Dear friends and family of YELLOW group,
Our travellers are on home ground.
Once they have cleared customs and are on the bus homeward bound I will update you.
We expect to welcome them home at the South Rd gates around 10.30-10.45am.
See you then when it will be hugs galore and some very happy chappy’s to be home!
Luisa
Dear friends and families of GREY group,
we we have received word that they have landed from a safe journey and will be homeward bound soon.
We expect to see then at the South Rd gates between 10.30am and 10.45am.
See you then. I will keep you updatesd if anything changes and will next post once they are through customs and are on the bus heading home!
Warm up your arms, there will be lots of hugging!
Luisa
We woke up and got informed by our resident history expert, Mr. Wood about our emotional day out at the Tuol Sleng Prison and the Killing Fields, as well as the Khmer Rouge, which most of us in the group had never heard of before today. It was a confronting experience to see all the faces of the prisoners on the wall who had been put through such severe conditions. We also saw the cells in which the prisoners were kept in and the beds on which they were brutally tortured. Walking through this somber environment was just the tip of what would be experienced by the Khmer people who suffered under this regime. What made this trip today even more distinct was the fact that while we were walking through the prison a trial was being held for Duch, one of the main culprits who was part of committing these major war crimes.
The Killing Fields was a wake up call to the tragic modern history of Cambodia. Whilst walking through this environment, our emotions were crippled and the scenes were intense. When walking through the actual Killing Fields we saw unsettling scenery, of bones and teeth still in the ground from 40 years ago. The Pagoda in the middle of the complex was filled to the top with skulls and bones from the victims, as well as the weapons used to torture and execute anyone who opposed the Regime. Walking around the massed graves gave us a sense to how many people were murdered. While walking through the fields, we could imagine the actual scenes as almost everything was kept untouched. We also learnt about the leaders of the Regime and what they did to the Cambodian people. After a few minutes of reflection we headed of to lunch, the bus ride was one of the most quiet bus rides of the trip, most people were still getting their heads around what we as a group just witnessed.
After lunch we headed off to the Russian Markets. We got into small groups and went shopping for goods. It was hard to walk in with other people and it was also hot and stuffy. They sold all sort of things, from fruit and clothes to motorcycle parts. Some of us bought gifts for people at home while some bought miniature bicycles for themselves. Some of us saw the other TLC group and some of them bought shoes, clothes and stuff. It felt like we were right in the guts of Cambodia, it felt real due to the smell, the people and the food.
After an hour at the market, the group went on a boat ferry along the Bassac river and watched the sun set over the city of Phnom Penh. It was a nice mellow way to end the big experience. We saw a lot of sights including the riverside lights, the banks of the Bassac, and the Cham people who live along the river side. It was a good way to relax and recover from an emotional day. We then docked and headed out for dinner at an eco-restaurant, had a nice meal and then headed back to the hotel for our last sleep of our journey.
Audrey, Elissa, and James H
By Elle
Today started out how every other day this trip has; an early wake up, filling buffet and a last minute briefing in the lobby. However the briefing was something different, and needless to say exciting. Hoang explained to us the very detailed adventure race that all of Vietnam yellow had been excited for throughout the trip. My team was let out first and we very leisurely strolled to the post office we had previously visited on our first night in Ho Chi Minh city. My group was made up of Bella Cav, Chloe, Callum, Simon, Annabelle, Marie, Hoang and myself. We flew through the first set of questions thanks to the information given to us previously. As we travelled to our next destination which would of only been a five minute walk, we were very surprised to find out we were being put onto these bicycles, called cyclos, that were driven by older men. Annabelle, Simon and I were tightly squished onto the seat and spent the entire 5 minute ride complaining about space.
Thankfully we arrived at the market and made our way through the very tempting stalls to the Western gate. There, we met a lady who presented us with three fruits that we had to taste and identify. That took longer than expected but we finally got through the task. Next, we stupidly skipped a task and had to re-calibrate our route to find ally that held the information we needed. Finally we reached the very tall Bitexco building that was 265m in height and had over 50 levels. My group enjoyed the view a bit too much and we spent some more time there than needed.
We arrived at the hotel as our final destination and found out we came third, a bummer at first but was quickly forgotten as the refreshing shower we had was so much better than any prize. We filed into the bus and went an hour out of Ho Chi Minh to the “Happy Heaven” orphanage.
We spent a very eye-opening, exciting and fun 2 hours there. Simply playing, feeding and carrying the children. I became very close to a little child as many of the other members of the group did. The boys played ball games with the kids, some helped with colouring in images and others enjoyed building blocks with the kids.
Eyeopening may be a bit of a understatement. Seeing some of those children having the biggest smiles on their faces just from getting a small back rub or a ball thrown to them was so confronting because we cry over the smallest things. It was so beautiful seeing everyone shut off from their own issues to help bring joy to someone else’s day was an incredible.
Now we are in the air port waiting to come home and give everyone massive cuddles and kisses. Can’t wait to see you all very soon.
Love Elle.
It has been an absolute pleasure to take this group of students away from the comforts of their homes and families and offer them the opportunity to travel in Vietnam. We have witnessed so many positive changes to every student. We have seen students mature in the way they take responsibility for themselves and each other. We have observed a shift in mindset from a holiday away with classmates to a rich cultural experience that has left them wanting more. While the early part of the trip was filled with questions such as, “When are we going shopping?”, “When is lunch?”, and, “when are we going shopping?”, these evolved into more thoughtful questions such as ,”When exactly was the feudal time in Vietnam?” and, “What’s the difference between communism and socialism?”. Vietnam Grey is a close knit group that have fully immersed themselves into Vietnamese life and participated in every activity with enthusiasm. They were guided by the knowledgable and entertaining guide, Hai, who was assisted by the man with a heart of gold, Quyen.
Our trip leader, Nicole Hutchinson, has worked tirelessly in the build up to this trip and throughout the trip. She has put so much thought and care into ensuring everything went smoothly and safely and we can safely say she led a well-oiled machine that went from strength to strength. Thank you Ms Hutchinson!
The students on this trip have been battered and bruised from hard work and the usual rigours of travelling through a developing country, but our medical officer, Joss, has handled every situation with care, compassion, and copious amounts of creams and capsules! We have remained happy and healthy throughout the trip because of Joss’ incredible efforts to look after us.
Our bloggers have been assisted by our photographer extraordinaire, Mr Hyde, who has ensured plentiful smiles and happy faces due to his jestful nature. He has also played an incredibly supportive role to both Nicole & Joss in their roles and has been a delight to work with. Even at times when we were all feeling utterly exhausted, his humour kept us laughing and happy.
We also want to thank everyone back at St Leonard’s who have given so much support both before and during the trip. We look forward to seeing the happy parent faces at the school gates at about 10:30-11am Thursday morning.
Farewell from Vietnam Grey 2016
Nicole, Joss and Chris
Beijing was a warm 4°C this morning as we headed out to the Llama temple. The Llama Temple is a Tibetan Buddhist temple where locals and tourists can explore and learn about the ideology. The temple is home to a 26 meter tall Buddha as well as other spiritual figures including the ancient entombed body of an abbot. We were assigned three challenges, firstly to discover where the abbot was entombed, secondly to find out what was behind the curtains and how the giant wooden Buddha was transported to the temple. It was interesting to investigate the temple and it’s fascinating history. As for the answers you will have to ask us when we get home!
We then travelled to the Hong Chao- an indoor market and for many, the most highly anticipated part of our trip. We spent 4 hours shopping, buying everything from Louis Vuitton to Rolex as well as some extremely real beats headphones and some definitely cotton Polo Ralph Lauren.
After dinner we said some emotional thank yous’ to the teachers, and the much loved tour guide Xiao Feng (AKA- Stony). We reflected on the amazing time we have had in China, learning about their language and culture as well as learning to work as a group. We only have half a day left- time has gone by so fast. We are looking forward to the 34 hours of travelling we have to get back home!
Izzy and Ryan
