Trip to Tra Vinh

The trip was much more comfortable than expected (not that it mattered - we would have gone by rickshaw if necessary), but a note to others following in our footsteps - bring all the pillows and the duvet from your hotel, no matter how hot it is outside. It got quite cold in the air-conditioned van on the way back. The van is a comfortable Mercedes, and as we were the only family, we all had room to lie down on the bench seats and nap.

We left Saigon at 5am and with a couple of rest stops and smoke breaks (for the driver, not us!) we arrived at 10am. That was on Tuesday here, which made it 10pm Monday in Ottawa - so our first family meeting took place on Ontario's Family Day holiday.

The "orphanage" is not actually an orphanage. There is a "baby house" built and maintained by Terre des Hommes, but the rest of the center provides care for the elderly. There are between 2 and 15 babies and about 70 geriatrics; if you are looking for something to bring, they loved the chocolate bars Mom was handing out.



The beautiful Baby House

(for Oliver and Elektra)

What this means for our children is that not only did they have 5 nannies for just a few babies, but the older ladies like to drop in and cuddle them too. So they certainly have not been neglected. The only time they cried was when we had to put them back in their hammocks when we were leaving - they obviously love being held. While I miss them DREADFULLY right now it is comforting to know how well loved and cared for they are.

We had lunch at a lovely restaurant/ hotel in Tra Vinh.


The drive back was only 4 hours, kudos to our amazing driver.