To Everyone back home-
Day 6 of our trek through Vietnam was mostly spent on the bus. It took about 5-6 hours until we reached Nha Trang. A few of us have a stomach bug, and the bus ride was pretty uneventful. When we stopped for lunch, though, about of half the group visited a Buddhist shrine on the cliffs that overlooked the South China Sea. This was a very formal event, so we weren't permitted to take any pictures. At another little temple at the base of the cliffs, the groundskeeper was happy to let us take some pictures after we made a $0.75 donation.
We visited several temples and shrines in the afternoon. One of the most impressive was a 1200-year old set of towers built by displaced Cambodians, the Trang people. The original three structures are still completely intact. We also visited the monastery where, in 1963, Buddhists monks burned themselves alive in protest to Presidents Diem's regime, and the American influence on Viet Nam. (The more infamous photos are of the same scene in the streets of same, on the same date). Atop the hill where the monastery lay is a 24-meter tall Buddha. It is pretty high in the air, and we had a tremendous view of the entire city as well as the rice patties at the feet of the huge mountains.
One of the sad facts we have learned over the course of the trip is about the children in Vietnam. At most of the tourist areas we have visited, there is always a crowd of children selling their chewing gum or postcards. They are some of the most persistent salesmen I have ever met; they don't take no for an answer, and it is hard to ignore them. Today, the children who live at the monastery and attend classes there, walked with us up to the huge statue of Buddha. One even took a picture of Steve Bloom and me with three of the monks. As soon as we left the inside of the statue though, each child had several sets of postcards. I needed some cheap postcards so I bought a set, but most people didn't. It was very hard to tell the girl who talked with me on the way up that I couldn't help her friend pay for his schooling. It's hard to ignore the poverty right outside our nice hotels in Vietnam.
We still have a week left on this trip, and have a lot planned ahead. Although the beach is just across the street from our hotel, the huge waves are breaking very close to shore, so the boogie boarding from the last resort is out. Life goes on, and we are all looking forward to the next six days.
John Venzon
Note to family: I hope you'll stop worrying about me after you read something from me. I've been thinking about you (not a whole lot) and I have remembered to get you all something nice from Saigon or Nha Trang, including Elizabeth's watch. I've already written and sent out some postcards, and you might get the first one sometime before we get back. Please remember to pick me up at the right airport on Sunday.
