Author: ldaniels

We started off the day today with a surprise bouquet of flowers for each teacher since it is Teachers’ Day here in Vietnam. Traditionally in Vietnam the students buy their teachers flowers and gifts to show their appreciation. They also visit their past teachers and give them presents (luckily we were fortunate enough to have our teachers here with us).

 

We then got on our bikes and went for an hour long bike ride to the beach. Along the way we travelled through the small villages and pretty countryside of Hoi An and surrounds. We stopped at the beach for two hours to have lunch and walk along the shore. While we were there, we noticed that the water was very rough and the sea levels were fairly high, possibly due to climate change. These high sea levels cause a lot of erosion along the coast line. To prevent excessive amounts of erosion the locals have put up sea walls.

 

After resting at the beach, we got back on our bikes and rode back to the hotel. We took a swim in the pool before heading back out into the city of Hoi An for some shopping time. While we were out, the weather took a turn for the worse and it started pouring. Within minutes sales people came from every direction selling cheap ponchos, saving us from the downpour. This unexpected weather put an end to us walking around the city but it didn’t stop us from making the best of the situation. Right before dinner the rain still had not stopped and we learnt that Hoi An floods at least once each year. At 6:00pm we met up with the rest of our group at the Banana Leaf restaurant to enjoy a delicious dinner. We walked away with our bellies full and smiles on all of our faces. After a short walk back to the hotel we worked on our Journey Docs before heading off to bed. It was a great day and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for us tomorrow.

Sofia P and Courtney H

We started off our first morning in the beautiful town of Hoi An by taking a scenic boat ride along the river, briefly exploring the untouched life and viewing the old town that lined the shores. We made our way to the other side of the river to look at some of the local wood carvings, many with oyster shell inlay. There seemed to be an endless amount of bowls, buddas and cute trinkets that had been carved to perfection by some of the most skilled artists.

Upon arriving back to the shore of the old town, we were given free time to indulge in the beautiful markets and tailor shops for ourselves. The majority of us spent our budgets for the day, thrilled to be designing our own outfits. Compared to our previous days in Ho Chi Mihn City, crossing the roads in Hoi An is easy while also always buzzing with life.

 

Later in the afternoon we were fortunate to experience first-hand the making of Vietnamese cuisine through a cooking class. We made spring rolls and marinated chicken skewers (family at home please do not expect these skills to be brought home with us).

Afterwards we happily consumed the delicious dinner that we had prepared earlier. On our walk back to the hotel, the streets of Hoi An seemed to be glowing from the lanterns that lined the streets. Tonight we rest our feet ready for the activities of tomorrow.

Chloe M and Ellie G

 

This morning we bid farewell to Ho Chi Mihn City and boarded our plane for a short flight to Danang in central Vietnam. We then travelled by bus to the coast and followed the hotel-dotted road overlooking the South China Sea to the town of Hoi An. We checked into our hotel, eyed off the pool, and headed out to explore this picturesque town.

The town is full of quaint shops, many of them specialising in tailor-made clothing. Many of us chose our fabric and designs, then placed orders for garments that will be ready for a first fitting tomorrow.  The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying shopping in small groups.

After dinner and more shopping (we just can’t get enough of it here), we retired to our hotel, excited about tomorrow’s activities.

Today in Vietnam, we left the Mekong Delta and returned to Ho Chi Minh City. Our last day in the Mekong showed yet another side to this lovely part of Vietnam. Through visits to the floating market and a Vietnamese sweets factory we witnessed more culture and a part of the village that we had not yet seen. The floating markets showed us the dedication of the farmers to the village they live in. We were taught that some of the people selling produce on the market will wake up at times as early as 2am, so other Vietnamese people can sell their foods in other markets, which is much earlier than any of us have had to wake up! Before leaving the Mekong we were also shown the processes of making Vietnamese lollies, and got the opportunity to hold a python that one of the family members owned. Time spent at this factory was also spent shopping, and there were many bags of coconut lollies bought to hopefully bring home and share. Sadly, the conclusion of our Mekong Delta visit brought the sad goodbye to our local guide Hieu, who lightened up many moments of our stay in the village, and definitely was one of the reasons our stay there was so enjoyable. After a 2 hour bus trip back to Ho Chi Minh, which included a lunch and much singing on the bus, we checked back into the Bong Sen Hotel, to get ready for the Great Race around the city. In groups of three and four, we roamed the city completing tasks, answering questions and searching out the teachers located throughout the city. There were many interesting moments including being driven for some parts on three-wheeled bikes(cyclos) and venturing up the tallest building in the city (which has 68 floors). The day ended with a short break and a dinner at the Barbeque Gardens. Meat was cooked on gas stoves in front of us, and all of the food was lovely – our appreciation of the Vietnamese food culture only expanded.

By Kate H and Jack H

 

 

      It was another early start on the Mekong, woken by the roaring engine of boats. As usual we headed to the breakfast area for a traditional Vietnamese meal. After a solid feast the boat arrived and we all piled on ready to get our hands dirty and do some hard work. Today would be the last day before we would finally hand over the house to the family and head off to explore the other vast environments Vietnam has to offer. When we got to the site there were only a few tasks that had to be completed and we were finished by 11:30am. We then gathered at the front of the house to admire the hard work, sweat and effort that we had put in. The family was extremely grateful and it felt amazing to do something so good for the less fortunate. We gave the children of the village lots of gifts that we brought over from Australia. The looks on their faces were better than any thank you I could have imagined. With their new gifts we headed over to a small clearing a few houses away from the building site. It’s amazing how the Vietnamese don’t need a billion dollar soccer field to play a game. They improvise with the spaces they have and use it to their best advantage. After playing a quick game of soccer and tug of war, we got back onto the boat and headed off to collect gear for a bike ride. We rode along beside fruit trees and lots of children came out of their yards to call out ‘Xin Chao’ (hello). Nick had an interesting encounter with a cactus on the way.

We headed back to the Home Stay to have an amazing dinner and then be greeted by some locals to perform some traditional music for us. It was a great thing for us to experience as it allowed us to hear something new and opened our ears up to a new kind of music. This was a great experience over all and a great insight into the Vietnamese culture.

 

By Nick I and Zoe H

      

 Today we returned back to the building site and continued our construction in the Mekong Delta. During the day we were introduced to new practices such as weaving for the roof and creating support beams above the windows. During break times we snack on watermelon, rambutan and guava. In the village it was very hot so everyone had to keep hydrated. By the end of the day we were all keen for a nice cold shower. We reflected on what we have experienced here in Vietnam such as how friendly the people are (we were expecting them to be less caring for outsiders, but they treat us the same as they would friends and family). We have also made many new friends with people we previously thought we might not get along with. Tonight our Mekong Delta guide, Hue, gave us some more background about the family we are building the house for. We have all been enjoying our time here in Vietnam and can’t wait to finish the build tomorrow.

By James A and Thomas M