August 2016
Bruce & Sue Coward, Jenny Ryan, Cheryl Cull & Peter Fryers met at Tullamarine for our sponsors tour of Vietnam and to meet the children we sponsor. Arriving at Ho Chi Minh airport, we were met by two other sponsors, Loretta & John Baker. They made the trip earlier to meet with their son and daughter-in-law and her beautiful Vietnamese family.
After meeting with Suong (our No.1 tour guide and my personal helper) and with our bus driver we headed to Vung Tau. After checking in we visited a typical Vietnamese Seafood restaurant. A great meal was had by all at a surprising low cost.
We toured Vung Tau and Nui Dat (the Australian Army Base during the Vietnam War) and all the places that had Australian involvement.
One of the days we visited Tu An Pagoda. This was an extremely busy day at the pagoda as it was a week in the Buddhist Calendar that if people give during that period, they would get all goodness coming their way in return. The people bring lollies & treats for the children, bags of rice and vegetables etc.
After a beautiful vegetarian lunch, we checked out the babies creche. The Pagoda has at least one baby left at their gates each month. At Tu An they nurse about thirty babies, where a live-in dedicated team provide for all the babies needs with love and nurturing. It was too busy to take photos of the children so Suong and myself would return after the tour to receive all the school reports and update the childrens photos.
After leaving Vung Tau we made a stop at the Long Hai’s, another area of Australian involvement. We met with Mr Hai Ngan an old Viet Cong Man whose health has not been good. I have met him on many occasions now and have become a friend. We met at his family house, with photos on the wall of him in his Vietnamese Army Uniform. He is a very proud man.
We all climbed to the top of the Long Hai mountains and on return, enjoyed lunch with Hai Ngan. We then said our good byes and with tears in his eyes he farewelled us.
Spent the night in the beautiful coastal resort of Mui Ne before our next destination of Nha Trang, where stayed five nights.
Our second centre to visit was at Phanxico, ran by the Catholic Church, where we sponsor 33 female children.
The girls put on a spectacular dance routine starting with the younger children, going through each year to year twelve.
A welcome greeting on the blackboard to DOVES brings a tear to your eyes, it makes it all rewarding. All enjoyed lunch with the girls.
The next pagoda to visit was Kim Son, a great photo on the left with all the children and sponsors including Tram who helps me out in Nha Trang and her friend Chau.
A visit to the market to buy essential foods and of course, candy & treats for the children. We again enjoyed a great vegetarian lunch and then headed back to our hotels to enjoy some leisure time.
The next day was a free day to do your own thing, rest or go to the island of Vin Pearl. To get to this island you go by chair lift which is one of the longest in the world. There are many things to do on the island as all rides are included in your entrance fee. It is water themed with many various pools, high and fast slides or a gentle ride on a tube. Something to keep you amused for a few hours. Before going to the Vin Pearl, we all enjoyed helping at "Hash Tag Sunday".
This is put on every month by Lanterns & BBQ In and many other sponsors. Robert & Hein provide food to be taken to the poor people. On this occasion, all the parcels of food were taken to the hospitals. About six hundred parcels.
Phat Buu Nha Trang was our next visit after the normal stop at the market, spent the two million dong, was spent from sponsors money. We again buy candy and treats for the kids.
Some years ago, DOVES were given $750.00 by a sponsor to purchase some playground equipment at Phat Buu. This was the year to put it in, although the allocated position was now full of heavy tables and chairs. As there were no other areas to place the equipment I felt I had to offer the sponsor her money back.
Phat Buu Has done a lot of building over the years I have been involved. A new building was erected opposite, and this year further construction is being built at the rear of the property.
Our next stop was through the mountains via waterfalls and magnificent views, to the beautiful climate of Da Lat. This is the food and flower bowl of Vietnam. Hot houses fill the views and the markets are full of many types of flowers and plentiful vegetables.
We ventured up to the hills for an evening with the mountain people. They put on a fire and dance show - after a sensational feed, a fire was lit and the show started. They bring around containers of rice wine which you share a straw and sip away. The wine is quite strong. The girls all enjoyed it. It was great night.
A few joined in the dances of the minority mountain people as they shared the night with us, dancing and clapping, it was a most enjoyable night with many laughs.
The next morning, we ventured to the hills outside Da Lat to meet Sister Bernadette from Ta Nung at her local market. She mainly bought products used for cleaning or bowls with some food items.
After our welcome at Phat Buu and introduction to the children, Sue & Bruce Coward and Loretta & John Baker met the child they were sponsoring.
Lunch, then photos of the children, recording the school reports to use later to give to all sponsors in the child's profile. Sister Bernadette, with excellent staff run a very good orphanage. They have a coffee plantation at the rear of the premises, which helps with a lot of the costs. They also have chickens & grow a lot of their own vegetables.
After a few tourists stops in Da Lat: the Flower Gardens, the waterfalls and of course the famous night market. Then we headed to Ho Chi Minh to complete the first leg of the tour. A day at the Cu Chi Tunnels was a highlight; Loretta went through the tunnels and husband John went into an escape hole. A few of us fired the famous AK-47, a weapon used by the Viet Cong. Walking through the entire area was extremely hot.
In the evening we went on a floating restaurant to celebrate the last night of the first leg of our tour. We all had a great meal with a few drinks. As it was Vietnam's Independence Day and floating on the Saigon River, we had a tremendous view of the spectacular fireworks. Lasting at least 20 minutes, it was an indeed a great way to say goodbye to Loretta & John who were flying back to Oz. The rest of us were catching a plane to Quy Nhon to meet with the children from Suong's family.
Suong's village is about 90 minute taxi from the airport now the roads have been much improved. We stayed in a new hotel in the township of Binh Dinh.
At the local restaurant, we met with Mr Binh and his family. He is a local school teacher at the Tan Bat High School and teaches English and is always happy to see us.
The first thing on the agenda was to purchase ten bicycles for the children. This money was donated to Dianne Burton by her sister and another friend.
At the bicycle shop, after negotiations were finished they started to prepare them, which was interesting to watch.
You can see Sue and the owner's daughter keen to see it all happening.
On the way to Suong's we stopped to purchase books, pencils & treats for the children. Unfortunately, after passing the hospital Bruce, who was feeling very bad, asked to stop to get himself checked out.
We went to the emergency dept. who tried all the tests to find the bug that got into Bruce's system.
Jenny, Bruce's twin, was also feeling unwell so she also decided to get herself checked. Many tests on them were carried out along with a drip to help replenish them.
Although the medical care was good, the toilet conditions were appalling.
We were forced to leave Bruce & Jenny and go to Suong's family as the ten bikes were already delivered and children were eager to see who was to receive them, although most knew. This would be the first bike they would've ever had.
After taking the photos and recording the school reports, the bikes were given to ten happy children. Gifts given out, it was back to Bruce & Jenny. Although feeling better, they were still not good. We headed back to the airport for Ho Chi Minh, where we will say goodbye to Bruce, Sue, Cheryl and Jenny who would head to Cambodia. Except for the twins getting sick, it was a great sponsors' trip. Thanks to Suong as our tour guide. Another sponsors' tour is planned for August 2018.
