Ok I can hardly walk now after that little jaunt up several thousand zillion steps to see the worlds largest Jesus! Im not sure what was worse the up or the down! When we first arrived Maeve took one look and said "we have to walk all the way up there?!" Nina chirpily replied "well - Jesus liked exersise!" Go Figure!!!
So today I am paying the price but I hate to think I am that out of shape! Must have been the extreme heat instead!
Today is Saturday and Vung Tau is crowded with weekend visitors from Ho Chi Minh City. Our usually empty beach was full by daybreak( not that I would know first hand, but Brian told me!)
He said by 5am he had already encountered 2 wedding rehearsals in full regalia!
This morning our agenda was to make our final donation delivery! We hauled out the lovely and large Jamaican suitcase and checked its contents-it was full with boxes of kids Advil, kids vitamins, polysporin, school supplies and basketballs!
Vinh, our friendly taxi driver agreed to take us to the Buu Tich monestary in a neighbouring town Ton Tanh, about 50 km from Vung Tau where we have been staying this week. He would drive us there, wait , and drive us back again for 738,000 dong or 41 ish dollars.
In we piled, no seatbelts of course, and horn blaring drove along a wide and paved road. Brian sitting in the front was happy to note that Vinh did not drive too fast! There were even police catching speeders! We passed 2 tolls collecting 5,000 dong or about 25 cents.each.
After a few stops for directions and one stop for some fruit-giant oranges and one watermelon, we ended up on a sandy road and pass what we think is the monestary, as we slow down a young girl in nuns robes runs up to point out the way.
We arrived at a beautiful and peaceful monastery and were greeted by grey robed nuns of all ages! We had called ahead and they were expecting us. (We had supported them before through a Buddhist nun at the Blue Heron Zen Centre in Hamilton. When I knew we were coming to Vn for sure I had offered to take some supplies.) They had about 30 girls from ages 4 to adult. Some were real orphans some were placed there due to poverty. The kids attend the local school in the morning and attend Buddhist school in the afternoon at the monastery. They cooked our lunch for us and it was THE VERY best soup I have ever had!!!! The kids wake up at 4am and chant for an hour then have breakfast they chant before every meal and have a long afternoon nap staring around noon. They go to bed at dark. It was a beautiful peaceful spotlessly clean spot full of flowering bushes and trees everywhere. The older kids also make stick incencse to sell at the Saigon Market 2x per month. This was an amazing experience!!
I will try to upload a video of their chanting.
It is Sunday now and we are off to the Super Special diesel scented Soviet Hydrofoil back to HCMC. Talk to you all later!!
xoxooxNancy
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