To begin: sorry about the zero posts, the last hotel had the WORST Internet connection. And last night we all went out to dinner and ended up at a disco complete with techno music and strobe lighting. I could hardly excuse myself from that to say, "Sorry, I have to act my age, finish my blog entry and get to bed at a decent hour." ( For those who know me it's probably shocking to hear me say I opted out of going to bed at a decent hour!)
It's a rest day today and we're off for a boat ride and snorkeling. I'm hoping the boat ride is relatively short. The last time I had an adventure like that was in Hawaii. It was one of those catamaran tours with cocktails and snorkeling. One man kept telling me that a couple of shots of tequila would solve my motion sickness!
Okay, back to Viet Nam. I fell and that is the reference to the title. Overwhelmingly the people of Viet Nam are friendly and so filled with joy to see you. We have been traveling thru small farming villages and tiny towns. In these villages people travel by bicycle, scooters and oxen drawn carts. I was with my friend Jennifer Tobin (Gig Harbor) and we could hear a scooter behind us. She went to the front and I moved in behind her. Two men on the scooter intentionally bumped me with the handlebar. I wobbled each direction trying to correct myself and fell to the left side giving me a pretty good battle scar on my knee, elbow and shoulder. I banged my head on the concrete pretty good but didn't crack my helmet. Let that be a lesson to you if you're ever tempted to ride without one. I was okay, a little shook up. The van arrived immediately and I opted to sag it for the remainder of the day in case I had a little shock going on (lucky for me it was near the end of the day, riding in the van is boring!). Again, our tour guide and the truck driver who hauls our stuff were amazingly attentive. I was the center of attention from my fellow riders. Now I have some interesting colored bruises - I am fine and will think fondly of Viet Nam every time I notice my scars!
We are on the ocean now and it is wild, beautiful and the over used word of the day: amazing. I have seen salt fields, shrimp farms, tapioca fields, rice fields, tobacco fields. Everywhere you look there is something new to behold. The Vietnamese people are so hard working. It seems they work morning until late in the evening. For example I had a pedicure ($5 US) in the hotel spa and the woman told me that she begins work at 8:00am and leaves at 9:00pm. In the morning many people walk to the ocean for a quick swim and exercise. Then they begin their long work day.
[ picture: women by side of road sorting fresh shrimp ]
It's a rest day today and we're off for a boat ride and snorkeling. I'm hoping the boat ride is relatively short. The last time I had an adventure like that was in Hawaii. It was one of those catamaran tours with cocktails and snorkeling. One man kept telling me that a couple of shots of tequila would solve my motion sickness!
Okay, back to Viet Nam. I fell and that is the reference to the title. Overwhelmingly the people of Viet Nam are friendly and so filled with joy to see you. We have been traveling thru small farming villages and tiny towns. In these villages people travel by bicycle, scooters and oxen drawn carts. I was with my friend Jennifer Tobin (Gig Harbor) and we could hear a scooter behind us. She went to the front and I moved in behind her. Two men on the scooter intentionally bumped me with the handlebar. I wobbled each direction trying to correct myself and fell to the left side giving me a pretty good battle scar on my knee, elbow and shoulder. I banged my head on the concrete pretty good but didn't crack my helmet. Let that be a lesson to you if you're ever tempted to ride without one. I was okay, a little shook up. The van arrived immediately and I opted to sag it for the remainder of the day in case I had a little shock going on (lucky for me it was near the end of the day, riding in the van is boring!). Again, our tour guide and the truck driver who hauls our stuff were amazingly attentive. I was the center of attention from my fellow riders. Now I have some interesting colored bruises - I am fine and will think fondly of Viet Nam every time I notice my scars!
We are on the ocean now and it is wild, beautiful and the over used word of the day: amazing. I have seen salt fields, shrimp farms, tapioca fields, rice fields, tobacco fields. Everywhere you look there is something new to behold. The Vietnamese people are so hard working. It seems they work morning until late in the evening. For example I had a pedicure ($5 US) in the hotel spa and the woman told me that she begins work at 8:00am and leaves at 9:00pm. In the morning many people walk to the ocean for a quick swim and exercise. Then they begin their long work day.
[ picture: women by side of road sorting fresh shrimp ]
Viet Nam is a very young country, over 80% of the population is under 40. Nothing is subsidized, their is no welfare, health care coverage, unemployment benefits or free education. The children are well loved and cared for by both mothers and fathers. They are polite and well behaved although we women think the middle school aged boys say some rude things to us fully aware that we don't understand them. What they fail to realize is body language tells a lot. If their parents can afford it they go to school six days a week for four hours either in the morning or at night. [ picture: just completed hill climbing of 10% grade, hot climbing weather but I made it!]They all wear uniforms and the type is based on what grade level they are at. My favorite are the middle school aged girls who wear white traditional looking Vietnamese gowns. They looks so elegant holding up one edge as they ride their bicycles.
I will post pictures later today. It takes a long time to upload them and I have to get ready for our rest day! I love you all and am keeping you in prayer. I carry each of you in my heart as a cross this beautiful country.
[me trying to talk with a local woman next to a rice paddy field, she didn't speak any English]
Did Pedaltours call in a fire mission for the two obvious NVA supporters who pushed off your bike? I sure hope so. Love you.
ReplyDeletehope you got something on that STAT, wouldn't want you to get some wierd Asian flesh eating bacteria. Looks as though you are having a great time.
ReplyDelete