Vietnam Trip - Day 10

I've just arrived in Saigon this morning and met a slew of more aunts and uncles. Saigon is very hot, probably in the low 90's. I'm at the house of my youngest aunt, Co Dung (pronounced Yoo-ng). She's only a year or so older than me. She's fun and likes to party, I think. She was also in Qui Nhon for a few days.

Qui Nhon was wonderful and I was really sad to leave. It was great to see family but it's also beautiful there. I can't wait to post pictures of the gorgeous and pristine beaches. We went to a secluded cove called, "Bai Bau," which loosely translated means, "Pregnant Beach." Locals say that after a trip there, women miraculously come home pregnant. We were the only people on the beach and felt so privileged. We swam for about two hours and had the beach all to ourselves the entire time. The sand was soft and white, the waves small enough to just float around on your back. It had a shore break, so you could do a little body surfing closer to shore. We only spent one day there and had hoped to go back but the family was keen on showing us different sites.

The next day, we went to the mountains. I think they refer to it as the jungle here. We took a 1 1/2 hour drive into the jungle and were then dropped off a place called, "Ham Ho." I don't really know what that means. I will have to ask someone. We walked through the gates and were greeted by a deafening roar, much like rain falling heavily on a tin roof. Actually, as we passed under the shade of the trees, we felt a light mist falling on our arms and legs. The source of the sound and mist was from cicadas that were sitting in the trees! Needless to say, we kept out mouths closed.

After a short walk to the stream, we climbed aboard skiffs that carried us upstream to beautiful fresh water pools that were surrounded by boulders and trees. Right in the middle of the jungle, amidst waterfalls, there were cool pools to swim in. We explored different pools, swam, floated on our backs and allowed the current to carry us downstream. A little higher up, another pool spilled into ours, creating a fairly strong current. We had fun pretending to be salmon, swimming upstream. Actually, the current was pretty strong and it was as if we had our own "endless stream." We paddled and paddled but still stayed in the same place.

Another day was spent sightseeing. We visited the church where my parents were married. We took a short drive to a different church where the remains of my Aunt Mai (on my mother's side) were laid to rest. She was just a child when she died and we took a moment to honor her short life. We drove by the school my father attended as a young boy. It was built right across the way from the beach. I imagine him daydreaming about swimming rather than studying. We drove along the same road from my mother's house to my father's house. She walked this route every Sunday, on her way to church. It was on one of these Sundays that my father spotted her and fell in love.

And of course, we spend some time every day with my grandmother. Her spirit was strong and rejoicing to see us, even as her body was weak with age and illness. Her soul is now content that she has seen and touched all three children of her beloved first born son.

As we said our final goodbyes, we promises to return soon and bring the rest of the family, especially D and L.