Riding On A Boat And Reminiscing....

Saturday, 11 July 2009
The sun broke hot and heavy over humidity soaked Ninh Binh to find our happy band of travelers embarking upon their last full day in Vietnam. Alas, what new adventures awaited....
After a marvelous breakfast at the hotel, our happy band moved off to our first event of the day, a two hour boat ride at Tam Coc and Bich Dong that had been billed as "Halong Bay" on land. Having seen the real Halong Bay only the day before, our group figured the cruise to be "more of the same." However, much to our delight, the adventure consisted of small boats with room for only two passengers. As we set off, we were both wowed and amazed by the agility of our pilots, who oft times paddled their watercraft with their feet. The course of our journey took us not only through stark karst outcroppings and cavernous grottos but also through quaint fishing villages and duck infested waters (yikes!) Our happy wanderers were also astounded by the fact that despite the diminutive nature of their boats, our pilots seemed to be well stocked with food, drink, and souvenirs.
After safely returning to port, our group set off for the ancient Vietnamese capital of Hoa Lu, where they visited the Temples of Dihn Bo Linh and Le Hoan. After observing the temples a few members of the group; Scott, Doug, Rick, and Karen decided to scamper to the tomb of the Hoa Lu rulers located at the top of an incredibly steep mountain. Along the way, Rick, keeping with his penchant for attracting wiley old women, caught the eye of a local octagenerian . As she chased him up the steep slope desperately trying to cool him with her fan, Rick tried desparately to shake her. In Rick's own words, "she must have been a shape-shifting mountain goat, because I could not lose her." Despite Rick's inability to shake the the old woman, the group made it to the top of the overlook, completing Scott's mission to climb to the top of EVERYTHING in China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.
After returning to the much appreciated air conditioning of the bus, our happy band reminisced about our time in China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam as we made our way slowly to Hanoi. All agreed that despite our fears, the trip was absolutely amazing and had given us all something that we would hold and cherish for a lifetime. From our adventure on the Great Wall to our cruise on the Li River, from the acrobat shows to our temple visits, from our factory tour to our village excursions, and from the glowing faces of the Chinese students to the giggles of the Vietnamese village children, we all have taken something special from this tour that has deeply affected us and that we will share with our students.
So long, farewell, and good-bye from Asia....
As ever,
Jim (Big-Size) Safford
***I would like to personally extend my thanks and the thanks of the group to Brenda, Katy, and David for their dedication and devotion to this tour. We hope your hard work has paid off. You guys are the greatest!
***The group would also like to express its deepest and most sincere thanks to the Freemans for making this tour possible. May your contribution to the education of our students return to you many times over.