Author: fcreak

 Today we spent the whole day on an adventurous bike tour around Hue. This morning we rode down streets that were lined with flower stalls for teachers day. It is an important day for the Vietnamese and the people buy flowers for their teachers and former teachers. As we ventured into the countryside, we saw the change from urban city to countryside villages. We visited Thien Mu Pagoda where we saw the car of Quang Duc, the monk that chose to set himself alight, in protest of the prosecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnam government in 1963. Next we rode to a Buddhist pagoda where monks live and practise the religion. We sat down to eat a vegetarian Vietnamese meal, which is eaten by the monks. After our meal we had a short lesson in meditation, but very few of us could reach the lotus position. Next we arrived at the Hue colosseum, a small arena where the King used to be entertained by elephant and tiger fighting, the elephant won on most occasions. With a small snack break to get some ice-creams, we made our way to the French bunker located on a hill facing towards the Perfume river. The views were amazing and we could see mountain ranges in the distance. After many challenging hills we arrived back in the city, to find ourselves in the midst of peak hour traffic. The intersections looked intimidating, but with caution and patience we were able to cross safely. We are sure we will all be stiff and sore tomorrow! After we arrived, we had a quick swim in the rooftop pool located on the 11TH FLOOR. We could see the whole of Hue from the water. At 6:30pm we followed Hai to a street full of restaurants and enjoyed a lovely free choice of dinner. We are having the best time and don’t want to leave Vietnam, but we are excited to see everyone back home soon! 
Issy and Charlotte   
  

  
  

  
  

   

Yesterday was quite a relaxed day, our group leader Hai took us around to look at some of Hoi An’s historical locations such as a famous temple and an ancient Japanese bridge. Later in the afternoon we were given free time to look around the city and have a long swim in the pool before going to a cooking class at Ms Vy’s cooking school. We learnt about the traditional methods of cooking typical Vietnamese style foods such as chicken skewers and spring rolls. We were surprised by the number of ingredients. We then went downstairs where we ate what we had prepared along with some additional dishes for dinner. It was fun, not to mention delicious.

  
   
 
Today we broke our slumber at the dawn of 7. We hastily pounced out of bed and bounced to the complimentary breakfast in which we broke our fast. We dined on sweet fruits such as watermelon and mango. We commenced our journey towards the fabled ‘Marble Mountain’ to which we participated in the thrilling activity of abseiling. We all took turns scaling down the sheer face of the cliff approximately twenty five meters high and then inside a cave which was admittedly shorter but many agreed as exhilarating of an experience as the higher counterpart. After a nutritious lunch provided by our talented abseiling guides, we headed on our four hour bus trip to Hue in which much banter was had. Midway though our journey we were met by the stunning view of the coast of the eastern sea and a bunker which marked the boarder of north and south region Vietnam in the past. Many photos were taken.

   
    
    

Once we arrived our weary eyes were met with the sight of the hotel which was way above the standard we expected (4 star). After the chance to shower, freshen up and relax with our new roommates we headed down the clustered streets of Hue to a palace like restaurant. Hue was the former imperial capital of Vietnam, and in this tradition, we were given a privileged opportunity to dine like royalty. Tanner and Hannah were selected as the King and Queen for the evening. We all put on traditional robes and hats and took out places at the table. There was ample traditional Vietnamese musical entertainment which consisted of age old cultural Vietnamese instruments such as a two stringed guitar and a marvellous Vietnamese singer. Many dishes were served to us throughout the dining experience and we were all sure that this night we would sleep with full tummies. I love you mum and dad 😀.
Tom and Lewis 

 

   
  

It is hard to believe we are over half way into the trip. Today the group enjoyed our last day in Hoi An and tomorrow we move on to Hue. This morning during a reflection activity we asked the group to consider and respond to two questions:

What have I learnt about Vietnam? 

What have I learnt about myself? 

Here are some of their reflections…
 “I have learnt that I love trying new things and having new experiences.”

-Hannah

“I have learnt that being overseas I always become more appreciative of the place I come from and the family I have.”

-Jorja

“I have learnt that I am more resilient, mentally and physically than I previously thought.”

-Oliver
  
“I have realised that I am capable of more things than I thought I was capable of. I have learnt I am able to relate to my peers.”

-Joe

“I have learnt that Vietnam is very family orientated and that the people take care of the community.”

-Elyse

“I have learnt a lot about Vietnam. I have learnt about the community (through the orphanage and villages). I have learnt that we share values and are connected through communication, helpfulness, celebrations and other things.” 

-Ned
  “I have learnt that some people are still suffering from the war while I barely heard about it when I lived in America. I also learnt that even with all the noise here, I am still more peaceful than when I am in Australia.”

-Brock

“I thought it would be very difficult to spend three weeks without social networking but we are 11 days in and I couldn’t care less.”

-Tanner

“I have learnt that the country has suffered a lot, but everyone is still happy and welcoming.”

-Alessia
  
“I have learnt a lot about how resilient and independent I can be when having to look after myself.”

-Tom 

“I have learnt that I should be more grateful about living in Australia and going to a school like St Leonard’s. I have learnt that you don’t need technology to have a fun and happy life.”

-Theo

“I have learnt that Vietnamese people (especially along the Mekong Delta) help each other a lot. There is a much stronger sense of community here than at home.”

-Polly

   ” I have learnt that people here have a different relationship with animals than we do. They generally don’t keep animals as pets. All their animals have a purpose like being killed for food, or being used with crops.”

-Ben
“I have learnt that Vietnamese villages are sustainable. People can produce everything they need themselves such as growing fruit, vegetables and livestock, and making their own tools such as the tool that removes the coconuts from the trees.”

-Marvin
“I have learnt that Vietnam is a cultural and varied country. It is dense and busy, but also peaceful and quiet.”

-Alec
  
  “I found the orphanage a very confronting places there are many kids there with disabilities that have been caused by agent orange, something that was used in the war. It was very confronting because it still affects people in Vietnam today.”

-Charlotte

“I have realised how lucky I am. We have seen a lot of poverty and even just to have a warm, safe home and clean tap water is something that a lot of people don’t have.”

-Issy

  
 

Day 10 begun with an early 7 o’clock breakfast buffet at the Hoi An Historic hotel. It was incredibly delicious with a variety of foods, like omelettes, bacon, sausages, rice, hash browns and pastries. After what could be called a healthy breakfast we set out on our second bike ride of the trip. It took us through some of Hoi An’s streets to the beach. Once we got to the beach we realised that the water was very high and the beach had suffered some erosion because of a typhoon, so we headed down further to find more sand to enjoy. On the beach we relaxed and played soccer, some of us decided not to get sandy and bought drinks and kicked back on the beach chairs. We then got back on our bikes and put on our cool, Vietnamese-style helmets and rode back to the hotel. It was quickly in, and out again for lunch. We had some special noodle soup for lunch with some other foods to go with it like tasty prawn wantons. After that we had some free time to go shopping on the Hoi An streets where we were able to practise our bargaining skills. Some students returned to various tailors around town for a fitting of their clothes being made. By 5pm we got on a local boat that took us around a small island just off the main land, where we were able to enjoy the sunset. After the sunset we were given about an hour to continue explore the streets and find a place to have a free choice of dinner with our friends. We bumped into Vietnam Yellow which is one of the 3 Vietnam groups, they came down from the north of Vietnam. On the way home we took a visit to Mrs. Bong who had our washed clothes that were desperately needed. Then to conclude the chilled out day we took a dip in the hotel’s pool and prepared for the next day. 

Ned and Joe

  
  

    
    
 

The day begun with a well-deserved sleep in, after three tiring days in the Mekong Delta. After yet another delicious breakfast, we all checked out of our rooms and prepared to say goodbye to what we used to call Ho Chi Minh City, dubbed Saigon by the smiling locals. Our second enjoyable plane trip entailed breathtaking views of Da Nang and its surroundings, and a swift exit from the airport. Once outside, we were greeted with a refreshing change from the populous Saigon with clear roads and a culture strongly linked with nature. A quick bus ride took us to the spectacular Hoi An Hotel, situated on the edge of the old town. Our jaws dropped when we laid eyes upon the modern yet classically colonial resort, featuring a large swimming pool and massive grounds. After quickly unloading, we set out to explore the historic old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then split up into small groups to go shopping in the town, famous for its tailored clothes which come at little expense. We then enjoyed some modernised Vietnamese cuisine before resuming our pursuit for bargain prices. To conclude our first day in Hoi An, the group decided to have a relaxing swim at the hotel, highly anticipated by all.

Just another day in paradise.
By Oliver and Alec

  
  

  

This morning we woke up in Peaceful Island on the Mekong Delta in our homestay. We woke early and got ready for breakfast which featured strawberry jam, omelettes and an array of squishy coconut jellies. After swinging in the hammocks and reading a book we boarded the boat which would take us to the floating market. When we arrived at the market we learnt that locals sell their produce by attaching what they’re selling to long bamboo poles on their boats. We then made our way to the fish sauce factory where we smelt (or tried not to smell) the strong vegemite-like smell of the fish, salt and vinegar concoction. After that, we floated to a rice paper factory where we watched people make rice paper, pop rice (like pop corn), coconut lollies and fried noodles. After purchasing some sweets for ourselves we bid one of our guides, Hiêú goodbye. We got on the bus and drove towards Ho Chi Minh city for around an hour. By then, it was time for lunch and we stopped at a Mekong rest stop and enjoyed a vast variety of food including vermicelli soup, sticky rice, spring rolls and fish. When we had finished, we drove for another 2 hours and arrived in our old hotel Bong Sen. We then walked to the market, decided our meeting point and were told we could roam the market until 5 o’clock. This experience was very different to shopping in Australia not only due to the extreme difference in price but also the fact that the shop keepers come to you not the other way around. A few of us found ourselves in difficult situations where shop keepers begged us to buy there products. For dinner, we were allowed to choose where we ate in groups of three. While some of us stuck to the Vietnamese food we had grown used to, others hit up Subway or KFC for a change only to find that their Kentucky Fried Chicken was actually Kentucky Fried Fish. Our leaders efforts to avoid the other Vietnam group failed as we saw them twice on the streets of Saigon. All in all, it was another great day. Tomorrow, we will leave the south and catch an internal flight to Hoi An where we will go from a city of nearly 10 million to a city of 10 000 people. (Photos on the way)

Polly and Marvin

P.S. Thank you so much and I miss you.