Monday, February 11, 2008

Da Lat, The Pagoda and Lang Bian Mountains

At the Top of one of the Peaks of the Mountain

Some of the Group During a Rest, Playin Hacky Sack with Two Lat Teenagers

Da Lat at Night


The Pagoda

Vietnamese students and I at a Carnival in Da Lat


So I went to Da Lat for 4 days. I stayed with a homestay family and two of the people in my group were also in this homestay with me; Duncan and Wen. The people that we stayed with were so kind! I will truly never forget them. The family consisted of father, mother and two daughters-also the girls aunt who turned sixty three on the first day of the lunar new year. They were flower farmers and had beautiful flowers. Da Lat is a beautiful "resort town" with a lot of french architecture. We also went to one of the most famous Pagodas in Viet Nam and met the Master. It is a truly peaceful looking place. We also hiked the Lang Bian mountains, boy was that difficult. They had said we were going "trekking" but I think this term was quite misleading considering what we had to endure and how steep the mountain was! I fell 4 times by the way, so I wasn't feeling so great. Then after the mountains (on the same day) we walked to the Lat village (they are a minority group in the central highlands of Vietnam. The music, dancing and drinking was awesome...the sleeping in the communal house wasn't so much-but that's okay! Tomorrow (Tuesday) we are off to Mekong Delta and we will stay there for 11 days. I am still debating whether or not I want to take my laptop with me ( I probably won't). While in Mekong Delta we will stay with homestay families and will bike ride to the university.

Boy, this program has a lot more rigorous physical activity than I had ever anticipated... I am not only pushing my comfort zone waaay over its limit but also my body. These experiences are definitely giving me a new perspective on a lot of things that I used to take for granted. Though sometimes I want to give up, I just keep reminding myself of why I came here and of the people I would be letting down if I gave up. I can now say that I can introduce myself in Vietnamese like saying what I study, my name, where I go to school and my age (not bad huh?)

1 comment:

Michelle V. said...

Hey Emmania, sounds like an adventure. Im glad you are still going forward y no te has arrepentido de ir a Vietnam, ellos solamente lo estan tratando de hacer lo mas "fun" possible, mayeb all the physical activity will help you not get sick. So think positive. Para que sepas I also have a blog although it is not as interesting as yours michellevalverde.blogspot.com if you ever want to see what im up to. Miss talking to you, I feel like I have no one. :(

 
;