290. A Short History Lesson

The charity group makes stop to drop off the goods at Phật Bửu temple/orphanage, since it was during the school hours all the kids were at school.  The nun feed us and told us a story about the Buddha status in this temple, she referred to the second status from the top on the photo above.

The story goes like this, during the Vietnam war a troop came through this village and someone had cut off the head of the Buddha status because they thought it was made of gold but it was actually make of bronze so it got tossed away.  As the war ended and the temple got rebuild, however the head of the status was still missing.  The news of the missing head of Buddha got around the villages.  A farmer, who lives at near by village and was sick, hears of the news.  He did not make much of the news since he was fighting with his disease and trying to make a living.  Days passed by, the farmer was working on his field and found an object that larger than his palm on the field.  First, he was hesitate to pick it up because he thought it may be a bomb or a remnant of weapons that the war had left behind.  However he gathered up his courage and took the item home to clean, it turned out to be a bronze head that he believed belong to the Buddha status that had been missing a head.  He brought it back to the temple and help the nun to put back the head of the status and with a miracle, his disease has subside during this whole ordeal.
If you look closer of the status you can still see the joint at the neck of the second status. 

289. Mái Ấm Anh Đào - Anh Đào Orphanage

My aunty had visited this place on a yearly basic for more then 5 years and she told me this place has improved a lot.  Before it was just a grass hut and metal sheet building that hosted over 40 kids from infant thru grades school age, and with the help from various charity organizations the nun was able to build a concrete building for these kids.  I can feel the loves that the care takers have been providing for these kids through their cheerful eyes.  It always put a warm feeling in my heart when I visit places like this. 

288. Passing by Nha Trang

On the charity trip through Nha Trang, we stop by this beach which was about thirty minutes from the city.  A quiet place compared to the busy tourist filled Nha Trang.

287. The Unwanted

On a charity trip, I visited a government housing for the elderly and the mental.

 

One of the few run down buildings that house these folks.

 The charity group packaging the goods outside the cafeteria building.

The lady on the left had followed us as we walk through the complex to distribute the gifts. She seem to be happy for the company that we brought to her. As for the lady on the left, she was just goes about her work, and she was also happy to see us.

The mental ward.

286. On 15th of Every Month

Attendees of a Buddhist ceremony on 15th of the month in lunar calendar.
Vietnam

285. Bình Châu Hot Springs

Bình Châu Hot Springs , Vũng Tầu, Vietmam

The hot springs located in side Bình Châu resort, and it had many amenities to offer like mud bath, boiling your own egg, 2 large heated pool, foot spa, natural hiking trail, plus a restaurant which offered a specialty, seven courses meal from a baby piglet.  We wanted to try the house specialty so we ordered the meal a day in advance.  After all the hot springs activities we were ready for all these food.  (^.^)   

284. Chừa Hang - Cave Temple

Kiền Giang Province, Vietnam

283. Phú Quốc Island

282. Đèo Hải Vân - Hai Van Pass

Old USA look-out post on Hai Van Pass

A view toward Đà Nẳng province from the look-out post on Hai Van Pass

281. The Bus

For two weeks the group was together on this bus traveling from Saigon to Hanoi and back.  The bus had took us to over fifteen locations.  There was time it broke down on us in the middle of the road.  We all prayed for it to get fix and waited for hours to get to our next destination.  At the end it returned us home safe and sound.  Thank you bus!  I will remember you. (~.~)

280. Lăng Khải Định - Tomb of Emperor Khải Định

Emperor Khải Định Tomb, Huế, Vietnam

The tomb of Nguyễn Emperor Khải Định, the 12th emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty.  

It located in the Châu Chư mountain of Huế.  Its architectural styles were a mixed of various forms: Indian pagoda, Vietnamese stoupa, Roman column, and the juxtaposition of Gothic.  Therefore it is more elaborately designed than other of its era.  Emperor Khải Định was one of the first known gay emperor in the history of Vietnam.

279. Hiền Lương Bridge

Hiền Lương Bridge, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam

Cầu Hiền Lương, across Bến Hải river, was fist built on 1928 by the local villagers and it was used only for pedestrian.  In 1943, while the colonial French occupied northern Vietnam, they had rebuilt it for automobile usage also.  When the French lost it battle in Điện Biên Phủ 1954, this bridge was used to separate Vietnam northern and southern territories, and each side received half the length of it. 

278. Looking Down

Sapa, Vietnam

I did not get to see what most of the tourist books/websites had advertised about Sapa.  The drive up to the town was long.  Once I get there, it was full of tourists and gift shops, another typical tourist attraction that no longer a hidden gem.  As you can see in the photo, the mountain was being excavating for new roads and farms, and it had caused a dent to the nature beauty of the place.

277. Green

276. Wondering

 @Silver Waterfall, Sapa, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam

From their outfit I guess they belong the minority group that live on these mountain terraces.  These kids were selling souvenirs around the parking lot.  This particular boy was about 3 years old and he was just accompany his sister around.