When we think of Vietnam, we automatically think of the war, the jungle combat, the political aspects and the loss of so many young Americans.I had so many people ask me "why" when I told them I was going to Vietnam.It was hard to describe - it is part of our history, it is part of Asia (somewhere I've never been) and the culture is so much different - I wanted that experience.

Days 1 & 2

Students consisted of Occupational Therapy, Communication and Social Work majors.Five of us left Delaware Tech Community College - Owens Campus - Georgetown at 1:30 a.m. Monday morning for Philadelphia where we joined the rest of the group traveling to Vietnam -21 in all.We met in the airport and did a few introductions before we boarded the plane at 6:00 a.m.We flew to San Francisco (about six hours) and then on to Hong Kong (about 15 hours) with a 3 hour layover and then toHo Chi Minh City, the former Saigon (about 2 ½ hours) .Arrived at the airport where we were met by :Le Thi Thu Hong, Vietnam In-Country Director for Brittany's Hope Foundation

Brittany's Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to aiding abandoned children worldwide.Candace Able, director, has adopted two children from Vietnam.They both accompanied us on this trip, one left the group to visit her birth mother and the other remained with us and helped in the projects.Her name is Mai Lynn.She lived in an orphanage until she was adopted at age 8.She has grown into a wonderful, caring young lady and is very dedicated to helping her country.

In 2005, Brittany's Hope met a group of nuns in Vietnam who were struggling to raise and educate 44 children in a three room house.Since then, even more children have been abandoned at the House of Love.They have provided the orphanage with food, a garden, routine immunizations, a kitchen and dining room, a water purification system, bathrooms and showers, beds, and fencing.They hope to provide much more in the future.

Hong was our tour guide for the trip.The people in Vietnam do not use first names until they know each other for a long time - they always use the last name.So, during this trip Hong was our guide, interpreter and soon became our friend.Note: No photos are allowed in the Tan Son Nhat airport in Vietnam.

In Hong Kong, we had a group discussion in the airport where we introduced ourselves to each other so we could become acquainted since we were representing two different universities - Elizabethtown College, PA and Delaware Technical Community College, DE.. The group was diversified - some were from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware,Maine and Maryland.We were advised not to hand out any religious materials - pray only to yourself - and to not lead any religious activity.We were advised that when we were offered tea to accept it using both hands (impolite to accept with one hand) and nod in thanks.

Vietnam is a communist country.Although, religions are recognized (mostly Catholic, Buddhist), the officials do not want any instigation.In Ho Chi Minh City, there is a religious statue of Mary which was said to have been weeping and the Catholics are allowed to worship it. Southern Vietnam was a Republic state until the communists took it over at the defeat of Saigon.

On the plane to Ho Chi Minh City, I sat beside a young man who was raised in Vietnam until age 15 when he and his mother went to the United States to live with his father.He hadn't been home for three years and was going to stay two months.He was very excited, very polite and said that his parents had encouraged him to leave Vietnam so he could obtain a better education.He is attending college in Florida to become a pharmacist.

It is now May 19th and 11 hours difference in time from back home.We crossed the international date line during the trip so if I wasn't confused about the days, I really was then.Didn't know whether I should take my pills or not, so took a dose anyway.It seemed like we had one long, long Wednesday.

When we came out of the airport, the humidity hit (82 degrees at 10:00 p.m.) and there were many Vietnamese sitting and standing around, waiting for their relatives.This airport is new and very modern.

Day 3

On to the hotel - Bong Sen Hotel - This is a three star hotel in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City.Across the street are Louis Vitton, Gucci, etc. stores.Down a couple of blocks, there is poverty.All along the streets, are vendors wanting to sell you something.I have had very little sleep, since I don't sleep on airplanes, so I was hoping to sleep a little (which I did - but very little).The beds in Vietnam are hard and so are the pillows.I was longing for my nice, soft pillow.

We enjoyed a nice breakfast buffet and were on our way to the Cao Dai Temple.and the Cu Chi Tunnels.On our way through Ho Ch Minh City, we observed the streets where scooters are the main means of transportation (they constantly buzz by the bus on either side, weaving in and out of traffic and horns are always blowing) and the chairs and tables sitting along the street with people eating breakfast, lunch. etc. The tables and chairs are very small as the Vietnamese are small in stature.The whole trip I thought of them as "baby" tables and chairs.

CaoDaiTemple

This temple is very beautiful.They worship one eye.We were advised that this religion is composed of five different religions.We watched their prayer ceremony from the balcony - not allowed to take pictures of the ceremony but could take pictures of the ornate temple.The architecture is very unusual but beautiful.The older women wore all white with a white headdress.The priests wore red, yellow, etc.When we came out, there had been a brief shower and our shoes were wet as we had to leave them outside before entering the temple.

Note:This temple is located in Tay Nihn province, the central of the unique Caodaism religion, which combines Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism and Confusianism.This is a spectacular church with worshippers attending the noon service in their colorful tunics.

Cu Chi Tunnels

These tunnels are located approximately 1½hours from Ho Chi Minh City.We were given a tour, watched a 15 minute video (very much Vietnamese oriented - propaganda at its best - the original old black and white clip of the war) regarding how the United States persecuted the very nice people at Cu Chi - the film called the Americans "The Crazy American Devils".We then went on a tour of the tunnels where we were allowed to go down in four or five that had been widened for tourists.One of the very small young ladies on the trip got the experience of going down in an original size tunnel that had been used by the Vietnamese.We saw craters that bombs had created.Amazing to see how the people lived in these tunnels to hide from the bombs that were being dropped on their village. They cooked, cared for the injured, and made the best of a terrible situation.

Note:Cu Chi Tunnels is well known with a system of tunnels deeply under ground, with several floors, a labyrinth of intricate ways and windings over 200 km long.

The Cu Chi Tunnels were pivotal to the Communist's victory over the Americans and the South Vietnamese Army as they allowed the Viet Cong to control a large rural area around Saigon. At its height, the tunnel system, parts of which were several levels deep, stretched over 200 km from Saigon to Cambodian border.

The area of Cu Chi was one of the most pro-communist districts in the far south; indeed the VC used the tunnels to organize the 1968 Tet Offensive. During the Vietnam War the entire area of Cu Chi was designated a free fire zone and was heavily bombarded: you can still see numerous craters caused by 500 pounds of B52bombs

It was this persistent bombing campaign that drove many of the residents of Cu Chi together with the Viet Cong underground. Originally the tunnels had been created as far back as 1948 to help combat the French. Now they were rapidly expanded to include innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers, kitchens and even schools.

Today the remaining tunnels of this intricate network have been widened to accommodate the larger western frame and have now become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience of what underground life in the Vietnam war must have been like and a deep appreciation of the courage and ingenuity of the Vietnamese people.

Back to the hotel where the group sorted out all the toys and supplies that were going to the different orphanages.Each participant in the program had brought an extra suitcase full of supplies.Some suitcases, we would take with us and the others would have to be shipped by rail and would arrive there later.We had twenty-two suitcases filled with stuffed animals, beanie babies, coloring books, crayons, candy, street chalk, vitamins, toothbrushes/toothpaste and other miscellaneous toys.Very impressive collection by all the students.