Ho Chi Minh City and the end of my VSO placement in Stung Treng

As my last weeks as a VSO volunteer passed by, I lived and enjoyed life intensively in Stung Treng and elsewhere.

Oli was very keen to visit the South of Vietnam and especially the capital - Ho Chi Minh City or as they call it unofficially: Saigon.

propaganda posters everywhere for forthcoming elections

We decided to travel by boat this time and it was a pleasant change to a sweaty and noisy bus trip.

We did all the passport business on the River and stayed in a beautiful little village called Chau Dok in a "floating hotel" for one night.

typical vietnamese transport option on the water

can you spot the cat?

The next day we visited an ancient temple on the way to Saigon.

in the snake cave

a chinese budda picture

an unusal tiger infront of the temple compound

In Ho Chi Minh City, we stayed for 2 nights and did sightseeing mainly by walking.

familiar names...

inside the national art gallery

a beautiful building

town hall

we witnessed a lot of weddings that day

the vietnamese "Notre Dame"

a vietnames seller tries to persuade to buy something

another ancient temple

Oli got a picture promised by this artist for his new children ward in Thmar Pouk

the national art gallery

filtered vietnamese coffee and some other welcoming refreshments

a painting hanging in the art gallery

the opera house

The next day, we visited the 'famous' Cu Chi Tunnels, a 75-mile-long underground maze where thousands of fighters and villagers could hide during the Vietnamese war in 1968.

the Cu Chi Tunnels

The tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The tunnel systems were of great importance to the Viet Cong in their resistance to American forces, through which they secured American withdrawal from Vietnam and ultimate military success.

We've also seen all sorts of horrible gadgets to trap the Americans.

you can't see it in the grass when it's closed

I don't want to fall into this trap!

Oli was very brave

I didn't quiete make it

I had a panic attack while crawling through the deep down tight tunnels and had to exit sooner. Oli managed to crawl through the darkness the full 100 meters.

We also visited the very interesting war museum.

war museum in HCMC

Agent Orange Warning flag

after Agent Orange was used

When we were walking around the city, the fact that I suddenly commented that it looks really nice in Bangkok made me realize that we were traveling a lot recently and that everything became to look the same.

nice juice in Vietnam

After our visit I have certainly learned a lot about the historical drama that happend also especially in South Vietnam and I have a lot of respect towards the Vietnamese people.

Back in Phnom Penh, I met with my lovely friend Sareth and we had lunch together. She is a qualified nurse now (training in Stung Treng RTC) and studies Midwifery now in PP. I am very happy about this and can only encourage and support her.

with Sareth and her friend Sityl - having lunch

Ratha, our VSO tuk tuk driver and office guard

happy painting - happy people

Back in Stung Treng, I finished my work in the Regional Training Centre and did one last event with the help of Angela and Carol, we gave some training on donated equipment to the Midwife teachers. We found this material last year sitting in their boxes in this dirty,dusty room and asked why it was not used. I am sure this happens all over Cambodia. The answer was that the teachers didn't know how to use it. A questionable answer. If we wouldn't have come back to it the equipment would still be unused today. So we cleaned the room, took out expensive modern equipment and put it on shelves (which was another act to get some) and got familiar with it to provide training for the teachers. It all worked out very well and I was satisfied when I left.

strong team

equipment training in the RTC

Angela knows what she's doing

Channa obviously enjoyed this session

It felt very weird leaving the RTC but it was also a relief. After all, I've spent two years there but all didn't work out as I planned it without being my fault of course : )

My director Mr. Tek Leng Sou gives me my leaving present

Another highlight before I moved away was our dressing up morning.
All Stung Treng volunteers met to have heavy make up and glitzy dresses.

2 hours make-up session beforehand...

...until we got this result!

having difficulties Wendy?

Carol

Maria and Ingran

with Wendy and Angela

Ferdi, Roy and Chris

with Carol

with Maria

Angela had a beautiful gown on

getting ready for the ladys group photo

David, a future VSO volunteer?

with Carol and Lin

the Stung Treng Ladies!

I will miss you Stung Treng, my trusted volunteer friends and family. I couldn't have done it all without you: Helen who let me stay with her at the beginning in 2009 when I first arrived and who gently introduced me into the Khmer world, Holli who I could talk to about everything and who I became so close with, Evic who gave me this huge teddy bear when I felt so homesick 2 years ago, Delia who gave me great comfort and confidence, Louisa, Carol my great friend, sister and mother, Linda who gave me a lot of love and challenged me too, Maria and Ferdi who both made me love the Philippines again, Ingran who became a great friend, Rachel and Anthony who are an incredible couple and lovely people, Jan and Thea who I admire for their strong will and passion, Angela and Chris who enjoy the Khmer way as much as I do and Wendy who I could rely on. Thank you all for being there for me. I will miss you! I hope very much we all keep in touch!!!

new lights on the bridge

sunset opposite my house

a lovely view from Sekong Bridge

my favourite view - Stung Treng in the afternoon sun with my house on the right

My leaving do was at my house but I felt rather sad so it didn't develop into a huge party. I asked everyone to bring some food and I prepared a slide show with lots of pictures which I then showed on sheet hanging on the wall via LCD. It was lovely though.

a variety of delicious food, produced by us

the last party at my house in Stung Treng

Carol my dearest, I miss you every day!

oh Lin, missing you!

amazing Jan and Thea, farewell!

Maria, I will miss you!

bye bye Roy!

Wendy, Angela and Chris, I wish you a wonderful and rewarding time in ST

good old Ferd, I will miss you

my good bye present - love it!

my Vandy and Rek-smey

Not enough party. As part of VolCom (Volunteer Committee for Cambodia) I was one of the organizers for a volunteer party in order to celebrate 20 years of VSO in Cambodia. My favourite job. So Ingran, Eileen and myself organized a VSO party on a boat in Phnom Penh on the Mekong river. A 4 hour party with free beer and snacks. Of course it had an entry fee. This evening was also the last one for me and Oli before we flew the next day to the UK.
We all had a ball!

welcome on board!

lets get this pary started!

Dommi, Wendy and Clare having fun

Gilly, Sam and Abi, the Kratie volunteers

Ella, Carol and Chris

someone has fun!

Linda and Anna are batch mates

I am going to see Ingran back in England soon

2 VSO midwifes talk about what?

Party animals on the boat!

Stung Treng housemates

Group photo!

It was very hot...

DJ Ingran says his last few words...

This is what 4 hours party on the boat do to you!

20 years VSO in Cambodia! Happy birthday!

hungry volunteers waiting for the after party falafel

Stung Treng rules!

Yes and this was my last time as an official VSO volunteer. I'm out now. Had an exit interview and have been 'discharged'.
After our holiday in Europe I will back and work as a 'non-VSO'- volunteer
in rural Thmar Pouk in Olis hospital for another 7 weeks. Looking forward to that.

The next blog will be all about England, Scotland, Germany and Denmark. See you soon! Your Katja.

written by

katja-horsch on July 3, 2011 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia

from the travel blog: Ho Chi Minh City and the end of my VSO placement in Stung Treng

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