Incredible Việt Nam Adventure for Year 13 Students

On September 26th, Year 13 historians left Dunedin for Việt Nam. The trip was a year's worth of planning and fundraising. The purpose of the trip was to learn first hand about Vietnamese history and culture. We arrived in Hanoi and were instantly surrounded by noise and heat. It was six degrees when we left Dunedin and 43 degrees when we arrived. We got used to the heat as we went and definitely enjoyed the sunshine. 

The political differences traveling around Việt Nam were fascinating to learn first hand about. In Hanoi (North), young people had a large admiration for Hồ Chí Minh and the Communist history of the country. However in the South, there were different political views. We had three different guides and we learned a lot about the history of Việt Nam from them. From learning how the Vietnamese defended themselves from the Mongol army to winning the first Indo China war against the French. The country has incredible museums that commemorate those who died in the first and second IndoChina wars. 

There were many highlights and we visited many places. In the north we visited Hanoi ‘Hilton’ where prisoners of war were kept (including John McCain). We then traveled to Hạ Long Bay where we stayed on a cruise boat and walked through incredible caves, kayaked, and swam at a beautiful beach.

We then traveled to Hội An, a smaller town and enjoyed a couple of quieter days at the markets and on the beach. We visited My Lai, the place where over 500 villagers were killed in the Việt Nam war. We were fortunate enough to meet a survivor from that massacre, which was an incredible experience. 

Next, it was onto Hồ Chí Minh City where we explored the Museums and then headed to the Mekong Delta. We stayed in a homestay there and enjoyed biking through the village. At night, we enjoyed a concert put on for us and then sang songs in reply. 

We all had a great time and will remember the trip for a long time. 

Sarah Tsukigawa