Shany (the other volunteer I'm sharing a room with) is leaving this afternoon to go back to Australia, so the two of us decided a few days ago we needed an 'end of trip adventure'....so we headed off into the jungles of Vietnam! We took a bus to Cat Tien National Park, because I'd read in a travel book that they had elephants, rhinos, and other cool animals wandering the park! When we checked in and found our bungalow, I was pleasantly surpr
ised to see the bed had a mosquito net and we had our own bathroom with a toilet and shower - impressive! Since we were there to explore nature, we set our stuff down and headed out into the wilderness right away, pretending not to be city girls :) The lady at the desk showed us a big map of the park and told us which trails to take to go see some rapids... we followed her directions and ended at a dried up river with absolutely beautiful rock formations - no rapids but wonderful sights! A Vietnamese couple was walking around on the rocks, so we did the same to explore the area. In the wet season, I figure it's a fast flowing river, but in the dry season (now), it looks more like volcanic rocks with a few trickles of water here and there. As we were leaving, I hoped from one rock to another and unfortunately, the rock I jumped onto wasn't too stable and wobbled over, leaving me sprawled out amidst the rocks! Needless to say, I was lucky to leave with nothing more than a scraped up ankle and mildly sprained wrist :) Life happens.....
We continued our hike, but not for long after our path was crossed by an unwelcomed slithering creature - a HUGE snake! About 4 feet in front of us, we saw a black snake, probably 7 ft long and the diameter of a tennis ball!!!! I couldn't believe it was a REAL snake, and when I realized
there was no snake trainer standing there holding it in the zoo, we quickly screamed, turned around, and made it back to the main path as quickly as possible! Glad to be back in our room without any snake wounds, we thought we'd shower and relax, but some lovely spiders beat us to the bathroom. After about 30 minutes of deliberation and strategic planning, we managed to kill the 'baby' spider (about an inch big), but when mama and papa spider appeared, we had to go get help from another traveler (who happened to be a wildlife conservationist!). That night we went on a night safari to see the elephants and rhinos we read about, but managed only to find some deer and rabbits....were we in Vietnam or Texas???
The next morning, we decided we'd catch the bus back a day early after realizing neither of us were cut out
for nature! Before we left we rented some bikes and went on a great 25km bike ride. One problem....halfway through, Shany's bike got a flat tire, and she didn't think she could ride it anymore, so I got to ride over the rocky path for the last 15km. OUCH! But other than a few minor setbacks and creepy crawlers, I really enjoyed the stunning scenery, adventure, and time in the "jungle." On our way to the bus stop, the motorbike I was riding on got a flat tire....the irony of yet another 'setback' was somewhere between frustrating and hilarious, but we got it fixed in time to make it to the bus stop and come back to Saigon where I was greeted with the comfort of a warm shower and mostly bug-free room!!!
Other than our jungle adventure, nothing exceptionally new...lots of time at the orphanage, backpacker's district, and walking around! Last night we ate a vegetarian buffet (vegetarians are really common here because of the high rate of Buddhism), and for the equivalent of $8 USD, I've never been more stuffed in my life...delicious food! In the orphanage, I found a new room....babies and toddlers! They are absolutely precious, and I feel that my time with them is even more appreciated t
han with the older kids (who are on the main level and get more frequent visitors). The baby room I was in has about 25 kids, aged 1-4. I walked around and played with each kid for a while....singing to them, playing peek-ab-boo, holding them, rocking them, taking them for walks outside, etc. None of them can walk due to their physical disabilities, but I think a couple have the ability to learn with some training and therapy, so my goal is to work on this and show the staff how to help teach them. I wish I had more training in physical therapy, but I think I've picked up enough to be able to do at least some good. My favorite little boy was all the way in the back corner, and he was crying, kicking, screaming, and scratching at his face. I went over to comfort him and noticed that he had no eyes. I didn't want to startle him since he couldn't see m
e, but I started talking to him calmly and eventually picked him up. He clung to me like a monkey, had his head immediately situated in the space between my shoulder and neck, and sighed a big sigh of relief. I carried him around for about an hour, and he never once budged. If I adjusted him at all, he tensed up, fearing I'd set him back down. When the staff told me to leave, I couldn't help but tear up as I set him down and he went back to kicking, screaming, and scratching himself. Without any Vietnamese language, I have no way to tell him I'll be back to visit soon. I can't even imagine how much fear and agony he must live in, having no idea of where he is or why. These babies and toddlers were SO receptive to touch and nurturing...I realized how impactful it is just to hold them and show them love and care.
ised to see the bed had a mosquito net and we had our own bathroom with a toilet and shower - impressive! Since we were there to explore nature, we set our stuff down and headed out into the wilderness right away, pretending not to be city girls :) The lady at the desk showed us a big map of the park and told us which trails to take to go see some rapids... we followed her directions and ended at a dried up river with absolutely beautiful rock formations - no rapids but wonderful sights! A Vietnamese couple was walking around on the rocks, so we did the same to explore the area. In the wet season, I figure it's a fast flowing river, but in the dry season (now), it looks more like volcanic rocks with a few trickles of water here and there. As we were leaving, I hoped from one rock to another and unfortunately, the rock I jumped onto wasn't too stable and wobbled over, leaving me sprawled out amidst the rocks! Needless to say, I was lucky to leave with nothing more than a scraped up ankle and mildly sprained wrist :) Life happens.....We continued our hike, but not for long after our path was crossed by an unwelcomed slithering creature - a HUGE snake! About 4 feet in front of us, we saw a black snake, probably 7 ft long and the diameter of a tennis ball!!!! I couldn't believe it was a REAL snake, and when I realized
there was no snake trainer standing there holding it in the zoo, we quickly screamed, turned around, and made it back to the main path as quickly as possible! Glad to be back in our room without any snake wounds, we thought we'd shower and relax, but some lovely spiders beat us to the bathroom. After about 30 minutes of deliberation and strategic planning, we managed to kill the 'baby' spider (about an inch big), but when mama and papa spider appeared, we had to go get help from another traveler (who happened to be a wildlife conservationist!). That night we went on a night safari to see the elephants and rhinos we read about, but managed only to find some deer and rabbits....were we in Vietnam or Texas???The next morning, we decided we'd catch the bus back a day early after realizing neither of us were cut out
for nature! Before we left we rented some bikes and went on a great 25km bike ride. One problem....halfway through, Shany's bike got a flat tire, and she didn't think she could ride it anymore, so I got to ride over the rocky path for the last 15km. OUCH! But other than a few minor setbacks and creepy crawlers, I really enjoyed the stunning scenery, adventure, and time in the "jungle." On our way to the bus stop, the motorbike I was riding on got a flat tire....the irony of yet another 'setback' was somewhere between frustrating and hilarious, but we got it fixed in time to make it to the bus stop and come back to Saigon where I was greeted with the comfort of a warm shower and mostly bug-free room!!!Other than our jungle adventure, nothing exceptionally new...lots of time at the orphanage, backpacker's district, and walking around! Last night we ate a vegetarian buffet (vegetarians are really common here because of the high rate of Buddhism), and for the equivalent of $8 USD, I've never been more stuffed in my life...delicious food! In the orphanage, I found a new room....babies and toddlers! They are absolutely precious, and I feel that my time with them is even more appreciated t
han with the older kids (who are on the main level and get more frequent visitors). The baby room I was in has about 25 kids, aged 1-4. I walked around and played with each kid for a while....singing to them, playing peek-ab-boo, holding them, rocking them, taking them for walks outside, etc. None of them can walk due to their physical disabilities, but I think a couple have the ability to learn with some training and therapy, so my goal is to work on this and show the staff how to help teach them. I wish I had more training in physical therapy, but I think I've picked up enough to be able to do at least some good. My favorite little boy was all the way in the back corner, and he was crying, kicking, screaming, and scratching at his face. I went over to comfort him and noticed that he had no eyes. I didn't want to startle him since he couldn't see m
e, but I started talking to him calmly and eventually picked him up. He clung to me like a monkey, had his head immediately situated in the space between my shoulder and neck, and sighed a big sigh of relief. I carried him around for about an hour, and he never once budged. If I adjusted him at all, he tensed up, fearing I'd set him back down. When the staff told me to leave, I couldn't help but tear up as I set him down and he went back to kicking, screaming, and scratching himself. Without any Vietnamese language, I have no way to tell him I'll be back to visit soon. I can't even imagine how much fear and agony he must live in, having no idea of where he is or why. These babies and toddlers were SO receptive to touch and nurturing...I realized how impactful it is just to hold them and show them love and care.
I cannot imagine the emotions you are experiencing day to day, let alone minute to minute. You ARE doing an amazing thing for these kids Linds. They are SO LUCKY to have you!!!!!!!!
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