Today we woke up in the Mekong delta of Vietnam, south of Ho Chi Minh City. The preferred method of travel in this area is by the river, so we boarded our boat and headed out on the river to see the area. Our first stop today was to a brick kiln where the locals… Continue reading A day in the Mekong Delta
Our first full day in Vietnam was spent learning about the people and the culture of the country we would be spending the next two weeks with. Our first stop was in the small village of Chuc Son where we visited an orphanage and got to use some of our servant leadership skills that we… Continue reading First day in Vietnam
After leaving the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, Hoi An was our next stop. When we first exited the plane, we saw the famous "China Beach."While we didn't have much time to enjoy the sand, it is a place where we left a mental "bookmark" to make a return visit to vacation. The sand that… Continue reading WE SAW SAND IN HOI AN
This morning we toured the High Tech Agriculture Park on the edge of Ho Chi Minh City. The park is used by the government, universities, and private companies for research. We first saw a lab where they were taking tissue cultures from orchids for herbal medicine. They also raise orchids and sell them to hotels… Continue reading Friday, January 15th
VALOR Class II sprinted through the end of our Vietnam journey with a packed final day. In a country that seems to be in perpetual motion, we fit in well. Beginning the day with a boat ride to the Mekong river's largest floating farmers market, we saw the wholesale beginning of much of the produce… Continue reading Farewell Vietnam
Experience - it is what shapes a man (or woman for the "inclusive" editors out there). Everyone is shaped by this little thing we call life. My life's journey has been up and down, some good times and some times that just plain sucked. I wouldn't trade them for anything, though. It's who I… Continue reading Life is treasure
A morning tour of the High Tech Agricultural Park showed us similarities between our Ag research facilities and those here near Saigon. The facility is growing orchids, testing different soils or growing mediums. They sell the flowers to hotels and restaurants, as do the local farmers. In addition to raising the orchids for ornamental reasons,… Continue reading Reflections
On our second day in lovely Dalat, Vietnam, we climbed higher into the Cau Dat region to visit a tea plantation. Starting at the factory, we got to sample fresh oolong tea and meet the impressive young Taiwanese Vice President of Haiyih tea company. She explained tea production from field management and harvest, drying and… Continue reading The mile high Zen of Tea and Kings
From the plane all you can see is coffee trees, hectares under plastic and a few buildings. On the ground, cool breezes (compared to Hoi An's more tropical climate), beautiful flowers and farming everywhere! After we settled in to the hotel we headed to a vegetable farm in a one acre green house. The farmer grows… Continue reading Dalat – a Cool Breeze after Humid Hoi An
Happiness is infections...but happiness is not a word that we can understand by looking it up in the dictionary. Every day, Americans are bombarded with problems and aignst. Happiness seems elusive. Why? We've got shelter, heat, tv, weekends, and based on the average waist line plenty of food. Vietnam is offerring a good perspective of… Continue reading Toes in the mud perspective
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