Home Sweet Home

The girls were so happy with their gifts that we brought home... and we were so happy to see our family:

Farwell Vietnam... Hello Korea Krazy

It is always sad to leave Vietnam... a place so very close to our hearts. But we know we will be back. So it is with this knowledge we bid farewell and head off to the airport.
Oh how I will miss random men sitting in little blue plastic chairs...

Traveling is always an adventure and I try to embrace the journey as much as the destination... however, that is a bit hard as I am always struck by "Korea Krazy".

Before I offend anyone, please know that “Korea Krazy” is a term used in my house that has nothing to do with Koreans or really the country of Korea itself other than logistically, that is the portal through which we travel home from Vietnam.

To give you some background on the term, let me set the scenario. For many of our trips to VN, adoption has been involved. The process of adoption is stressful enough (paperwork, social workers, US government bureaucracy, VN government requirements, Congressmen, etc.). Then add onto the fact that when you finally get approval to travel, you typically do not receive much notice before you head off on a plane for such a life changing event. So, the packing/preparation scurry begins and continues up unto departure.

Then, once arriving in country, it is a world wind of events including receiving your child, meeting with people at various government offices, filing of paperwork, obtaining of your child's passport, police reports and on and on. All the while, with a child that is not used to you, that doesn't sleep more than 45 minutes at a time and that you haven’t learned how to comfort yet. It goes without saying that you get little to no sleep while in country. Then, it is time to come home...

International flights leaving VN often are scheduled around MIDNIGHT. So, having endured all of the above, you begin your journey home at midnight…after a day of havoc trying to wrap everything up and obtain the coveted visa so that you can go home.

So, the plane lands in Korea the NEXT morning (after flying through the night) with a several hour layover in Korea before boarding the next plane that will take you home. It is during this layover… after already not sleeping for 24+ hours (who are we kidding... after not sleeping for the past 4 WEEKS)… is when you enter Korea Krazy…

Here is what Korea Krazy looks like (And we didn't even have a newborn screaming bloody murder the whole trip with us... so there was no excuse for our exhaustion):

And this...

And this...

And this...

Somewhere in the haze... a vision of beauty appears...

And it is homeward bound...
In our case... we had to fly through Korea AND Japan to get home... but our Korea Krazy had worn off by then and we were the life of the party by the time we made it to Japan... besides "Japan Krazy" just isn't as catchy of a phrase...


Ahhhh... what a long strange trip its been...

Random

Anyone up for a pickup game of da cau?

Apparently, Ashton and I look like good partners for the game. While walking back to our hotel in Can Tho, we inadvertenly were selected as da cau partners.


This is a traditional Asian game where players keep an heavily weighted shuttlecock in their air using thier feet and other parts of the body, but not hands. (Yes, that was from Wikipedia). And actually, I was so bad that they let me use my hands ;-)


This is the national sport of Vietnam, played especially in Hanoi.

Here is Ashton really getting into it... and yes, that is a baby riding a motorbike in the background... and yes, we were playing this game in the road... that is just the way it is done.

After lots of laughter and after lots of sweating...at the end of the game, we all shook hands and we went our separate ways. About 5 minutes later, a guy on a motorbike chased us down as we were walking back to our hotel. It was the same guy and he had made Ashton his very own AUTHENTIC Can Tho, Vietnam shuttlecock. Ashton was so pleased and this is his very most prized possession/memory from the trip:

Floating Around the Mekong

We had a great time in Can Tho... floating around the Mekong. We made it to the famous Cai Rang floating market:

If you notice in the backgroun there is a pineapple on a pole. The boats all put on the top of the pole what itis they sell. Very efficient process... I like it:

Yes, of course. Ashton doesn't go far without his ChomChoms:

The rocking of the boat was very relaxing... very, VERY, relaxing. Going... Going...

GONE!

Can Tho

We made it to Can Tho... and also LOVE.IT. We hoped on a boat and toured around while the sun was setting... we ate Chom Choms and Tan Lam and watched as the sun set on the city:

I believe that I am literally rocking the boat in this picture...

We took some dragon fruit for the road... uhm, boat:

Around town:

Bao... they really did finish the new Can Tho Bridge. It is beautiful and all lit up at night:

Off to bed... we have to get up REALLY early (earlier that "Aid Expedition Early") in order to row up the Mekong to catch an early morning floating market.

Peace,

Kristi and Asthon

Cooking Dinner

We shared our Easter Eggs with the staff at the Saigon Phu Quoc and they laughed and laughed and laughed... thinking this was great fun:
Ashton's Easter Bag... filled with Vietnamese yummies:

Ashton keeps getting the backstage pass around town. The night before, we picked out some fresh seafood and the ladies put Ashton to work... making him cook our dinner. It was delicious. He finished off a fine meal with a coconut drink:

Happy Easter and On to the Next Adventure

We hope that everyone has a Happy Easter... and we are especially missing Kaitlyn and Courtney, who I am sure will look so cute in their Easter clothes. Have fun at the Easter Egg Hunt and remind Daddy to take lots and lots of pictures.

As for us, we are heading on to the next adventure in the morning (Sunday morning for us). We are leaving the lovely Phu Quoc island and heading to Can Tho to float down the Mekong and to check out some floating markets.

Doubtful that I will have the great internet connection that we had here... so we will probably fall off the grid again. No worries... we will post again in a few days from HCMC.

Peace,

Kristi and Ashton

Explosives and Fish Sauce... Same Same, but Different

I always love reading the "rules" of the hotels in Vietnam. Previously, my personal favorite was from a real dive we stayed at on Cat Ba Island... where they had water pouring over live electrical wires in the bathroom... A fine fine establishment.

You know how most hotels will tell you that "In case of an emergency..." (like a fire), where the emergency exists are located. At that hotel, it stated that in case of a fire... "Get a bucket, fill it with water, and help put the fire out". Duh! That seems like pretty good instructions... however, in case of a fire I was getting my crap and running for the hills... that was my emergency plan.

In any event, at the Saigon Phu Quoc, they apparently have disdain for Nuoc Mam in the rooms.

Rule Number 6 clearly states that: "Weapons, toxic, exposive, inflammable substances... and fish sauce" are not permitted. Wow, it ranks right up there with "toxic"... toxic what, I don't know... but toxic nonetheless.

Rule Number 7 also clearly states that the resort is not responsible for our food poisionings... good to know.