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09h45 - I check out of the Grand Gia Bao Hotel on Lo Su Road in Ha Noi. The receptionist calls a taxi for me to go to the Peace House. I have no idea how far away it is, but judging by the estimated taxi cost, I figure it should take about 40 to 60 minutes. Navigating out of Ha Noi proves to be interesting as all taxi rides seem to be. Going further outside of the city, you see much more construction and scooters with crazy objects in tow... I think I've also seen the record for most people on one scooter: 5!!! One small kid up at the very front, 4 men all behind.
I make it to the Peace House right on schedule at exactly 10h30, the scheduled meeting time. Jin, a girl from Seoul, South Korea in her early 20's is already there as is Enrico, a guy from Milano, Italy in his mid 30's. There's a few other foreigners milling about and some Vietnamese staff too. Nobody explains what is going on for about a good 15 minutes. Apparently about a week ago they sent out an email saying there was an updated meeting place. Some people got the email and obviously others, myself included, didn't. We wait for two others to show up before taking two taxi's to meet up with the rest of the volunteers at the updated meeting place. Ville, a 20 year old guy from Tampere, Finland and Philippe, a 24 year old guy from Liege, Belgium are the two others we waited for.
When we got to the updated meeting point, there are two more Koreans: Yeonsoo and Boseung, and Yasuto from Osaka, Japan, as well as three local Vietnamese volunteers: Kien, Tue, and Thuyen.
We are told that we have to wait about another hour and a half longer as we are still waiting for more volunteers to show up. While we're waiting, we are served lunch and make small talk. The other volunteers we were waiting for never do show up, and after our 90 minutes of waiting, we arrange for two more taxi's to take us to the Ha Noi bus depot. In the taxi that I get into, it's just myself and Enrico and the entire backseat and trunk full of luggage. We wait out front of the bus depot for a good fifteen minutes in the taxi, then the Vietnamese volunteer, Kien, who seems to be in charge of things gets in our taxi and gets the driver to drive into the depot so that we don't have to carry our luggage so far to the bus. We had to bribe the guard at the entrance of the depot 10,000 Dong ($0.50) for the privilege!!! The buses were crazy inside, it reeked of diesel and it was absolute chaos. Buses trying to squeeze past each other, literally centimetres away from our cab. The bus ride itself starts off with people sitting on little red plastic seats (like the ones that kids would sit on in western countries) in the middle of the aisle, 2 deep. All of our luggage was taking up the entire back row of seats. Again, we had to pay extra for this!! After being on the bus for an hour and a half, it dropped us off at a roadside stop, we get two more taxi's (minivans) to our final destination fifteen minutes away, the Thuy An Orphanage, at about 17h local time.
Once inside the Orphanage and with Kien leading us, we head directly to our lodging, an open room with enough beds for everyone. Immediately we get to work setting up the beds and arranging our things. The beds are simple and wood framed. We all have a thin mattress pad, a cover, a blanket, and a flat pillow. Once we all choose our beds, we head off to the dining hall for dinner. Three tables are already prepared for us, and food is already on the tables. Our first nights dinner consisted of eggs, rice, tofu, chicken, and some green vegetables nobody knows and for dessert, Mandarin Oranges.
Philippe and Enrico volunteered to do the dishes first (we will have to take turns doing the dishes going forward) and the rest of us head back to the room. Kien shows us the rest of the facilities, we are shown the showers and bathroom. Everyone is pretty horrified at the squalid conditions. Nobody wants to use them, but having to go, I use the bathroom being used to similar conditions in many other parts of Asia.
The Vietnamese volunteers announce that they are going to go out and get some supplies. All the other volunteers are pretty eager to go too and check out the surrounding area around the Orphanage. It's a chance to see what's around us. By now, it's completely dark. Sunset is at about 18h here. On our way out of the Orphanage, we find two bathrooms that are much nicer and cleaner than the ones close by our room.
About 100 metres down the street is a roadside store where we stock up on supplies. I notice a massively oversized Vietnamese 'sandwich' on sale for only 5000 Dong ($0.25). I think sometime this week I'll try it out... I ask the store owner what's in it, she explains it's a sandwich with a cream filling.
We return to our room and talk about the volunteering organization Volunteers for Peace in Vietnam (VPV), the schedule for the next week, as well as dividing into teams for doing chores. I'm placed in a team with Ville, Yeonsoo, and Thuyen. Every third day we will be responsible for doing the dishes for all three meals.
Kien explains that the work schedule will be in two times frames each day. The morning sessions will last from 8h30 to 11h00. From 11h00 to 14h00 is lunch and free time, and from 14h00 to 16h30 would be the afternoon session. The morning sessions look like they will be mostly spent gardening and the afternoons will be mostly spent teaching the kids and working with them in the physical rehabilitation centre. The evenings will be reserved for various different activities with the other volunteers and free time.
My first impressions so far - Very tranquil area, no lights or pollution - a stark contrast from Ha Noi. The kids who sleep nearest to us seem quite happy and are always waving hi when we walk by. I'm glad I brought Mosquito repellent and a Mosquito net as the doors to our room are open a lot as well as the windows which are letting them into our room. All of the volunteers seem to be quite eager and all have a pretty positive attitude.
I'm off to bed now, it has been a long day today with a lot to absorb. I can't wait for the real volunteering to start tomorrow!!!
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