January 11, 2003 morning

“A Water Buffalo on a Motorbike;
The Cave of the Fairies”

We’re waiting on the bus to leave for Ha Long Bay. Sleep was GOOD last night.

It’s strange the range of looks one gets from the Vietnamese. Some people seem resentful of foreigners, and at the same time seem to be thinking we’re “more trouble than we’re worth” (quote from our fearless leader). It’s hard to gauge what their true feelings are. But I guess maybe in this country, expressing personal opinions isn’t exactly encouraged.


January 11, 2003 mid-afternoon

What a day, and it’s still just mid-afternoon. The bus ride revealed a lot of interesting country scenery. We were amazed to see a baby water buffalo strapped to the back of one of the many motorbikes on the road. Kuan said that was only the 2nd time he had seen such a thing in a lifetime in Vietnam. We stopped at a rest stop to use the “happy house” (Vietnamese term for the restroom) and grab some food to

have for lunch on our boat ride. The rest stop also was a sort of trade school for disabled Vietnamese people and had some lovely crafts. Travis (“Big Canada”) had a map on which his dad had marked areas he had been during the war. We chatted about that for a few minutes and interestingly enough, my Dad was at the same place two years later.

Back on the bus, our guides cranked up CCR for us as we rolled toward our destination. It was a bit surreal, and almost felt like slipping back in time about 35 years, or being in a movie with a great soundtrack.