St. John's University Athletics
Volleyball Postcard: Home Sweet Home
5/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
- St. John's Volleyball Travels To Vietnam
Xin Chao!
(Hello!)
First, I want to take the opportunity to thank all of those who made this trip possible and supported us throughout our time there. It was such a great opportunity and an incredible experience. It was so much fun to discover the other side of the world and see how much different the Vietnamese culture is from ours.
We began our trip in Ho Chi Minh City where we played in our first international tournament. We placed second to the Vietnam national team. The tournament was on the local television there, and as it progressed we were recognized throughout the country. We would walk along the streets and people would come up to Lena [Yee] and would hold up three fingers for the three awards she won during the tournament. We became celebrities.
During the nine days we were there, we also had the opportunity to visit the Vietnam War Remnants Museum, where most of us saw things we couldn???t even imagine. We also got the most incredible foot and body massages we???ve ever had and seen a sight of traffic one could not even imagine. Yes, even worse than New York City traffic.
Although the weather was very hot and humid, we were able to enjoy a couple evenings out. One night we got to see the beautiful sight of the whole city from the top of the Sheraton Hotel. Another night we took a dinner cruise on the Saigon River. It was great to experience the ???night life??? of the city and do a bit more shopping. During that week, when we had time to go explore, a few of us wanted to do some shopping at the local market. What we didn???t know is that it would be a highlight of the trip and an experience none of us could say we had. The Ben Than Market was a place with many vendors. For those who have been to New York City, one could somewhat compare the market as a place similar to Chinatown or Canal street, but it???s only a slight comparison. Personal space was non-existent. With each vendor trying to sell their items, they would get you in their stands and push you back in when you tried to leave and grab you as you tried to walk away. Although it was a very interesting experience many of us got incredible souvenirs.
As our time wrapped up in Ho Chi Minh City and we traveled to North to Hanoi, we had so many more fantastic experiences. As we arrived in Hanoi, we went quickly to the hotel and then headed off to see the city. The next day we visited the School for Disabled Children. It was incredible to see the children and how much it took for each of their families to get them to school each day. It was so much fun to put a big smile on their faces as we played with them and gave them volleyball t-shirts.
That night we got to enjoy an amazing dinner, our Gala Dinner, at the Hilton Hotel. We meet Michael Marine, the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam. Also during the dinner, we had live entertainment and auctioned off signed volleyballs to raise money for the School for Disabled Children. We also gave gifts to those who had done so much to support us and made our trip to Vietnam possible. It was fun to be able to dress up and enjoy a nice night.
As our trip was quickly coming to an end, and our last two days in Vietnam were spent relaxing on a cruise ship in Ha Long Bay. We kayaked, explored the caves, jumped off the boat and caught some rays on the boat deck. The cruise was very enjoyable and beautiful as we looked out on to the thousands of different islands and watched the sun set and rise.
The drive out to Ha Long Bay was so different than many other parts of Vietnam we had seen. We drove through the country where we saw many rice fields with people carrying so many things on their shoulders and by their animals. The next day was officially our last day in Vietnam. We drove back to the city of Hanoi where we finished up our shopping or relaxed by the pool.
As we headed back to the hotel I couldn???t believe our 17 day trip to Vietnam was over. But, we have the 24 hour plane ride and jet lag to look forward to the next day. We all survived the plane ride; yes, even coach. It was a miracle. Many of us were excited to get back to our homes and enjoy a big juicy burger and fries.
Today was the first day back in the United States and it was so different waking up back in your own bead. After getting home at 1 a.m., and not being tired because it felt like Noon for us, many of us could not fall asleep until early morning. It was more like a nap for us, because we ended up waking up shortly after afterwards. So, as we adjust back to the time here and the different foods and lifestyle, I again want to thank all of those who supported us throughout our travels. It was an incredible experience where each of us learned so much and took so much away. We made so many life long memories.
Thanks for following us on our trip to Vietnam!
Good night!
Elizabeth Austin # 11
