Catching up....

I'm going to try to update all on my trip a bit before leaving the internet cafe. (I don't want to walk back to the hotel alone though, so I'll have to cut this short once Kathy is ready to leave.) I'll apologize in advance though -- I'm trying to squeeze a lot of information into my notes, so much of this may seem scattered. Also, I've learned that I can't get the blog to spellcheck in Vietnam, so please excuse any typos!

We had to be in the hotel lobby at 4 a.m. Saturday to catch another flight, so I didn't bother going to sleep once we arrived in Saigon on a flight just a couple of hours earlier. The experience at the airport Saturday morning was absolutely crazy. Our bus was on "Vietnam time", which means that time is all relative. Nothing gets done when you expect it to, which I learned to accept in earlier trips to Vietnam. The bus was 45 minutes late, which put us to the airport very close to the time of our flight. Caroline, the head of Catalyst, was a woman possessed -- she somehow got us through security, check-in, etc. and on the plane. (Then again, we were taking up 30 of the 50 seats on the plane, so perhaps it wouldn't have left without us!)

It was a tiny plane.....the kind that REALLY scares me! I was lucky to sit next to Caroline for the flight, however, so I learned a ton about the work that Catalyst is doing in Vietnam. It's absolutely amazing. (For those of you who generously gave to Catalyst, I can only assure you that the funds are being used so very carefully and wisely.....and are making a difference in the lives of people here.) I'd love to tell you all about it, so I encourage anyone who's interested to ask me more about it upon my return.

The flight was only about 45 minutes long. We landed at a tiny airport in Phu Quoc, which is located in Kien Giang province. The purpose of Saturday was really just to give everyone one day of rest after the long trip from the USA. It was also to get everyone spread out a bit, which made getting us to our work site in Kien Giang today a bit easier for Catalyst. (We all split up between three different destinations for Saturday. Logistically, it would be harder to transport 90 people from the same place, than to transport 30 people from 3 different places -- easier to find hotels, etc.)

We were staying at a nice hotel in Phu Quoc. The hotel was located right on a beach, so the kids in our group swam in what I think was the South China Sea. (I'll have to check a map once I'm home though!) My day didn't start out as exciting as theirs......they have so much energy! Instead, I had breakfast at the hotel and then took a very short nap on the beach. (I was woken up by an Australian couple that was vacationing there and wanted to hear about the Aid Expedition. Very interesting people.) After that, it was time for lunch. Eating here is really a challenge for me.....I'm a picky eater by U.S. standards, so in Vietnam, I'm off the charts! Plus, we've had two people stricken by food poisoning already......I don't want to join the list.

Anyway, lunch was elephant snail. (For me, it was white rice!)

After lunch, I joined a couple of others on a tour of Phu Quoc. We went to a pearl shop, a prison from the war (turned museum), and a market. The market was like the one Michael and I saw back in 2001 -- swarming with thousands of people, motorbikes, hanging chickens, fish heads, etc.

Then, it was time for dinner. Dinner was another interesting experience -- this time, steamed squid for some. (And, yes, white rice for Amy!)

I finally ran out of steam Saturday evening and was in bed by 8:30......I was asleep by the time my head hit the pillow.