of cooler weather for the next several days. On our way up we came across Chinese construction companies widening the road, when we were down at China Beach we saw that most of the resort construction was being done by Chinese companies and the new casino in Laos was being built by a Chinese company. It appears that all the money that we are sending to China is being spread around other developing economies. We are seeing the many different part of Vietnam and it’s culture as well as the tentacles of the next economic power of the world.
As we neared Da Lat the landscape changed from corn and tobacco farming to hillsides covered with greenhouses filled with vegetables and flowers.
Tonight we had a home hosted dinner; we were met in the hotel lobby by a bubbly Vietnam girl in a pink motor cycle helmet. She put the six of us in a van and told us she would meet us at her home. The cab drive wound through the streets of Dalat and we came to a stop in front of the 19 Family Home. Yee, pink helmet, introduced us to her mother, father, two younger sisters, Tea and Bond, and her cousin Bao, a young man. This was the beginning of one of the most delightful evenings of our trip. Mom, Tuan, and Dad, Lien, cooked the meal while Yee, and her younger sister, Tea, served us. We started with home made banana wine, sweet, smooth and it didn’t stop coming. The main course was a rice pancake filled with shrimp, bean sprouts, and herbs. We submerged this in a sweet sauce and topped it with lettuce, basil, tarragon, mint and other herbs. It was delicious and different from anything that we had had thus far on our trip.
Yee is the most dynamic Asian girl that I have ever met, her personality grew as the evening continued. I asked her if she was married, she’s thirty years old. “No she was not” Would you be interested in marrying an American boy? “It would be my pleasure.” Her younger sister Tea is dating a French boy with hopes of a future together. He came from France to develop a wine industry in Vietnam.
I made a commitment that I would do what I could to let as many available American boys know of Yee’s availability. She can be contacted at mailto:unlined@yahoo.com, you’ll find her picture on my Picasa Album http://picasaweb.google.com/kjohng/AsianTrip2009#. Yee’s 30 years old works for a consulting company in Da Lat, Vietnam and comes from one of Da Lat’s leading families. This is a must see.
Our Sunday adventure started early. Seven of us caught an old chug train for a 30 minute ride through the country side to Chua Tinh Quang. It gave us an up close view of the greenhouse operations of the area. Da Lat grows and exports vegetables, fruits, and flowers thus employing many of the residents. Because of the altitude the weather is cooler and less humidity, thus providing us with a welcome break form the draining weather that we have been enduring the past several weeks. In Chua Tinh Quang we found a bustling country town where no one was able to speak English to assist us in finding the Broken Bottle Pagoda. Finally we found a young girl who understood the word Pagoda and pointed us in the right direction. The Broken Bottle Pagoda consisted of a temple overseen by monks, one of which was an 83 year old man who spoke perfect English and invited us in to take pictures and worship. The Pagoda was a six story tower that allowed us the ability to climb the narrow steps to get panoramic pictures of the terraced landscape. Having overstayed our time we hurried back to the train for our return trip to Da Lat. Da Lat is a major travel destination for Japanese golfers because of its beautiful golf course, so our next stop was the Grand Palace Golf Course for a relaxing time in the highly manicured surroundings.
We then made a stop at the local Botanical Gardens, admission 10 Dong or 66 cents. Although cheap it didn’t stand up well against the Golf course and the local farms that we saw from the train ride. We then took a 2 mile hike around the city lake to the Sunday Market, my pictures tell that story best.
After a great lunch at the An Quy resturant we went to see the Hotel Soffitel the major high end promoter of tourism in the area. The hotel reflects the heavy French colonial influence seen in all of the architecture of Da Lat. The hotel was a photographers playground with its elegant furnishings and appointments, it even offered me an antique urnal shot which is always one of my photographic objectives in our worlds travels.
We met us with the rest of our group at 3:15 for a visit to Da Lat University. After a lecture from one of the Universities Language professors, monthly salary $200, we were assigned a student to escort us around the campus giving us an opportunity to learn more about Vietnamese life and them an opportunity to practice their English. I met up with Thuy, a 19 year old farm girl from a neighboring providence. She is a sophomore in the English program hoping to become an English teacher in her hometown high school. She rents an apartment in Da Lat with two other girls for $30 per month, her father sends her $10 share each month as well is able to pay the $200 per year tuition so that she may have a better life for herself. As we were completing our visit to the University Thuy shared with me that her assigned English name in the class room is Karry. I felt that karma had drought us together for this hours exchange of culture, we parted with two big hugs and an exchanged of email addresses so that we could continue our brief but meaningful friendship.
Back on our bus we headed out of town to spend some time with the people of the original Da Lat tribe.
While the predominate religion in Vietnam is Buddhism the Da Lat tribe are Catholics that have incorporated some of their tribal customs into their devout believe in Catholicism, to include the regular sacrifice of a buffalo at the alter. We didn’t arrive on a timely basis so as to participate in the sacrifice but we did enjoy a spirited demonstration of their native dance and music, to include group participation in both the singing and dance and the ceremonial communal drinking of rice wine through a bamboo straw from an earthen jug. We finished our long and eventful day with a dinner at a small restaurant which served traditional Vietnamese food including Hot Pot and a contribution of Crickets and Scorpions by David and Kim. Both were very fibrous and tasted like nuts.
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