Good Morning, Vietnam

PP Dave Jones Reports from SE Asia

September 8
So far all good in Vietnam. This is a marvelous country of a mixed bag of Western and traditional culture. The food definitely has a French dominance but in the 5 star hotels it feels like midtown Manhattan. The Sofitel Hotel in Hanoi sits on West Lake the cite where Senator McCain was shot down. He spent 6 year in the Hanoi Hilton which is now glitzy high rise. Yesterday morning on the West I photographed 2 fishermen in 2 small wooden boats propelling themselves with small paddles as they cast their nets into water the same consistency as the Mohawk River. We arrived in Hue yesterday and settled again in a hotel overlooking water - The Perfume River. Many junket houseboats line the shoreline with families and pets. Skilled fishermen navigate their narrow boats with ease as they have done for centuries. As I look 180 degrees from the shoreline natives are playing tennis. Many contrasts of the old and the new blend into the city life.

We got cyclo rides to the Citadel which was home for the kings, his queen, concubines (one poor guy had 500!) and soldiers for over 1000 years. From the Citadel we went to a Buddhist Pagoda and then boarded a ferry to take us back to the hotel.

Today we left at 7:00am to drive 3 hrs to Quang Tri Province to an NGO called Peace Trees. Peace Trees was founded by a Seattle Rotarian  who served in the war and lost 2 close comrades in this area. It funds homes, education, micro loans to women, etc to families of landmine casualties. They have 100 homes built in a remote settlement off the beaten path. We traveled an additional hour through a mountain range of hairpin turns, passing  Quonset huts on stilts, farm animals (cows, goats, water buffalos, chickens) in the roads slowing progress. Peace Trees also funds UXO removal and their team of deminers was just contacted the day before about a 500 lbs bomb enearthed by a farmer whose house is within 50 yds away. NO tourist would ever have this opportunity as we peeled our stiff butts out of the van and waded knee deep through a river (road flooded by recent rain/floods that claimed over 40 lives) to be greeted by a dozen kids playing within yards of the roped off area. The team had by now exposed the entire bomb for viewing and when the river level drops will transport this monster to a safe disposal area. This was one of the greatest WoW experiences I've ever had! From this area near Dong Ha we went to Caison (a site of a US military base on the 17 parallel which was the scene of one of the worse battles in the war during the Tet Offensive). Great lunch here of a smorgasbord of  local grub for only US 4 bucks! I may have to be trained to use a knife and fork when I get back to the states as most of the hole in the  wall joints I've eaten in only give out chop sticks. Tomorrow we head south for 2 days in the DaNang area. Our first stops will be NGOs: East Meets West and the City of Hope Orphanage. Keep your fingers crossed as the latest weather reports indicates a storm just off the coast of DaNang.

Be well all as I look forward to sharing some wonder pictures on my return.

Yours in Rotary service,

PP Dave

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Area Exchange Students Visit This Friday

Inbound Youth Exchange students will be our guests at Twin Ponds this Friday. Shawki Elgarhi is our club's YE officer, and he has devoted thousands of volunteer hours over the years to make our club, area, and district exchange program one of the best in the Rotary world.

Consider bringing a prospective member to our meeting for a dose of the international flavor of Rotary.

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Thank You For Your Service

The Greatest Generation is well represented in our club, and several members who served their country during WWII told their stories last Friday. PP Jack Dale, PP Gib Jones, PP Don St.Louis and Joe Skane spoke of their military service with eloquence and good humor. Also recognized were vets Steve Gilles, PP Dave Peet, Bob Gilchriest, Reg Wooldridge and Marty Brown. Thank you, gents, for a truly selfless commitment to defending the freedoms that many take for granted.