Our Final Post - The Mekong Delta cruise and more of the South

This past week, we have traveled throughout the southern part of the country. We started with a 22 hour train ride from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) formerly Saigon. We arrived extremely early in the morning and had a city tour! Saigon/HCMC is the business capitol of Vietnam, some GIEU students have equated it to New York City. There are many tall building, historical places, and shops!

Our Saigon/HCMC Tour started with a visit to the War Remnants Museum. This museum was formerly called, Museum of American War Crimes. This museum had many exhibits showcasing the lasting effects of Agent Orange and UXOs in Vietnam. There was an entire section devoted to the anti-Vietnam Protests around the world. Finally, there was a section graphically explaining the details of the torture and other American atrocities committed within war prison systems and POW camps. After the Museum, we traveled to the Reunification Palace. This Palace housed the President of South Vietnam before the War started. It has perfectly preserved the way the Palace was before the war. We then moved on to the Post Office which is situated adjacent to the Notre Dame Cathedral. The post office can be seen in the movie, "The Quiet American." Both buildings are renowned for their beauty.

We then got an a bus to head to Chau Doc. On our way we stopped at a Communist Secret Hideout in the Mekong Delta.
This secret hideout was tucked away in the canals of the Mekong Delta which is hidden from overhead planes. We were able to go on small boats and float around the secret grounds. We then drove for what seemed like forever and arrived to the hotel (a very nice hotel). In Chau Doc, we climbed Sam Mountain. Imagine the ultimate Stair Master on steroids in 100 degree weather with high humidity. Yes, we conquered that climb! In the end, it was completely worth it. We could see out for miles and even a glimpse of Cambodia!

On the top of Sam Mountain in Chau Doc

Can Tho was another stop on our Mekong Delta Tour. We were adventurous and ate snake, coconut worms, and tried hot cup massages. In Can Tho, we got on another boat and saw the floating market, feed catfish at a catfish farm, and saw the Cham village were we visited a Muslim Mosque.
Finally, we were able to experience true life in the Mekong Delta during our home stay on Green Island. We stayed in a place with mosquito nets, cots for beds, and no electricity until after 6pm! We were able to bond, nap in hammocks, and drink Ca Phe Sua Da (Iced Coffee with sweetened condensed milk). We ventured to the markets, played pool, and participate in campfire games including the Umbrella Club and the story game.

The bike ride to the homestay

Today is our last day in Vietnam as a group. We traveled back to Saigon/HCMC after seeing workers pop rice and then taste it! Our last day has been nice, we were able to have lunch on our own and had a few hours of free time.

Our final meal was filled with great conversations, memories, and gifts. The students prepared gifts for our fearless leaders Thuy'Anh, Rocky, and Truc. Julie and Brandon made "paper plates" (they do not sell paper plates in Vietnam so they used paper) awards! There were awards like Chi's Bridge Builder Award, Yen's Undercover Comedian, and Thuy'Anh's Mom Award. The 4 students from Hanoi University made wonderful cards for the American students! They wrote individual notes about how the American students have impacted their lives, memories they shared, and inside jokes!

Well, this is our last post in Vietnam. It has been a great time filled with life changing moments, life long memories, and great friends.
Tam Biet (good bye) Vietnam, we will miss you!
We will all be heading home whether that is Saigon for Truc, Hanoi for the 4 spectacular girls, or a very long trip back to America for the GIEU students!