Before the Vietnam trip all of us were incredibly ecstatic about it; even if it was 4 months or so away we were all very excited to be going on this trip. On the 18th of November 2014, the night we began our adventure to Vietnam, all 30 so of us gathered at the school and awaited for our trip to begin.
After a 2 hour drive to the Don Mueang Airport we got on the plane to Hanoi which took an hour or so. When arriving at the airport we were pleasantly surprised by the cool weather there. Unlike Thailand, the weather in Hanoi was around 15 or 16 degrees Celsius at the time of our arrival and every one of us loved it because we didn’t expect it to be that cold.
The group was made up of year 10 & 11 students.
Our hotel was located in the middle of the city, near a beautiful lake we would visit at night. After checking in and getting settled Mr. Holloway took us took a small restaurant to have some local food, which was very different from Thai food. I assumed the food would be similar but after the first meal I realized how different it was. We all enjoyed the noodles we had and after our filling meal we got to enjoy a cycle tour around the whole of Hanoi. Whilst relaxing and admiring the scenery I have to admit it was a tad bit hard to adjust personally, it was so much more different than any country I have visited. Instead of big shopping malls there were small ones that were right next to each other. Although it was honestly lovely to get to have a tour around the city, I couldn’t help but worry about all the hundreds of passing motorbikes speeding away.
‘The natural beauty of Vietnam was overwhelming’.
That night we had the most decadent meal at a gorgeous restaurant. I’ll be the first to say that we were pretty underdressed but we didn’t care; the food was all that mattered.
In the morning all of us were ready to experience more of all the incredible things Vietnam had to offer. Our day started with us visiting Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh is a very loved and respected man across Vietnam who truly loved his people. After the stunning trip to see Ho Chi Minh’s houses we travelled to the Hanoi ‘Hilton’ Museum which was a prison used by the French Colonist and later on North Vietnamese for prisoners of war. This prison was sarcastically known as the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ to American soldiers. Even though ‘Hanoi Hilton’ or Maison Centrale is only a small fraction of the size it once was and is surrounded by buildings now I still believe it is worth visiting to see and learn more about the atrocities committed by the French during the colonial times and to see the American prisoners of war; most famous is John McCain.
Students take day trip to a spectacular cave system.
The next destination on our list was visiting the peace village. The Peace Village provides a home and education for not only young children but also some adults who are suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. The aims of this village are to take care of these children and help them integrate into society. The children here suffer from a large range of symptoms including mental under-development, deformities and most were unable to speak or read. Seeing this was truly heartbreaking because no one deserved to suffer like that. They were innocent children who had done nothing wrong and had done nothing to deserve this yet they were the ones who had to live with the consequences. If any of you are interested I definitely recommend volunteering to work there for a little while because even though they receive financial support from the government as well as international organizations they lack staff and the number of children is increasing. It was a very eye opening experience.
Students went into schools to help the local children.
The next day we got up bright and early in the morning to take a bus to the pier, then getting on a boat to have a cruise through Ha Long Bay, which was breath taking. It is located in the Gulf of Tonkin and includes around 1,600 or so small islands that form a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Most of these islands are uninhabited and unaffected by humans. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a very popular tourist destination.
Before heading back to the pier we had the opportunity to get on little boats to travel into some of the cave openings, an event that was almost mystical. We also got to visit a limestone cave that was surprisingly massive on the inside!
The group had a terrific time and learned a lot in Vietnam.
The day afterwards was unfortunately our last day in Hanoi; we had just gotten fond of the French inspired buildings, the local street food and stalls and were enjoying the weather to the fullest. We had a relaxing day until we had to check out and leave for Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. That night when we arrived at the hotel we were staying Mr. Holloway took us down to the night market to experience the shopping there and some more street food.
The next day was another day jam packed with exciting opportunities and experiences. We had the chance to take a boat ride up the Mae Kong delta and we also got to go through little canals to see the mangroves growing there.
Our first stop was at a snake farm which was amazing if not frightening for some students (and teachers). Most of us got to see the python that was there and even got to put him on our shoulders. He was one of the cutest snakes I have ever had the chance to touch and I’m sure some people will hopefully agree with me. After our wonderful experience at the snake farm we headed over to a little island well known for coconut candy. Up until that day I think most of us never knew how useful coconuts could be and we got to sample and buy the finished product as well. After that we had lunch at an island and headed back to dry land.
On the second last day of our amazing trip we got to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. I think today was the most anticipated day for the Year 11’s because we had just learnt about them and were excited and curious to see what they were actually like. These tunnels were extremely intricate and are one of the main reasons why the Vietcong had an advantage over the Americans. The tunnels we went through were widened for tourists but even though they were widened they were still very small. These tunnels were nothing like I was expecting; I didn’t realize it would be that dark and damp in there. There were bugs and other creatures down there and I even saw a couple bats that looked at me curiously as I ventured down. After that day I feel like we could on a small level empathize with the Vietnamese soldiers and people who had to go through living in that small space for so long. Back then it would’ve been much darker, hotter, narrower and overall much more terrifying.
It’s been a couple of days and I already miss Vietnam with all my heart, and although I’m happy to be back at home in my own country, I will never forget Vietnam. I hope to visit there again soon.
Students take a break on a rickshaw.
Students learn about Vietnam War history.
