Back to Nature....Reunification Day Holiday weekend..

I know, I know...Another holiday???  Believe it or not, Vietnam has only 9 national holiday's, one of the lowest in the world.  For a typical Vietnamese those would be the only 9 days you took off all year.  They don't take weekends off either so 9 days total for the year.  Imagine that.

We had a few weekdays off in celebration observance of Reunification Day as well as Labor Day.  Reunification Day is commemorating the day that the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese captured Saigon in 1975.  It is a day of either celebration or reflection of shame, depending on what soil you are now standing on or were standing on back then.

Labor Day (aka International Workers Day) actually has American ties, dating back to the Haymarket riots in Chicago in 1886 due to workers demanding better rights and conditions.  In Vietnam the two days fall close enough together for a nice 5 day weekend....Road Trip!!!

While living in HCMC is beautiful in its own ways....not having direct access to nature and the outdoors is tough for us to deal with.  Even when we lived in SF, Golden Gate Park was across the street and Ocean Beach was a few blocks away.  We were always outside.  There are 3 seasons in SE Asia - Hot, Hotter and Hottest.  While our neighborhood here has great green space, especially for a large city, the weather the past few weeks has turned into our 3rd season, hottest, and we are ensconced in it.  Outdoor activities are limited to swimming in the pool and that is about it.  Temps rarely going below 95F and usually getting to low 100'sF with little cloud cover and a scorching tropical sun above.  The rains threaten each afternoon but most days do not come (still a few weeks away from true rainy season) keeping the humidity at an absurd level.  The other day I was out running errands and found myself commenting how nice it was, that it felt like a spring day - it was 92F.  We are getting to the mid 80'sF overnight....I was acclimated up until about 3 weeks ago, now even I need the aircon on in our apartment...

Cruisin'....

So we bailed to get back to nature...we went to Cat Tien National Park.  What should be a 2 hour drive is actually a 4-6 hour drive, never going over 40KPH (25MPH) on a "highway" jammed with cargo trucks as far as the eye can see that are traveling at ungodly speeds, passing at any opening, etc...we had a private car (thank god because the horror stories we heard about over crowded buses were unbelievable - 37 people on a 15 person bus was the norm!) so at least we were comfortable.  This is the main "highway" between HCMC and Dalat with the park falling right in the middle - note to self, when we visit Dalat we are going to fly.

What a great treasure this park and area are.  When you visit places here with the word "National" in them, let's just say, your expectations are not too high.  This park is the exception.  With multiple animal rehabilition centers and projects, over 450 butterfly species, countless exotic birds, crocodiles, elephants, sun bears....well you get the hint - nature at it's finest.

Most of Cat Tien is second generation forest.  The Ho Chi Minh Trail cuts through it and the US blasted the bejesus out of it during the war.  Some of the really old trees still stand - some over 700 years old! - but for the most part we are looking at a second chance, and one that seems to be thriving given the opportunity.

Not bad for a second go around...

You know what they say about guys with big tree's...

We stayed just outside the park with a 1k walk to a ferry to cross the chocolate river into the park.  You land at the Headquarters where there are some amenities, etc. so you see a bunch of people around here.  Being a National holiday it was quite busy for this park.  From there you could venture off in any direction you liked in any way you liked.  We brought Graeme's bike seat and rented some bikes and hit the trails.  Since he and I spend so much time on the bike together he was adoment about Momma doing the driving while we were here.  I did not object but I think even Erin was ready for a break from the constant conversation he provides while riding!

Once you leave the main area you are all alone in nature.  Not a soul around.  The heat followed us from HCMC but the breeze while riding kept us in the game.  We timed it (unknowingly) with the hatching(?) of the butterflies in the park - again, over 450 varieties.  We would ride bikes over bridges where literally thousands of them would be drinking out of puddles and the next thing you knew, you were in a butterfly tornado!  It was a surreal experience that happened to us all day long and never got old.

So this happened....a lot.

There are two ethnic villages within the park, S'tieng and Ma.  We took a bike ride through them checking out the rice fields, dragon fruit farms, livestock and stopped for some cane sugar juice.  

In the shack cafe we rested at there were writings all over the makeshift wall.  I was snapping some photo's of them and the owner was very adamant about me taking a picture of one in particular.  I had it translated via FB group that I am a part of and they were all written in an ancient mix of Chinese/Vietnamese no longer in use.  They were Buddhist sayings and proverbs.  Quite interesting as the villages were clearly practicing Christians evidenced by the crosses on their houses as well as having a church and a statue of Mother Mary (way to go French Colonists!).

Here is what I found out:  "They are part of  The Ten Commandments of Mindfulness. Some Vietnamese great monk translated it already this way: "Consider disease and suffering as medicines to the body / Regard mishaps as a means of self-liberation / Treat obstacles as enjoyable challenges / Greet haunting spirits as good companions / Consider difficulties as one of life’s enjoyments / Thank bad friends as helping you in self-adjustment / View dissents as friendly entertainment / See favors as merely unimportant sandals plentiful to discard. / Take disinterest from temptation as an honorable achievement. / Use injustice as an expedient door into spiritual perfection"

Dragon fruit with Cashew mountains as back up...

In Indonesia a pig is known as a families "ATM"..here it's dinner.

Xin Chao!

We spent the entire time we were there outside unless we were sleeping.  We visited the Gibbons Monkey refuge center to learn about what was singing to us each morning from the trees across the river.  (click on the video link below to hear what they sound like - it is mesmerizing).  We spent a bunch of time at our resort, Green Hope Lodge, and were treated like family.  I even went with the owner's son and his brother up river to a swimming spot one afternoon.  Corn fields, Cashew Trees in the hills, chocolate stained water, really a treat.  



As with most area's, when you get further from the big cities the people become friendlier, warmer and the pace slows down considerably.  Vietnam is no different.  While HCMC has it's own charm and beauty, as do the people of HCMC, there is something very comforting as you get further from it's center and dive into the local culture.  As we travel a bit more within Vietnam it is obvious to us that Vietnam is a magnificently beautiful country in both its landscape and its people. As diverse as a place can probably get, each area we visit brings to us its own charm and specialties.




As usual, Graeme had the entire staff as well as guests at the lodge transfixed.  It happens everywhere we go and I still cannot put my finger on it.  I know Erin and I adore him and think he is special but there is a gift he has and people pick up on it.  He instantly becomes long lost friends with everyone.  Language doesn't even come into play.  If they don't speak English and he doesn't speak their language it doesn't even matter.  It's an absolute pleasure and makes our visits to places that much more special, helping us really get to know other travelers and the locals, making friendships versus just having a passing "hello" once in a while.  Remarkable.

Graeme and Le sittin' in a tree...

Best Sugar Cane Juice maker in the biz...

Which way is his head??

Goin' swimmin' !!

This is a "good" burn...helps the soil.

Me and my boy.

adult Red-Wattled Lapwing

Boys love sticks!

It's raining men!

Willy Wonka's inspiration...

Flying the flag

Coconut buddies...

Sufficed to say, we had a great time.  It was awesome getting outside again.  Watching Graeme being able to get "attacked" by butterflies, deafened by monkey's singing, pick fruit off trees and eat it, meet new people, learn some more Vietnamese (he's just about proficient counting up to ten now), play with other 3 year olds who don't speak English and not have it matter, eat new foods we never knew existed......a true joy.

If you would like to see the rest of the pictures from the trip CLICK HERE.

With the lack of "outside" time back here in HCMC we do get a little stir crazy from time to time...so I will leave you with a video from an impromptu "dance party" that Graeme and I had...all I can say is that his Momma is from the Delta so add this trait as more evidence that Erin's genes run deep in this boy.  Honestly, aside from his distaste for chocolate and his admiration for an afternoon nap, I am not sure what, if any, traits of mine have carried over!

Well, 5 weeks until we come back to the USA for a visit.  There are no more school breaks until then.  What will we do??? 5 whole weeks with no trips???  I will have to sneak that trip up to Dalat in one weekend ;)

Thank you so much for reading and all of the support.  We love to hear from everyone back home and these blogs usually help stir up some conversations with Family and Friends that we miss...

 Hòa Bình,
The Hawken's in HCMC
#thetaoofgraeme