By Brodie and Luca
Today was our second day on the beautiful Mekong Delta River. We all woke up to a brilliant home cooked Vietnamese-style breakfast. After a good feed, we were all keen to start building a new dwelling that will change the life of Mr. Huong and his family. We embarked on a thirty-minute boat trip to An Binh, where the Huong family live. An Binh is a minuscule and remote village off the Mekong Delta. Walking into the village, we were surrounded by the vivid colours of the Mekong environment.
Hai, our local guide, allocated tasks when we arrived. He explained and carefully demonstrated how to mix cement, lay bricks, scaffold, refine sand and more. The building began with five cement mixers, and twenty-one brick layers. Being a cement mixer involved straining sand, collecting water from the river, combining sand with cement powder, mixing with water and finally supplying the finished cement to the brick layers. Bricklaying requires the movement of bricks from pile to building site, laying cement, halving bricks and then laying bricks. After a morning of sweaty and strenuous work in humid conditions, we were supplied with a hearty luncheon. We ate on the boat with a lovely view of the Mekong Delta.
Once we devoured our lunch, the reapplication of the essentials of sunscreen and insect repellant was required. Later, we were gifted a one-hour break, where we were able to explore the delightful village. Exploring An Binh helped us to understand the simple and peaceful lifestyle of being a Vietnamese villager.
Although continuing with the build after the break was tiring, we managed to keep spirits high. Finally, Hai called an end to the day and tools were replaced. An audible gasp of relief and astonishment was heard from everyone as we stepped back and admired our day’s work. We felt satisfaction as we relaxed on the boat trip back to our homestay.
Today was a productive and rewarding day. Our tiredness is temporary, but the enjoyment and satisfaction from this experience will last. Tomorrow, the build will continue.
Luca: Family, I am having a lovely time and this a great experience. Everything is hunky-dory! Love from your favourite son.
Brodie: To those at home, I am having a ripper time. Everything is going great. Hope all is well and Chev and Dex are behaving! See you all in thirteen days.
