Day 14..Ho Chi Minh City

Laura is on the mend and resting up for the return flight. We all spent the day walking the city and exploring the various marketplaces. After spending much of our city time on this trip in very heavy traffic, HCM City is a relief. The roads are wider and less jammed with motor bikes and vehicles. HCM City is much more cosmopolitan in feel than Hanoi and you can see the benefits of the region's economic growth. Large modern office towers are under construction throughout the city and western style condominium projects are replacing older structures.
Our hotel is situated on the Saigon River and the views from our 17th floor room are striking. I would recommend the Renaissance Riverside Hotel to anyone coming to HCM City. Make sure that you get a club level floor with a river view.
The trip has been a great learning experience for the whole family. Although Vietnam was in the news often during the war years, it is amazing how little we knew about the Country. I had no idea that the beaches in Vietnam are some of the most beautiful in the world. There are any number of great resorts along the coastline. The people are fantastic and very friendly and anxious to be of assistance. The people within the Districts care about the poor and disabled and are doing the best they can to provide assistance.
I am also very proud of my family ( Laura and Natalie are now considered official members). Throughout the trip they have carried themselves with dignity and respect. They have endured some very aggressive scheduling and uncomfortably long road trips and did so with nary a complaint. We all got along extremely well given that we were in tight quarters most of the time. They were also real troopers as we dined with our local hosts in some very rustic and authentic restaurants. Our hosts were always impressed that we ate everything that was presented to us and genuinely enjoyed the experience.
At the distributions, they were surprised to see that the kids really wanted to work..not merely observe. Whether pumping up a flat tire, fixing a wheel not fully tightened down,lifting wheel chair bound recipients down stairs, passing out reading glasses, giving out candy to the kids and elderly or providing a warm pat on the back, the whole family was engaged. I truly believe we gained the respect of the Vietnamese people we worked with; and, I believe achieving that respect to be an important accomplishment.
Now we must pack our bags for the return flight. I've asked each of the family members to write there thoughts about the trip as a final conclusion tho this Blog. I must say that modern communication technology is fantastic.
Signing off for now...one more leg of this fantastic journey to navigate!!!