Author: cwilliamson

Eighteen days ago we all boarded a plane together; many students did not know each other, some had travelled extensively, others less experienced. We were in many ways strangers together. Nervous excitement, apprehension at what lay ahead was palpable – for students and staff.

Eighteen days later, the bonds that have been forged, the friendships that have been made are all through the exciting daily adventures which we shared. Whether it was helping each other on the build, encouraging each other to go abseiling or even helping out with the intricacies of bargaining, your children were there for each other.

We have seen your young people grow: in independence, resilience, in community, in stepping outside their comfort zones and seeing how other people less privileged than them live their lives. Vietnam Red displayed energy, enthusiasm and a positive attitude which enabled them to get the optimum benefits from this journey. We are sure you will see confident, more independent young people, who can do hand washing too! It has been our privilege and pleasure to share the students travels with them.

The Vietnam Red staff: Mary, Coleen and Simon

Reflections from your young people:

Imogen : Being able to build a house in the Sampa village has allowed me to appreciate my own house and belongings. I know now that  inaminate objects aren’t that important and that family and love have greater value.

 

Lucas:During this trip I gained lots of knowledge and confidence. The trip made me realise that you don’t need money to be happy but surrounded by caring people. I found this by the support and help that families gave each other when we built the house.

 

Elli: I was taken out of my comfort zone and gained plenty of knowledge on Vietnam.

 

Owen: coming to Vietnam has exposed me to a new way of life, and a completely different world. I’ve made new friendships and strengthened old ones.

 

Christian: Despite feeling out of luck all the time I’ve found I have no luck in the things people from this country only dream of. I would not do it again, but I will definitely think of this trip over time.

 

Mathieu: I feel through the trip I’ve been able to see that despite us all living very different lives we all have the same basic human values and ideals. To be happy and to live surrounded by people who inspire us. This experience has opened my eyes and has made me grow as a person.

 

Julian: I discovered that happiness is a universal language overcoming all barriers such as different languages or cultures. It is not ones possessions or wealth that lead to happiness, merely people’s outlook on life.

 

Matt G: Travelling to Vietnam made me thankful for everything I have. I now know there are a lot of people who are not as privileged as I am and it has changed me as a person.

 

Linus : on this trip I learned a lot of important things, the two  most important things were : we should be thankful for what I have, my education and 2: money is not as much worth as people think and that many people are happy without money.

 

Ned: I was able to see people with a less fortunate life and benefit them, I experienced another country and got a cool ring.

 

Sam C: during the trip I’ve come to appreciate my own happiness more as I see how happy the people in Vietnam are who have much less.

 

Ben : this trip has opened up my eyes to both everything I have and how lucky I am as well as the many things I don’t need to be happy.

 

Moritz: Vietnam has opened my eyes towards the diversity of different countries as well as their living conditions. The trip has encouraged my love of travelling and has given me a greater sense of independence.

 

Josh: Out of the many things that I have gained throughout the trip I believe that the most valuable thing that I have learned would be my sense of my and others place in the world, and how lucky I am and of how others deal with the flip side of problems. They live on often $2 a day, but they still have much more joy than we have in Australia.

 

Marlo: I can’t believe how incredibly different Vietnam is to Australia. As my first overseas travelling experience I was very nervous about being in a totally unfamiliar place. I found though that not knowing your surroundings is not necessarily a bad thing. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to partake in the Big Experience

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Izzy: I have learnt a lot about the people, culture and history of Vietnam. I feel I can appreciate and learn from the way people live here and  I am much more grateful for what I have.

 

Sam B: the best experience is one that changes you forever.

 

Charlotte: The Big Experience has inspired me to help the lives of people around me and branch out into the community. This trip made me appreciate what I have and made me realise that’s it is the simple things in life that truly counts.

 

Steven: Really helps put life in perspective and value the things we have.

 

Sam P.: During my time in the Big Experience I have learnt to be more independent and have also learned that I can relate to my peers more.

 

Lachie: When we told how undermanned the staff at the orphanage I was not expecting it to be as it was and it makes you feel grateful for what you have.

 

Aaris: I was exposed to what the real conditions of a remote village were and how privileged I am to access to basic shelter, fresh water and food that the village at times lacked.

 

Kurtis: I was shown the world outside my own and was exposed to things that I never knew existed.

 

Emil: I feel that this experience has not only broadened my knowledge of Vietnam, but it has helped me learn more about others. I have seen so much that it has improved me as a person. Best trip ever.

 

Marko: From being in Vietnam I have gained so much experience and have found my mind opened to the outer world. I am more appreciative of what I have and think I am more independent as I have never gone overseas without my family before.

 

Jemima: The Big Experience has taught me that being outside my comfort zone is good every once in a while, and it often leads to great memories.

 

Ruby: the Big Experience has taken me out of my comfort zone and taught me to reflect and think about the lives of others.

 

Simon A:  On this trip I have learned more about people around me and the Vietnamese people than I thought I would. This trip has helped me understand how other people have to live and how they value and live life. I have also learned to appreciate the things I have and learned not to rely on the things that I have back home.

 

 

Today we had an awesome day that started with an accidental wakeup call of 6:30 instead of 7:30 that gave us nice fresh start to a wonderful day filled with laughs and smiles. After our wakeup call we went up to the 8^th floor for breakfast that consisted of a variety of different foods from different cultures. We then hopped on the bus which took us 45 minutes to the  orphanage. When we arrived there we could straight away see how disadvantaged the children were and how they spent their days. To even make things worse, the children all have disabilities with no treatment to help them. Most of the children won’t even make it past the age of 17 and won’t be able to leave the orphanage in that time.  However, it brought everyone great joy to see the looks of pure happiness on the faces of the children as we gave them our gifts and played with them, the children especially enjoyed the light up balls, the blow up soccer balls, and  drawing books and coloured pencils. When it came time for lunch we got to help feed the children who struggled to eat by themselves. The children especially enjoyed the yoghurt they got after they finished their meal. We were all happy to present a donation to the orphanage to help them get along and to support the children. Then we got back on our bus and feeling humbled, we enjoyed some quite time as we drove back to the hotel so that we could go and get some lunch during our free time. During free time, some of us went to a Pho restaurant where we enjoyed pho noddles mixed with a variety of meats. I ordered the number three combo which included pho noddles with beef a coke, and a caramel flan for desert which was very filling. We then raced back to the hotel where we were beginning to start the Great Race. We got split up into 5 teams and got handed sheets with questions and instructions to do and follow.  Each team set out with energetic spirit as we marched into the streets of Vietnam. The race itself was a challenge to know our surroundings and how to get around. During the race we needed to ask the locals questions and directions to complete it. It was a challenge trying to ask the locals questions as some of them didn’t know much English which resulted in they them saying prices for wallets or fruit! At the end of the race we were asked to go to the tallest tower in Vietnam which was called the Bitexco Tower. We got an awesome view of Ho Chi Minh city which was breathtaking.  Then we went to dinner at a pleasant little restaurant where we had dinner and then we thanked Hung our tour guide for being amazing! Then we wished Jemima a Happy Birthday for the 25^th November (as we will be on the plane tomorrow night – and it was midnight on the 25^th in Australian time).  We had a cake and all sung Happy Birthday to her, then she opened some cards from family in Australia. Then Hung took us to the top of this amazing five star hotel that was super expensive which no one could afford but we got to enjoy the amazing view. Then we went back to the hotel and got ready for bed.

By Matthew Ganther and Simon

Today we woke up at 6:30am to have breakfast and pack in preparation for the journey back to Ho  Chi Minh City.  After breakfast we gave some of our gifts to the owners of the house we stayed in.  We then got on a boat which took us along the Mekong River. On the way we passed the floating markets where villagers come to sell their produce from their farms. We stopped at a nearby village where we gave gifts to some of the children and watched the process of making rice paper, coconut candy and popped rice.  To make the coconut candy, the husk is separated and the coconut is split open.  The coconut is poured out; the coconut flesh is then shredded and compressed in order to get the milk.  The coconut candy is a combination of the coconut water and milk which is then heated and left to set.  The coconut candy is then wrapped in rice paper to stop it from sticking to the wrapper.  Things such as cocoa, peanut and banana are added to create different flavoured candy. While we were there, some people got to hold a large python around their neck including Mrs Tattersall who was very scared!

After our stop at the village we hopped back on the boat to meet the bus further along the river.  We drove for about 2 hours before we stopped for lunch.  We had lunch at the Mekong Rest Stop which included a variety of different seafood dishes as well as Pho.  We then returned to the bus and continued the journey back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Once we arrived at Ho Chi Minh city we checked back into our hotel and had a few hours to shower and get ready for dinner. At 6:00pm we all made our way to the shopping mall and had 30 minutes to look around. The mall was like a maze, it was very large and cramped.  After the shopping mall we walked to the night markets where we were able to wander around and purchase dinner.  The night markets were chaotic and we were encouraged to bargain hard as the starting price was very expensive.  There were many different shops selling things such as bags, shoes, hand-made gifts, jewellery and clothes.  After a night full of shopping we returned to the hotel for a good night sleep.

By Ellie and Imogen

Today we woke up bright and early to a wonderful breakfast in our hotel the Bong Sen, before quickly checking out and hopping onto our multi coloured bus. We made our way through the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh city before bursting out into the open areas made up of rice paddies and fields we encountered throughout our long journey to the Cu Chi Tunnels. We then proceeded to have a guided tour with our new tour guide Mr Lam. We learnt about the interesting and complex tunnel systems and were all excited and slightly nervous after realising that we would be entering them soon enough. Although, our trip to the Cu Chi tunnels was largely about learning about the lives of the soldiers that lived in the tunnels, how they cooked their food, how they defended themselves and how the war affected them. Many of the Vietnamese built traps to defend the tunnels which had become their homes. The traps, normally used to hunt animals were placed around the countryside. Gruesome spikes, holes and explosives hidden gracefully under foliage and dirt. We also visited the rooms where they cooked their food, made their clothing and saw intricate ventilation systems, disguised as a termite mound.

 

Then finally it was time to enter the tunnels themselves. We descended down the first set of mud steps and entered a room a couple of metres into the ground, only to find out that we had to go deeper into the earth to enter the tunnels themselves. The tunnels themselves are around 1 metre tall and only half a metre wide, so most of us were forced to crawl on our hands and knees. This was done on purpose by the Vietnamese as they were usually smaller than the Americans who would be invading, so they could move quickly through them while the opposition would be forced to move slowly, dragging gear along with them. By the end of the tunnel, most of us were rushing with adrenaline and wanting to go again.

 

The shooting range gave mixed reactions in the group, some of the group chose to shoot and have a new experience and some people just wanted to enjoy a chilled beverage and relax. After the wonderful Cu Chi experience we hit the road again in our multi coloured bus and started the 3 and a half hour bus trip to the Mekong Delta.  The flat and vast land of the Vinh Long is a big contrast to the last village we went to. Finally after an extremely tiring bus ride we finally arrived at the place where we would be taking our private boat to our final home stay.  We were only a couple of hundred metres from the home stay when we came across a bridge. Since it is the start of a lunar month the tides were higher so to get under the bridge most of us had to go to the front of the boat but that still was not enough so we had to get off the boat and walk the rest of the way which was an interesting experience… 

At last we made it to our home stay and got settled in for the night.      

By Ben and Steve

Today we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon) after an hour plane trip from Hoi An. From Ho Chi Minh airport we took a twenty minute bus trip to the Bong Sen 2 Hotel. We rested for a couple of minutes at the hotel before we began our walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City. A couple of minutes through the tour we stopped to get some traditional Vietnamese soup (Pho) for a very scrumptious lunch. Continuing our tour, we stopped for a while at the beautiful, historic post office. It was built during French colonisation and therefore its features strongly resemble aspects of French architecture. Conveniently the stunning Notre Dame Cathedral (obviously not the original) was just opposite to the Post Office, and even with our brief glimpse of it we could see its marvellous French design. We walked awhile longer before reaching the enlightening War Remnants Museum. With impressive war machines such as jets, helicopters, tanks and artillery out the front, it’s safe to say that  everybody was immediately intrigued and interested. We learnt much about the Vietnam War and the horrific events that occurred. We were distressed by the painful horrific imagery but felt that it was also necessary to see. We engaged in learning about the brutality and inhumane warfare that has been overshadowed by larger scale events in the world. One of the most terrible occurrences was the use of Agent Orange, a chemical substance primarily used for deforestation. However it had a huge effect on people, causing widespread harm to over 3 million people, 2 million of them being civilians. It was such a lethal substance, that 85 grams of dioxin (a primary ingredient) could kill over 8 million people. It still effects some people living today, as it causes birth defects in offspring of those exposed to it.

In the evening, some strapping young lads and gorgeous lasses shared a fantastic evening full of delightful, indulgent food. Although the humidity was high and the temperature was scorching, all in all it was a wonderful day arriving in the bustling Ho Chi Minh City.

The Dashing Marko and the Exquisite Aaris