Our first day in Vietnam

January 10, 2009

Today, we had our first day in Vietnam and we spent a few hours wandering around the city. Mary and I woke up at 4am, learned how to use the internet, and then headed for breakfast.

After breakfast we headed out on to the streets and decided to find the lake. The city is really indescribable. The mopeds are like all the cabs in NYC. Very few traffic lights so you must cross at your own peril. Not so bad as long as it’s just the mopeds – the cars and buses we make sure to wait until they have passed. There are parts that remind us of NYC or London. Then there are other parts that look like Prague with the narrow streets and shops. The city offers a very unique experience. You feel safe since there are many police. However, it is different with the people eating on the streets (like NY where you can get a hotdog) however there are very small chairs that people sit on and just hang out. Many people come up to try and sell you things. They are very persistent.

Overall the city is getting ready for Tet (the New Year Celebration) so many things are getting decorated. We found the lake and strolled around. Then we found the shopping district. It is a lot to take in. It is a little confusing converting money from VND to the dollar. If something costs 16,000 then it is a $1.00. Mary and I walked around for about 3 hours. There is pollution so your throat gets a little soar. We have seen guys carrying 42” TVs, and many boxes to be delivered all on mopeds. How they keep their balance we will never know (I certainly do not plan to drive in Vietnam). We’re waiting for a cow or a pig on the back of one of these things. It’s just a matter of time!

We made our way to the Army hotel and found the group from Canada. We have been chatting over the internet and now we have met in person. They are terrific! They have received their children so they shared with us stories of the orphanage. What I found funny is how easy it was for me to talk about NY. We were talking about the Visas and said oh yeah we drove down to NYC to drop them off and a few days later we drove back down. They wish that they can drive down to NY just as easily. We talked about formula, the SOS clinic, and how we will spend our days.

Mary and I stopped at the supermarket picked up a few things, had lunch at the hotel, and then took a nap. We got ready and headed to the Army hotel to meet up for dinner. We headed to an Italian place. The food was excellent and we had a great time talking. We learned more about Elizabeth, the center, and Angie. (She is a little girl, 3 years old, who will be adopted by a lovely woman we have spoken with who lives in Manhattan.) They shared with us that Angie and Elizabeth are very close and how Angie would show off Elizabeth to everyone who came to the center. We know that once we pick up Elizabeth this will break Angie’s heart. The good news is Angie should be adopted next month. We will be able to tell Angie that we will see her soon once her mommy comes to get her. We think it is great that we have the opportunity to have a friend for Elizabeth who grew up with her at the center.

It is amazing where this journey has led us and we will see where it leads in the future.