(Backup) Rice Patty Farm and Relaxation!

What a week it has been!

Rice Patty farms were among the next of our excursions.  This day gabs a true insight into what it takes to be a Vietnamese farm worker.  First off, the amount of time and energy that goes into harvesting rice is just unexplainable.  Rice is such a major exportation for Vietnam, it is no wonder their culture works so hard.  People who work in the rice fields have little education and hope for a future.  It was explained to us that unless families can provide the necessary funds (about $50 a month per child), the children have to work as well and create a vicious cycle for this work and lack of education.

Kim and I had a first hand experience doing this work.  According to our itinerary, we were to leave around 2 to work.  Because of the impossible heat, we were called upon our arrival at the Golden Sand Resort (still unclear how they knew to connect with us as we were checking in-- this happened numerous times on our trip), to see if we could come around 8, being picked up at 7:45 am from our hotel.  We agreed.  The morning that Viet, our amazingly well-spoken and outgoing tour guide, picked us up, we went to a neighboring hotel, where we met Jack, a New Yorker here on a month-long adventure through Asia.  We were on our way to our 1/2 day Rice Patty adventure and so excited about what was to come!  Kim, Jack, and I were all dropped off at our bicycles around 8:15 where we biked through small concrete streets surrounded by rice patty fields. This was the first moment Kim and I realized that the streets were narrow and motorbikes could do anything.  I am shocked one of us didn't end up inside the muddy rice fields.  This was also the moment that Kim and I realized they were MUDDY! Rice is grown on weeds in wet fields, curated by buffalos and humans to be sure they are harvested properly.  We also found out in this moment we would be harvesting barefoot because the mud would be up to our knees, at least.  This trips motto should be "expect the unexpected..."

The bike ride was long and hot to say the least.  We got to see a man blow torching pig heads in the streets, endless workers harvesting rice around us, random marble headed gravestone epitaphs, and many tour groups connecting rice patties all around us.  It was a sight to be seen.  The tour group, Jack Tours, led us to a small house connected by rice patties where we dropped our bikes and were able to see a local daycare.  As teachers, Kim and I were excited to get this opportunity to connect with children.  First noticing, the children were behind bars.  Secondly, the children had barely any toys in a one-room home with a cold, lamanent floor, where they slept on only a pillow. Thirdly, they were all so excited ay the visitors.  Our tour guide shared with us how excited the kids got every time a tour group would come through.  The kids loved holding our hands, blowing raspberries, and making silly faces.  Amazing how laughter and love could be portrayed despite the language barrier.

We then were taken to the Rice Patty farm!  This was a little pavilion across from the house connected to a field that was newly harvested for the rice.  The first thing that the men and Viet brought over was the water buffalo.  The water buffalo, costing $1000, is a sacred animal to the Vietnamese people because of it's importance to the rice industry.  The water buffalo's job is so important to setting up the farm to make sure rice can be planted properly.  We rode the buffalo (and stood on them), raked the mud, used a tool to get rid of the water from the muddy waters, and then were able to plant the seeds, harvest the rice and see how a tool separates the rice from the greens.  So much goes into making sure rice is harvested and then we found out the broken rice (it was ALL broken!) goes to rice milk and rice paper-- not the actual rice we boil! We were shocked.  We put the broken rice into a stone tool that turned it into rice milk and proceed to cook it into these pancakes that Kim and I pray we will remember to make. 

They taught us out to make the pancakes out of the fresh made rice milk, egg, shrimp, sprouts, and I hope nothing else. We each made our own food and then we're brought into the house in order to enjoy it. The kids were taking a nap from the daycare so we got to enjoy watching a Vietnamese child take a nap at daycare. No cot. No blanket. Small pillow. Adorable. And so simple. We ate, enjoyed our time with Jack, and we were on our way back. 

This day truly gave us insight into life as a farm worker in Vietnam. It was quite experiential. This is the hardest worked people We have seen. You just do. No complaints. Nothing. 

 

 

Day 4....

After 3 days in Ho Chi Minh, we were on our way to Hoi An, an ancient town outside of Da Nang. Suzanne from Allambie met us at the breakfast buffet at our hotel to say goodbye and we departed saying "see you later..." and not goodbye. I think both of us, especially Kim, have this desire to come back in the near further to spend more time with the children of Allambie and be more involved in the orphanages.

We packed our bags and got into a taxi to take us to the airport. First question... the international airport, the taxi driver asked? Kim and I assumed but really had no clue. This taxi driver was probably the first time we had a serious language and communication barrier. So we were frustrated to say the least. It was about a 30 minute drive to the airport. Traffic was horrendous. Kim and I just were in awe of how many people were in the streets... where were they going? What were they doing? People don't work jobs like we do in america and other first world countries so it's always so busy during the day. Just fascinating. 

The taxi driver dropped us off in front of the airport, demanding 1,000,000 dong. The meter read 134,000... so either he had a language barrier or we got played. I didn't have enough money. This was the first moment kim and I panicked. I had to go to the ATM and I told her to get out of the car with the bags so he couldn't drive off. We clearly were paying way too much for the taxi ($50) but it didn't matter at this point. People here expect payment up front. Everything costs money. Kim and I have even ridden a water buffalo on the beach and when we were done the man kindly said, "money?"  To go to the doctor/hospital, you have to pay up front to receive service. How scary in a medical emergency for these people to need to pay, as poor as they are, in order to get help...

So... we paid and we're safely at the airport... 

The day was full of travel. We got to the Ho Chi Minh airport and went to the domestic airline terminal. It was cool bc this was our equivalent to flying to Baltimore fro CT. Many, many more tourists or "white people" around. We deducted that Hoi An was that much more of a tourist destination based on the families we saw. Many Australians, British, and very little Americans. Our flight was slightly delayed but we found others on our flight and stuck together so we all knew what we were doing. One thing culturally we noticed is the pushing and shoving. Kim is getting extra frustrated. No lines, and if there are, the Korean people (lots of tourists) just push in front. It too, is interesting to watch. Makes you wonder why and how this can be acceptable. But how important to understand about other cultures and why they behave the way that they do. 

Kim and I got on the plane after riding a bus through the tarmac and getting on from there. Kind of fun to do so! We waited another hour before take off and we were on our way... ir was only about a 1 hour flight to Da Nang... when we arrived, it was flawless. Grabbed our baggage, found our driver from the resort we would stay at next and we were on our way to Hoi An, a little fishing town right outside of Da Nang. 

The drive was incredible... we drove along the beach to our left and villagers to our right. The poverty here is still so rampant. When I looked out my window to the left, we passed tens of resorts, some private and some with some bigger name hotel names like Sheridan and Crowne... on the other side of the street, were the real, authentic people of Da Nang and Hoi An (the resorts spanned the entire 30 min drive). People were cooking and cleaning dishes on the ground, many local, small restaurants, homes with 1 room (no doors so you could see in)... garbage everywhere. But a happy people. I'll say it again, they live simply and family values are so strong here. They don't know what they don't have and they truly want to see others happy which is probably why the industry here is so reliant on gifts/souvenirs and food. Everyone eats. All the time. It costs about $1 (20,000 dong) to feed one person all day... 

Kim and I arrived at hotel and were awe. The next few hours, before bedtime, were spent walking around, admiring the unbeleivable view of the islands, and getting our excursion situated for the next day. We were happy to be in a place where we wouldn't have to move for 5 days so we could focus on our observations of the culture and soak in the beautiful sun. 

Thank you for following us :) Pics will come later when I add them. It has been troublesome trying to do this on our wifi from the hotel. But we hope you can imagine what we are experiencing here! 

Mekong Delta, Cu Chi Tunnels, and Ha...

I don't even know where to belong with how our day went.

8 am today we were to be picked up at the hotel to be brought on our private tour to the Mekong Delta and the Cu Chi tunnels. That was all we knew. We had no expectations except this was an all day excursion. Sometimes it is much more fun this way! But... we did have a little snafu when the paperwork told us we needed to contact the company prior to boarding and when we called, all numbers were unknown. The staff at the hotel assured us we were all set and we decided to trust them, since we had no other choice. We went upstairs to eat breakfast quickly and the nice doorman came to get us when the tour was finally here. Kim and I were so excited to be doing this tour because this would be the authentic experience of Vietnam we have and will be looking for! 

Ha, our tour guide, greeted us in the lobby with Mr. Chow, our driver.  They were so friendly and so professional and clearly had done this many times before. We were on our way to the Cu Chi Tunnels! After about a 1.5 hour drive through Ho Chi Minh city and the outskirts, we arrived. Even though it was a long drive, we made SO many observations. People live so simply here. Nothing lavish. People work hard in the fields. There are many many markets, which is shocking how everyone seems to have the same, or similar professions. Kim and I wondered how busy it could be during the day, and how not many people had "real" jobs. We'd see kids helping out their families and clearly not in front of a TV or video game. One other thing we noticed was how much trash there is. EVERYWHERE. It's amazing because at lunch yesterday, we dropped something and told not to pick it up. We are fascinated by the Vietnamese culture and their lack of cleanliness. But, it works for them and their simplicity. 

The Cu Chi Tunnels were first. This was an amazing experience. We saw thatched roof buildings that were similar to what Kim was probably abanonded in when she was a baby. Between yesterday and today it has been an eye opener to see what the Vietnam war was like for the Vietnam people. They dug these tunnels to keep away from the American soldiers. They were 3 meters deep and connected for Km to Km under ground to keep families and militia safe. Hand made. It was incredible. 

I knew initially I didn't want to go into the actual tunnel. I don't have many fears but claustrophobia is real for me. Kim was a great support and understanding. I mean she had listened to gun fire from AK-47 and remembered being scared of thunder as a baby. I had to go with her in the tunnels.  

But they were small. We didn't know what to expect. The tunnels were intense. We were single file, crouched down so low, walking one behind the other. Kim and I both ended up with very strong panic attacks. I was nervous and kept it in. But kim had a tough time. If there was an emergency, there was no way out. And the tunnels just connected and connected and we could have ended up somewhere else! The tunnels went between 3-9 meters... depending on the guerillas living quarters and where they kept the artillery and bombs for the war. I can't imagine what these people tried to do to save their families. Makes me think even harder about how lucky kim is to be alive. 

Next, we went to the Mekong delta. The drive was long. Good thing we were in an air conditioned truck. Kim and I napped but the further we got into the countryside, the harder it was to ignore the poverty and mess. It's shocking how people live here but also makes me realize how materialistic we are! Ha took us to a great place for lunch. We dropped the car off and got on the back of bicycles (so quickly we couldn't even take a picture) and ended up at a little restaurant that fed us native vietamese pancakes and meat. 

 

It was a delicious lunch. But we saw things we aren't used to. The place looked dirty. Dishes were done out back with water that probably wasn't drinkable. We didn't see the kitchen but food was served so fast that we didn't have a chance to think about it. The Vietnamese are such a proud, Friendly culture, it's hard to say no. We chose not to eat the non-cooked items and moved on. Ha was great... very hospitable. And then we got on a boat after resting for a few. 

The Mekong delta is incredibly dirty. We asked Ha and she said it is from the soil from the trees. The boat was fun. But also run down... everything here is shaded. No possbilibity of getting tan. Kim and I went out on the front of the tiny part of the boat to take pictures but it was too hot, so we ended up inside. We also got a chance to wear the traditional Vietnamese hat on our bike which followed us on our ride. 

 

The Mekong Delta shops first came with coconut candy. We then saw a dress Kim fell in love with and bought. Then, we sat and ate fresh fruit. We got bombarded by a bunch of native women who wanted to take pictures with me, assumingly because of my blonde hair and American "look." Within seconds, it began to rain. And rain hard. We finished up our fruit and Ha let us know we needed to put our ponchos on because we were heading to the farm. The bee pollen farm we would see the snake at! We loved the little shops at the Mekong Delta and watching the little girls dance in the rain but we needed to keep moving or we would never get back to the hotel. When Ha mentioned going to a farm, I didn't realize (and neither did Kim) that we would be going by boat!!! This was probably my favorite part of the day. 

During this thunderstorm, with a waterproof camera, all we could think was how awesome it was to be living as an authentic Vietnamese person. Not worrying about the thunder or lightening, going by means of transportation  they knew about in order to survive and work. We ended up at a bed farm where we learned about the effects of bee pollen, royal jelly, and honey on a persons healty. We topped off the night by being greeted by a local snake, that had no name, and no one could tell us what type. 

Needless to say, it was an amazing day learning a lot about the culture. We are in awe of the hardworking atmosphere this culture provides. It's simple and it works. We wonder how this could impact Americans and how Americans would have an effect here after so many years. 

Allambie Orphanage and the Vietnam War Memorial

Today was unexpectedly full of emotions for me and understandably for Kim. Suzanne had a whole day planned for us... from lunch to dropping us at the Vietnam War Memorial to finally visiting the orphanage we've waited months to see with this woman who Kim has so many connections to. 

Lunch: 

Suzanne and two of her children, Shar, and Nhi came to pick us up on their motorbikes and drove us to a delicious lunch in a non-tourist area of Ho Chi Minh City. We ate Bun Cha (see picture below) which this restaurant was known for. We laughed hard at conversations about how "woof woof" is a delicacy and eaten in the countryside of Vietnam on holidays such as Christmas and Tet (vietnmese new year). We laughed at how the Vietnamese drop things on the floor and don't pick it up, it is customary to leave it to have the staff sweep up at the end of the day! Crazy! 

 

 

Vietnam War Memorial:

This part was unexpected. Suzanne strongly recommended we go here so we could understand more about the circumstances surrounding Kim's birth. Bottom line: Kim is lucky to be alive.... she is lucky that her life turned out the way that it did. So many children died in the Vietnam war. Just because they were children didn't mean that their lives were spared. This made it that much harder to realize that Kim could be a child of war. Who knows what could have happened to her. So much happened during the Vietnam war and I don't think Kim nor I had a handle on what the American relationship with Vietnam was during the war. 

We also went to the Notre Dame church and post office which were both French and not bombed by the war. It was an amazing site to see things that survived because so much of the city was destroyed. 

Allambie:

The end of the night was the best. We got an opportunity to spend the night with the children of the orphanage. There is nothing that would too this night off. Kim and I got to use rice paper to make our own spring rolls, sit with a family that shows more love that we have ever seen, and play a new card game that Americans wouldn't understand. Immediately we felt a part of this home... we wished we could stay longer when we left. The children embraced us. The night was full of laughter and games and culture. 

    

The orphanage is a home we couldn't imagine experiencing. Suzanne, the founder, is an amazing influence in the lives of these children. As teachers, one can only hope a child loves them this much outside of their biological parents. Kim cried leaving. The kids told her this was a "see you later," not a "goodbye."  They are one of the biggest reasons we are here and cannot wait to share with our students. 

Finally in Vietnam...

Stop what you're doing and just imagine this...

Imagine you don't have a clue about the circumstances surrounding how and when you were conceived. You don't know anything about the first two years of your life other than pieces of paper of proof that you existed in a foreign place; in an orphanage... in a land you know nothing about. Imagine you live this amazing life based on everything you know, a secure and happy life and just like that, you have a chance to go back to your roots. Your true roots in a culture that is so beyond anything you know. Not many people reading this can possibly imagine the emotions witnessed between two people today who share similar stories.

 

 

It took 35 hours of travel, lots of laughs, a little culture shock, and an unbreakable bond between friends who get each other, we arrived at the Majestic Hotel in Ho Chi Minh city. It is still unclear if they truly call it this or Saigon. Saigon is everywhere but the most up to date name for this city is Ho Chi Minh. Also, a fun fact is that the beautiful hotel we are staying in is the only hotel that wasn't bombed and destroyed in the Vietnam war. Kim and I arrived and were unable to get into our rooms-- all we wanted to do was shower. But... part of traveling is knowing that unexpected events will arise and you need to trust everything will be ok. 

 

 
  

Today we learned so much about the culture, thanks to Suzanne, our new friend from Allambie orpahange, who you will learn more about tomorrow. We learned that you walk across the street, in traffic, without stopping or running, and expect the cars to go around you. We learned that being "white" shows a sense of status in the country and therefore, women dress in full clothes despite the heat so they don't get tan, we learned that this is one FRIENDLY place but we need to be very careful because as westerners, they will take advantage of us because it is assumed we are "rich." We learned some very disturbing information about the truth behind Vietnamese orphanages, which really changed our thought process on all we knew about adoption.  Suzanne is a remarkable human being and we can't wait to share more about what she teaches us about giving back... 

Tomorrow we get to visit the Vietnam War Memorial and the orphanage with Suzanne.... it is going to be an eye-opening and emotional day. I've had trouble posting for a couple days now so hopefully I can tomorrow so you can follow along! Thank you, for supporting Kim! 

Vietnam, here we come

 

After days and then hours of waiting, we are finally boarding our plane in about an hour. Kim and I are nervous for what a nearly 16 hour plane ride will feel like. But, we are so excited about our trip and what the next 2 weeks will entail. We will be on the plane nearly all of Saturday and will arrive at 9:45 am on Sunday am (Ho Chi Minh time; 10:45 pm EST time).... the time change and money conversion of the Dong is very confusing to us but I am sure we will be pros when we are back! 

We will have more to report on soon I am sure. Safe travels! 

Love, Kim and Amanda

Our Itinerary for Vietnam!

Kim and Amanda’s Itinerary to Vietnam: June 23^rd-July 7^th

Friday, June 23rd     Off we go!!     Kim and Amanda take Limo to JFK   Arrive at JFK 8pm	Saturday, June 24th Ho Chi Mihn Flight Information: JFK to Ho Chi Mihn City   New York (JFK) à Taipei (TPE) 1:25 am à 5:15 am EVA Airways 31   Taipei (TPE)à Ho Chi Mihn (SGN) 7:20 am à 9:45 am (Saturday 25th) EVA Airways 395	Sunday, June 25th Ho Chi Mihn Arrive in Ho Chi Mihn @ 9:45 am Hotel Accommodations Jun 25th à Jun 28th Hotel Majestic Saigon 01 Dong Khoi Street District 1, Ho Chi Mihn City, 70000 Vietnam +84 (08) 38295517   Excursion: Night Street Food Tour @ 5:30 P/U @ hotel	Monday, June 26th Ho Chi Mihn   Hotel Majestic Saigon   Orphanage Visit/Relaxation Day	Tuesday, June 27th Ho Chi Mihn   Hotel Majestic Saigon   Excursion: Private Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels Trip 8:00 am P/U @ hotel	Wednesday, June 28th Ho Chi Mihn Hoi An/Danang   Check out: Hotel Majestic Saigon   Ho Chi Mihn (SGN) à Danang (DAD) Jetstar Pacific 602 2:20 pm à 3:40   Hotel Accommodations: Golden Sand Resort and Spa Au Co Raod, Cua dai beach, Hoi An, Quang Nam Vietnam +84 (235) 3927555	Thursday, June 29th Hoi An/Danang   Golden Sand Resort and Spa     Excursion: Half Day Rice Farm Day Trip 2 pm P/U @ hotel
Friday, June 30th Hoi An/Danang   Golden Sand Resort and Spa   Day of Relaxation Visit 2nd Orphanage	Saturday, July 1st Hoi An/Danang   Golden Sand Resort and Spa   Excursion: Full Day Snorkeling Cham Island 8:15 am P/U @ hotel	Sunday, July 2nd Hoi An/Danang   Golden Sand Resort and Spa   Day of Relaxation Explore Hoi An/Danang	Monday, July 3rd Hoi An/Danang Hanoi Check out: Golden sand Resort and Spa Flight Information: Danang (DAD) à Hanoi (HAN) Vietjet Air 4379 11:15 am à 12:30 pm Hotel Accommodations: Hanoi Pearl Hotel No 6, Boa Khanh Lane, Hoan Kiem Dist, Hanoi 10000 Vietnam +84 (4) 39380777 Excursion: Cyclo Tour in Hanoi with Water Puppet Show 6:00 pm (1800 hrs) P/U @ hotel	Tuesday July 4th Hanoi   Excursion: 2-Day Halong Bay Tour with Seaplane and Emeraude Cruise Noi Bai International Airport Time TBD   We will be sleeping on a cruise on Halong Bay this night!	Wednesday, July 5th Hanoi   Excursion: 2-Day Halong Bay Tour with Seaplane and Emeraude Cruise Noi Bai International Airport Time TBD   Hotel Accommodations: Hanoi Pearl Hotel	Thursday July 6th Hanoi   Hanoi Pearl Hotel
Friday, July 7th Last Day of Travel!   We’re on our way home!!   Check out: Hanoi Pearl Hotel   Flight Information: Hanoi (HND)àTokyo (HND) Vietnam Airlines 384 8:00 am à 3:05 pm   Tokyo (HND)àMinneapolis (MSP) Delta 120 4:20 pm à 1:35 pm   Minneapolis (MSP) à Hartford (BDL) Delta 2647 3:15 pm à 6:47 pm

*all flights are in the time zone in which we are in at that time.  ** Vietnam is 13 hours AHEAD of time in Connecticut (EST)