One Incredible Day in Vietnam

Five days ago I was blessed with an awesome opportunity. We have grown close to some people here in Vietnam, close enough that some of them invited us into their homes. We were able to meet their families, pets, and learn a little more about how they live life. It was a day I will never forget!

We got up early to meet one of them at a restaurant they work at. Only one of the girls, Thuong, was there to meet us. We had to rent motorbikes, (Vietnam's number one method of transportation is motorbikes, and they have more motorbikes then any country in the world), then we had to travel for about a hour and a half to another girls house we had met at the same restaurant, Fie. The motorbike trip was really fun, I now see why people in the states like them. After arriving at Fie’s house we got the chance to meet her family, all which did not speak any English. They were kind and offered us many things to snack on, including rice paper. I mention rice paper for a reason. We had the joy just a few minutes after eating it to see how they make it.

The process is rather long to explain, but Stan managed to get some video.




While we were watching them make rice paper they asked if one of us wanted to try and do it. So I stepped forward and gave it a try. This is what happened.


Not my best effort, haha!

Next we left Fie’s home and said goodbye, maybe to never see her again. From there we went on to Thuong’s house to meet her family and friends. The only way to explain where she lived is saying that “she is a country girl.” I mean turn off the gravel road to a dirt road country girl. All of her family are farmers and farm dragon fruit. Dragon fruit really does not have a taste but for some reason is very good.

We met her parents and her best friend. Then her parents served us an amazing lunch on the floor. It consisted of cauliflower, 2 kinds of meat, carrots, and a soup with tomatoes in it. We also had rice paper yet again. What you did was take everything and put it into the rice paper, like a burrito, then wrap it up. After that you dip it into the tomato soup. What made the experience really neat was sitting on the floor. I have never done that before, but knew it existed in some Asian cultures.

After lunch, and a short nap time, we went to meet the rest of the family members and to see the farm. She had 10 uncles that all lived within 200 yards of each other and we had to meet them all. As we arrived at each home we were met with more food. It was some of the most natural and best tasting food I have had in a long time. Fresh dragon fruit right off the tree, coconut shavings that had been sugared and sat in the sun to dry, and my favorite, coconut pancakes. They were like wafers but made with coconut and flour. I could not eat enough of those things. After meeting the family it was time to go back to our resort. I may never see those people again but the kindness and things they showed me will always be in my heart. I learned a great deal about family and kindness from these people.