Getting Acclimated (March 22)

I haven't been able to update the blog on a timely basis due to lack of internet access. Most of the provinces we have been in have the blogger.com site blocked.

March 22:

This morning after breakfast we went for a walk around the city with 3 other families. Everywhere we went we turned heads. We also attracted a few little children who were begging for $ on the streets. They followed us for quite a distance before they gave up.

The traffic in HCMC is very congested. The streets are packed with bicycles and motor scooters with a few buses and trucks thrown into the mix. It is hard to describe, but to us it seems to be total mayhem. Everyone rides/drives side by side, there are very few traffic signals and at the intersections everyone just turns and crosses whenever they want to. All of this makes it very difficult to cross the street. Because they don't stop at the intersections you just have to step off the curb and walk at a steady pace. The drivers judge the pace you are walking and adjust their speeed so they don't hit you. After we crossed the 1st street, Zach said "I almost had a heart attack". It was helpful that we had a group to cross with. We also ran into some helpful locals on several occasions who helped us navigate across some of the busier intersections after seeing us standing pondering the situation for several minutes.

During our walk we stumbled across a playground. The kids enjoyed a break from the walking and played with the local kids.

We went back to the hotel for lunch and then set out for our visit to the Tam Binh orphanage where Zach lived for the 1st 5 months of his life. After drinking hot tea and showing baby and current photos we were given a tour of the facility. They would not let us see the baby room but we were shown a room with handicapped children. Some of them had hydrocephalus and were laying on pillows staring at the ceiling. It is so sad to know that these children could have been helped early in their lives with an operation and now it is too late and this is how they will spend the rest of their lives.

We also saw the room where the toddlers slept and the toddlers themselves. Zach was overwhelmed by the children because when they saw us they all ran toward us and swarmed around us. The wanted hugs and held up their arsm so we would pick them up. Some were grabbing at Zach and trying to pull him into their play room. He did not enjoy that because he thought they weren't going to let him leave. All of the childreen were so precious and you just wish you could take them home and give them a better life.

We wrapped up the day with a swim in the hotel pool, an early dinner, and were asleep by 7pm.