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Vietnam 2008 |
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Please join my cousin Shirley and her husband Dennis, their friends Bob and Nancy, also from Portland, and myself as we traverse the hills, rivers, and temples of Vietnam. This is Shirley, Dennis, and Nancy's first time in Asia, Bob's second- his initial trip was sponsored by our US government in the 60's. I am excited to go with them as they experience this amazing place.
My first entry into Asia was via Himalayan Health Care, a group that I volunteered with in Nepal. I found the following sentences in FIRST-TIME ASIA, A Rough Guide Special, to ring true:
"Do not be surprised if you don't enjoy your first few days in Asia. You might feel self-conscious, paranoid or just plain exhausted. You might even find yourself wishing you'd never come, hating the heat, sickened by the smells and appalled by the poverty. This reaction is quite normal and is called culture shock. Everyone experiences it in some form, and anyway it's all part of the challenge of dropping yourself into an alien environment."
I remember feeling this as I toured the Swayambunath stupa in Kathmandu in 1994. Was I making a terrible mistake? My plane ride home was a month away. We were headed on a two week trek into the Himalayan Mountains where we would see patients without running water, electricity, or any equipment.
After the trek and a bout of "Delhi belly" in India, I met a co-worker's husband in Pakistan who took me by tank factories, Buddhist shrines, and the remnants of the invading armies of Alexander the Great. We rode public transportation and dined at his brother's home. Asia began to grow on me. Over the last few years separate trips to Thailand, China, Bhutan, Vietnam, Mongolia, Laos, and Burma have addicted me to the rush and excitement of the big cities and the serenity of its rural areas.
Come join our group and experience how we adapt to the food, culture and customs of Vietnam!
My first entry into Asia was via Himalayan Health Care, a group that I volunteered with in Nepal. I found the following sentences in FIRST-TIME ASIA, A Rough Guide Special, to ring true:
"Do not be surprised if you don't enjoy your first few days in Asia. You might feel self-conscious, paranoid or just plain exhausted. You might even find yourself wishing you'd never come, hating the heat, sickened by the smells and appalled by the poverty. This reaction is quite normal and is called culture shock. Everyone experiences it in some form, and anyway it's all part of the challenge of dropping yourself into an alien environment."
I remember feeling this as I toured the Swayambunath stupa in Kathmandu in 1994. Was I making a terrible mistake? My plane ride home was a month away. We were headed on a two week trek into the Himalayan Mountains where we would see patients without running water, electricity, or any equipment.
After the trek and a bout of "Delhi belly" in India, I met a co-worker's husband in Pakistan who took me by tank factories, Buddhist shrines, and the remnants of the invading armies of Alexander the Great. We rode public transportation and dined at his brother's home. Asia began to grow on me. Over the last few years separate trips to Thailand, China, Bhutan, Vietnam, Mongolia, Laos, and Burma have addicted me to the rush and excitement of the big cities and the serenity of its rural areas.
Come join our group and experience how we adapt to the food, culture and customs of Vietnam!
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Order: oldest at top ( reverse ) 18
Mar 27/11
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