HaLong Bay

About four hours east of Hanoi is a UNICEF World Heritage Site and one of the new Natural Wonders of the World. HaLong Bay is an area of the South China Sea with remarkable limestone karsts. It is a very popular tourist destination (as you can see from all the tour boats)!

We spent one night on a boat amidst this beautiful landscape. We had hoped to spend a second night but a typhoon moving into the area brought wind and rain which forced all boats to leave the area. Our evening entertainment was to watch the thunder and lightening from our cabin while the movie KONG 2017 was playing on our TV. The movie was filmed in Vietnam and HaLong Bay. It was a memorable movie!

The Bay also has many large limestone caves that give an interesting afternoon adventure and beautiful views of the landscape. 

Hanoi

During the school October break, Tim, Lisa and Simon traveled to northern Vietnam. They spent a couple of days exploring Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. It is a smaller city than Ho Chi Minh and has a different feel. We stayed in the Old Quarter and enjoyed discovering small cafes, restaurants and shops. We took in some of the local attractions and walked a lot.

Of course we couldn't resist the urge to eat at Bún Chả Huong Lien, the restaurant made famous by Obama's visit in 2016. Bún chả is a delicious pork soup and this small, very crowded restaurant truly makes a delicious bowl!!!

Volleyball Season

The first athletic season of this academic year is Volleyball. Simon is playing on the Varsity Team and recently took a trip to Bangkok, Thailand for a tournament. This was a new tournament for the team and the level of play was higher than the usual. Simon's team performed very well with a respectable fourth place finish. It was good practice for the end of season tournament, which will be held in Laos.

Chocolate Stout

Tim and Lisa were exploring in District 1 last weekend. They spotted the famous Pasteur Street Brewing Company so stopped for a refreshment. On the menu was a Chocolate Stout that has won awards for the "best chocolate beer in the world"! It is made with Vietnam's own Marou chocolate, cinnamon from Saigon, and vanilla beans from Mui Ne. 

Mui Ne Field Trip

 As part of the IB Higher Level Geography course, last week Simon and his classmates traveled to the small tourist town of Mui Ne. Four hours north of Ho Chi Minh City, this town became famous in the mid 1990s when it offered the best views of a solar eclipse. Since then the tourism industry has developed the area which is known for its beautiful beaches, red and white sand dunes, and mysterious "Fairy Stream".




Simon's task during the 3 day adventure was to collect data for a research paper on sustainable tourism. Through surveys with tourists and shop/ hotel owners, and observations of the land formations and tourist participation, he and his 20 classmates have received a wealth of data about the area.

It also happened that Lisa and Tim went along as chaperones for this trip. It was another hot and humid destination. But the beauty of the area made the heat worth it. This is the off season for Mui Ne; the winter has more tourists from Russia and other northern climates.There are quaint restaurants, stores and many kite surfing shops.

Moon Festival

This week the Vietnamese celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Vietnamese calendar is based on the cycles of the moon. The fifteenth day of the eighth month in the Lunar calendar was, traditionally, a time to express the values of family, education, togetherness. It is a time for children to make paper lanterns, eat "moon cakes", sing, drink tea and remember the old principles.

Week Without Walls in Vietnam

Again this year, Tim traveled with a group of 100 Grade 9 students and teachers to northern Vietnam for a week of house-building and exploration. Like most international schools this "week without walls" is part of the curriculum to expose students to new cultures and new activities. It is also a great time of team building with a class.

Tim's week was very hot and very humid. Activities included hiking in the mountains, working on the building site, learning to weave.

With help from local construction workers, the students finished the house during their week of working. On the last day of their trip they had a ceremony to hand over the keys to the family that would live in this new house. It is a gift beyond comprehension to these people from a very poor village in Vietnam.