We had a free half day in Sapa. I woke up at sunrise and headed out to continue breaking in my caving shoes and get my legs ready for the climbing in the cave. I set out on a path through a calla lily field, meandering through dirt paths into the valley below. Crossing through farm fields and little villages, following paths and the Hmongs to get down. One family invited me in for tea, which was nice. Cat Cat village is now the start of many tours, and dirt paths are now paved and super touristy. 
Went the other direction, enjoying all the water buffalo on the way. I still want a water buffalo. They have the sweetest faces and are generally pretty mellow. Do you think I could keep it on my balcony and ride it to work? Maybe as some sort of a service animal?? Anyhoo, saw some village kids head into the valley to a beautiful river. 
They were fishing with plastic bags tied to sticks and swimming, so I joined them. After they ran off, I crossed the river on a bamboo bridge and climbed up part of the mountain. Afraid I wouldn't make it back to the bus on time, I scurried back down into the valley and straight up the mountainside on slippery dirt paths. Huffing and puffing, the little Hmong 80 year old women effortlessly passed me, offering their hands to help me up, or watching me to make sure I got up okay. A man let me even go through his house as a shortcut through the village. 
Made it back to town for a quick shower before boarding the bus for the six hour bus ride to Hanoi. Grabbed my favorite bun at a rest stop that is one of my favorites. It is like the Vietnamese version of a Hot Pocket filled with a boiled quail egg and rice noodles, minced pork and mushroom in a gravy. The Vietnamese mission people were worried it would make me sick, but my iron stomach wins again.
Our free day in Hanoi was pretty rainy. Our hotel was right near Ho Kiam Lake. I walked around the lake and then meandered the narrow streets, stopping for coffee or eating random things along the way. During the heavy rain, I visited the Women's Museum, which was very interesting. I liked the drawings of what young people thought "gender equality" looked like. One of a woman slaying a dragon to rescue a man in a tower and another of a few women sitting enjoying beers together while the man was at home watching the kid and cleaning the kitchen. 
People continue to speak Vietnamese to me when I am not with the group. At one point at the museum, an artist setting up asked her Vietnamese counterpart, "Can you speak with her in your language?" pointing to me. Ha! Continued to eat my way through Hanoi and practiced with my cave lens at night around Ho Kiem Lake. I love this city.The next day, we flew to Danang and then bussed to Hoi An to check into our super swank resort. Soft(er) mattress, fresh flowers on the pillows, pool, the whole nine yards. Got in a quick workout in preparation for the cave and headed in to old town. Just as touristy as a remember it, but even more crowded (and this is supposedly low season). But I found grilled lot leaves stuffed with beef on a skewer, another of my favorite street foods.
The next morning was a clinic at an elderly home in Danang run by some Sisters. It was a change of plans, as supposedly, the government did not give us permission for the initial plan. Not sure the full story on that. I will reserve my thoughts on the organization and short term medical volunteerism for later. Any way, they brought a few kids over from a kindergarten. I think we only saw 118 people? But the old people were super cute and appreciative. One spoke more English and hung out and talked with me. She learned English as a nurse working with a US Navy doctor. She showed me pictures of her when she was 20 with her nursing class. Super sweet. They all speak to me quietly in Vietnamese, no matter how many times they are told I only speak English. There is this adorable little woman who I nicknamed Yoda (she is about 4'5", giggles a lot, holds my hand and shares knowledge). She was awesome.
And then came Easter. We have a clinic at a church in a town in Danang. Service was held in the morning, for those that wanted to attend. I, of course, chose to set up for clinic instead. As soon as mass was over, what seemed like the whole town lined up to be seen. We saw a total of 188 people, adults and kids. Lots of goiters seen in this area, several developmentally delayed kids, and almost all the adults have hypertension. They know almost no English, but as soon as I pull out the blood pressure cuff, they giggle and say "high." The Father of the church was pretty funny. Playing harmonica, guitar, flute to entertain as we worked. They made us duck for lunch. The sweet Vietnamese woman who provides us with snacks and tea, coffee, and water always makes sure I get enough to eat (everyone makes fun of me as I seem to always be eating). She also makes me a double "Betsy-sized" coffee, as she noted how much coffee I drink (we are up around 5:30am every morning for clinics).
We are invited to a special Easter dinner. Once clinic wraps up, I head to the kitchen to watch them cook. Two girls speak English pretty well. I learn how to make lantern table decorations from clementines (think jack-o-lantern carvings, but much much smaller). My big American sized fingers are not so good at it, and after a few, I am sent to put chopsticks in paper wrappers :) Dinner is a delicious feast! Soup, noodles, ostrich... So many dishes. They also have a karaoke machine, with which the Father and a few of our Vietnamese team belt out a few tunes. Strangest Easter dinner I have ever had.
The next day was our free day in Hoi An. I went to wander the town early. Next, I hit up the market. Lots of hustle and bustle, even in the drizzle. 
Maybe I ate some snails picked out of the shell by this sweet little old woman with her dirty fingernails. But she wanted me to try them, and they were really delicious! I then set off for a long walk. I only make it a few miles before a group of people eating, drinking, and playing music invite me to join them under the jackfruit tree. They feed me and offer me beers, not accepting any money. Eventually, I excuse myself, signaling that I need to keep walking. 
They nod in understanding and I continue walking along the river. End up in some fishing/pottery village and find a place for afternoon coffee with a sweet grandma and her little grandson. Other villagers come by and we use Google translate to try to talk to each other. I stay a few hours and one of the guys offers to give me a motorbike ride back to the hotel. We stop for dinner and agree to coffee later that evening.He shows up with fishing poles, which I had mentioned earlier that I liked. We went night fishing a few towns over with his friends. I didn't catch anything, but it was fun and very peaceful.
Now we are in Ho Chi Minh City. We had a clinic today at a deaf school and saw a whopping 364 kids in the very hot Saigon weather. One more busy clinic tomorrow serving street kids and then leaving the group and heading to the cave!!
Love,
Betsy
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