Saturday, June 19, 2004
Subject: Day 13
Today was my
last day in Saigon - I leave tomorrow morning. I'm a little sad to leave
here but also anxious to get home to my own bed.
Another early
day; I met Eileen and Amelia/Amy in the lobby at 5:30. We took a taxi to
meet Catherine and Emily at their hotel and then waited a few minutes for their
adoption facilitator, Madame Chau. She took us to Tay Ninh
Orphanage, a two hour drive from Saigon. Emily and Eileen's son, Joshua,
were adopted from Tay Ninh. It was such a privilege to be able to
accompany them on the trip as most orphanages aren't open to visitors.
Quiet Saigon street at 5:30am
When we arrived,
we were greeted by the orphanage director who took us on a tour. It was a
pretty sad place. Very old and run-down and with an outdoor kitchen where
they used a fire to cook the food. There weren't many children there and
only one small baby - a girl about a year old. She was so sweet and in
excellent condition - very clean and soft and not a mark on her (Many of the
children we've seen have scabies and other skin conditions.). I wonder if
maybe she was one of the nannies children and did not live in the
orphanage? There were 4 small boys about 18 months old and several older
children. There was also a small boy - about a year old - who has
hydrocephalus - a disease easily treated in the States, but this child will
likely die within a year. So, so sad.
I was surprised
that there weren't more babies. With adoptions being closed for 18
months, I expected the orphanage would be quite full. Catherine asked
Madam Chau when she thought adoptions would be opening and she said maybe
October. I'm not sure what that response was based on, but I will wait
and see. It would be great to come back to Vietnam again so soon.
Emily, who is 6,
was a little overwhelmed by everything she saw today. She was about 18
months old when she was adopted and the nannies all remembered her and hugged
and kissed her. I think it may have been too much for her little heart to
take. When we got back to the car, she was sobbing. Catherine said
she would not have taken her there had she known how it had deteriorated since
she was there in 1999. It's a lot for an adult to process, I can't
imagine what she was thinking.
Eileen
Catherine and Emily
Me and Emily
We also visited
a very beautiful Temple in Tay Ninh, just around the corner from the
orphanage.
Amelia, me and Eileen
On the ride back
to Saigon, I sat in the front seat and got quite an eyeful. That is the
most traffic I have seen since I've been here and I'm telling you, some of
those scooter drivers are CRAZY!! Most don't wear helmets - Saigon leads
the world in head trauma cases!!!
I snuck in a nap
when we returned to the hotel then headed out for more shopping, I mean sight
seeing. OK, shopping. It's so fun and interesting. And I've
gotten pretty brave about bargaining. I don't know that I've made any
really great deals, but hey, a few bucks is a few bucks!
In the evening,
I walked down to the Opera House (2 blocks away) to people watch. I was
expecting people to be dressed up but no one was. Boring. So I
walked back toward the hotel and stopped into a French/American restaurant and
had some dinner. And a Diet Coke. It will be so great to get home
and have a big, big Diet Coke with lots of ICE!!! I can hardly wait!
I tracked down
Amelia to say goodbye. She's leaving for home tonight. She'll be
back in NC for 3 weeks then she's heading to China to work in an orphanage over
there.
So many people
in our group left here to do such exciting things. A group went to
Cambodia - 2 just for the weekend; the other 2 are going on to Thailand.
One family headed to North Vietnam to travel around another 2 weeks with their
6 year old adopted daughter. One very young guy is going to Hanoi to do
an internship and hopes to get a permanent position. One adoptive mom
here by herself is traveling down to the Delta area with her adoption
facilitator and is going to meet her son's birth mother! That's HUGE!
I've had the
best time here and can't wait to come back again. I've enjoyed sharing my
journey with all of you and am glad that you've enjoyed it too. As soon
as I'm home, I'll figure out the best way to share my pictures and stories with
you. Again, thank you so much for your love and friendship. I could
not have made this trip without your support.
Goodbye Vietnam!
Kathy
