Vietnam update:
After wrapping up the groups project in Saigon at the orphanage, and the other group at a School for the Blind, the 2 groups merged for our brilliant Cycle tour in the Mekong delta -the friendliest people, riding in open space through rice fields in the sun, without the pollution and madness of Saigon, given “high 5s” along the roadside, sweet juicy pineapples and watermelons awaiting us when finished…Our cycle "program” as planned from home was far too ambitious to accommodate the whole group - we cut it in half and enjoyed a cruisy pace – in the midst of riding we visited floating markets, local villages, many ferry trips, overnight stay on an island, all on our excellent mountain bikes.
We also go to see different parts of vietnam in a short space of time – the urban madness of central Ho Chi Minh City, outer urban areas from our first project in the tranistion urban-rural areas and obvious contrasts in standard of living. On the bikeride the contrasts between Vietnamese and Khmer (Cambodian) areas inside the border were also marked (many refugees from Vietnam war, khmer rouge etc over past few decades on either side of the somewhat arbitrary border) – while It was the same scenery in the Khmer areas, easily identifiable without the communist trademark in Vietnamese areas of the red and yellow star flag in ever line of view , the people in the Khmer areas were far friendlier with an innocent curiosity, many old weather beaten faces, distinctly different features, different smells form the kitchens. All round a brilliant 4 days,.

Hue and Hands for Hope
Once the cycle tour ended we rested the legs on a long bus trip to the cooler climate of Hue in central Vietnam (originally to be 22 hours…30 hours later the legs were definitely in need of a stretch…).
In Hue we represented Hands For Hope, a charity run by Vietnamese expats in Melbourne – who send donations they raise here directly to their contacts in Vietnam. In Hue their partner is Co Tam, another beautiful Buddhist Nun, whose work in the last 20 years has set up and funded 12 kindergartens and 60 teachers who work amongst them – Kindergartens don’t receive a cent of government funding, so they are essentially community-run - inspiring really to see the way these communities pull together to educate their little ones, and feed them as well when their families cant even afford that.
My group’s project site was about a 10km bike ride out of Hue City (and a beautiful one at that) to Phu An, and the mandate to build a kitchen with the materials we had already donated financially. The need: most of the 120 little ones at this kindergarten all come from the nearby 'river'/waterways - without title to land, living on small little boats, in horrible conditions - the waterways are set up for fish farming, but the water is so bad they cannot breed, whatever catch there is is contaminated, no alternatives sources of income, it was a sombre atmosphere - the nuns description of "a miserable life" seemed apt. All the other kindergartens have kitchens – the children are then able to be fed lunch and supper, that they may otherwise not receive.

We encountered difficulties upon arrival due to local government politics and some religious tensions (that is the abridged version, I will leave it at that!), that meant we could not physically build the kitchen ourselves, instead left to the local tradesmen employed on our behalf with our donation….it was an important lesson for the group about working in developing countries and environments where local power politics can undermine a seemingly altruistic aim of helping a community, and realities of difficulty in being a volunteer sometimes. However, we were able to spend time with the kids, play games, sing, draw on a few mornings, and by the time we left the kitchen was half finished. Our groups joined forces at the other project also run by the same Nun, where we built a wall, path and fence, to prevent children from trespassing on the adjacent property and drinking the contaminated water (like a blue green algae), demolished banana trees, a new path to the toilets - the groups worked really well together – everyone loving the ride to “work”, after the black smoke of Hue City’s main road, turning off into the countryside into another world, through waterways, past morning markets (seeing the fish and the water next to it where it came from…doesnt inspire much hunger though!).

Dominating the day, of course, is the food – in absolutely ridiculous quantities and variety (even despite all being veg for the month), SO SO GOOD, the banquets at every meal time are welcomed with gusto, there is never ANY space left on the huge tables, loads of “regional specialties” with many “unknown quantities" inside,and the forced nap time in the heat of the day has not been difficult to get used to!

On the Tet holiday while on the Cycle Tour we visited Sam Mountain which overlooks the Vietnam-Cambodian border, where Vietnamese flock to burn incense and tie straws to the trees (??) to leave any bad ‘karma’ behind to begin the new year afresh – while on top a butterfly landed on my head- there was much excitement around me as apparently this is the best luck you could receive on new years day, and was told this lunar new year will bring me great success and much loving to come my way!

Back in Saigon wrapping up with the group and our final dinner, saying goodbye to the Vietnamese volunteer friends from our first project at the orphanage, many tears have have shown the strength of the friendships forged during our time there. Really haven’t had time to scratch myself in the last 5 weeks and hadn’t made any purchases until today before the suit, the paintings, the bags, the shoes, the skirts, the teasets…look out. Feeling a little melancholy on my group leaving, they have been a wonderful bunch and have loved their company, sad to say goodbye, but feel like I did the most I could to make them have the best time possible in Vietnam, and maybe find some meaning in everything we have achieved as a group and individually while we were here. Really need a holiday but the "tough uni life" beckons)!), home in a flash, catch you soon ;-) Sarah xoxo