Vietnam 2016 Pilgrimage by Corrine Brown
Our first port of call in Vietnam was its capital city, Hanoi (since the reunification of North and South Vietnam in 1975). We focussed only on North and Central Vietnam.
Vietnam was part of Imperial China for over a thousand years before an independent Vietnamese state was formed following a Vietnamese victory in the Battle of Bach Ðang River.
Successive Vietnamese royal dynasties flourished as the nation expanded geographically and politically into Southeast Asia, until the Indochina Peninsula was colonised by the French.
Following a Japanese occupation in the 1940s, the Vietnamese fought French rule in the First Indochina War, eventually expelling the French in 1954. Vietnam was then divided politically
into two rival states, North and South Vietnam. Conflict between the two states intensified in what is known as the Vietnam War. The war ended with a North Vietnamese victory in 1975.
Vietnam was then unified under a communist government but remained impoverished and politically isolated. In 1986, the government initiated a series of economic and political reforms which began
Vietnam's path towards integration into the world economy.
Vietnam is one of five socialist states. A developing country from third world to second world, Vietnam has many intriguing facets to her - the chaos, the natural beauty, the land, the sea, the rivers,
the mountains etc.
We headed to the country and mountains to be with the tribes in Sa Pa or Sapa (elevation of 1500 metres) where most of the ethnic minority groups such as Hmong, Dao (Yao), Giáy, Pho Lu, and Tay live and work
their land on sloping rice and corn terraces. The climate is cool, rainy and foggy when we visited end June.
We made our way to Mt Fansipan, the highest in Indochina (comprising Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), at 3,143 metres above sea level - dubbed "the Roof of Indochina".
Our personal donations of notepads, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, rulers, stencils, stamps, toys, teddies, lipsticks, bags, clothes, paints, colouring items etc were very popular. We visited schools, day care
centres, strolling the streets and through the villages.
The smiles on the faces and the joy of receiving came to some as a shock or surprise. Some hesitated, even returning the gifts until it was mentioned that it is free. Some just kept coming back for more whilst
others just shy-ed away, leaving their parents to receive them on their behalf.
After leaving the mountains, we headed towards the waters to beautiful Halong Bay where its natural beauty is tainted with pollution unfortunately but nonetheless still magnificent. Donations here were given to
the crew that helped make our journey memorable.
Heading to Central Vietnam, Hue, Danang via the 21 km long mountain Hai Van pass and Hoi An was quite a contrast to the mountainous Sa Pa and majestic Halong Bay.
This mountain pass once formed the boundary between the kingdoms of Dai Viet and Champa as well as the boundary between the climates of northern and southern Vietnam.
Along our way to Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An, our donations continued with the locals on the
streets and small villages. Cycling around Hoi An through the rice fields (flat not terraced in contrast to Sa Pa) and vegetable farms in the rain, was an experience not to be forgotten. The rain was welcoming due to the high
humidity and heat experienced this time of the year. Once again, the children in the villages were pleased to accept our gifts in exchange for a smile and a simple thank you in English or Cam On in Vietnamese.
Enjoy the blessings that life presents, for they may be taken away so suddenly.
During moments of despair, remember we are never alone as there are many that are in similar or more unfortunate circumstances and we share the same pain.
Special thanks to Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Volunteer Department for some of the above donations.
Thank you to those who have also contributed directly as well as indirectly to this cause.
View slideshow of the Vietnam 2016 trip
View story of the Vietnam 2016 trip
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