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Vietnam

Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage...
By Courtney DeSchepper

Editor: As Courtney begins to wrap up her journey around the world, you might wish to review some of her earlier posts. The links are below.

Hello from Vietnam! I spent from March 25-29, 2012. Vietnam is a very interesting country with a lot of rich history. I was able to see many different aspects of life in Vietnam.

I spent one day traveling to the Mekong Delta. The Mekong Delta is a river that surrounds a small group of islands. While traveling around the islands I was able to learn how coconut candy is made, saw fresh honey being poured into containers, try some locally grown fruit, and listen to live Vietnamese music. The way of life on the islands is very simple. There are not many cars; instead they use boats and donkeys as modes of transportation. I got to take donkey ride. Instead of horses pulling wagons they use donkeys to pull them. This was a very relaxing day where I got to see how many people in Vietnam live; with only the basic necessities.

Another day I went and visited a school for the deaf. It was fascinating. The school was literally in an alleyway in the middle of a busy street in town. There was no yard for the students to play in, no real place for the students to let off any steam. The rooms were small, but only had about ten students in them. The whole school was only forty-three students ages 3-15. Once the students reach 15 though the students must move to another school, and unfortunately there is no school for the deaf that is for older children at the moment. I was given time to interact with the students through sign and paper and pencil when sign was not enough. Even though I know some sign, ASL and Vietnamese sign are very different. It was a struggle, but I enjoyed playing charades to communicate. After interacting with the students at the school I got to take them on a field trip to the zoo. The zoo was interesting in itself. The animals were kept in very small cages with very little stimulation. The kids loved it though, and in that moment that was all that mattered.

The rest of the week I spent exploring Ho Chi Minh City. I saw a Colonial style Post Office with marble floors and cathedral style ceilings. Across the street I saw the Notre Dame Cathedral. This Christian church had some of the most intensely beautiful stained glass windows I have ever seen, ceilings that could make a pin dropping echo, and pews made of native wood for hundreds of people to attend service. I also saw the War Remnants Museum. This museum contained material all about the Vietnam War. This was a difficult museum to go to. It really made me think about the U.S. and our impact on the rest of the world. This museum had anti-American posters, pictures from during battle, the aftermath, and of the lasting effects to the Vietnamese people after the war ended.  I spent almost an entire afternoon in the museum reading every caption and looking at every picture. It was so interesting to see the opposite side of the Vietnam War.

In general Vietnam was a great experience. I would definitely come back to this country.  I learned a lot about Asia and the eastern part of the world in this port. I am looking forward to arriving in China very soon! Until then please read my blog at: agirlaroundtheworld-2012.blogspot.com

Editor: If you picked up on Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage late, here are her earlier posts. Enjoy.

Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage... Getting Started
Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage... Bahamas
Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage... Dominica
Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage... Brazil
Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage... Ghana
Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage... Ghana Refuge
Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage... Capetown
Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage... India, Part 1
Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage... India, Part 2
Courtney’s Vicarious Voyage... Singapore


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