I did not realize how long it has been since my last post. I have a Christmas, New Year, and general post in the process, but I have just failed in its execution. It is close to completion and hopefully I will have it out in the coming days. But now I unfortunately must report on the most unwelcome of developments. As Lunar New Year approaches, and the Vietnamese Communist party holds its five year congress in Hanoi to usher in the next government, the unthinkable has unfolded.
A major outbreak in the suburbs of Hanoi has forced the early conclusion of the inauguration of the 13th National Congress, and brought a metropolitan area of 17 million people to its knees. Over the course of the past year, no single day jump in cases has ever been higher than 12, two days ago we had 98. Hai Duong alone, a suburb of Hanoi, has recorded 157 cases in the past two days. This outbreak is far more vicious and is spreading with a rapidity not yet seen in Vietnam.
A Quick Decision
It hasn’t reached Da Nang yet. So far the cases have been isolated to the north and south, with the central region being until now, unscathed. Though Diem did mention this morning that rumors are floating in the breeze that Da Nang may be preparing to announce its first case in more than four months. Lunar New year begins in a couple of weeks. A holiday that we have long planned to spend in An Lao with Diem’s family. With the quickly unfolding news, we have decided to get out of Da Nang sooner rather than later.
A Trip to the Hospital
Just before this recent scare, we had a scare of our own. Our youngest Xu has been really sick, to the point that we took her to the hospital. We have taken her to the mini hospital nearby, but they were not equipped to handle her. These days if you have a temperature, cough, and basically any flu like symptoms, you are automatically sent to a facility equipped with rapid Covid testing at the entrance. Diem and I bundled up Xu as best we could, sandwiched her between us, and we rushed south out of An Thuong towards the closest children’s hospital.
We arrived at a pretty intense scene. A small mob was gathered outside the gates to the closed off hospital. A discussion must be had with the police officer at the gate, some paperwork review, then we were ordered to the makeshift tarp barn set up just inside the gates for Covid testing. I dropped Diem and Xu for her test and headed to park the motorbike. The motorbike park was a partly covered area at the north west corner of the walled-in grounds. It was a very rustic area to park within the walled hospital grounds.
The Children’s Building.
I met up with Diem, and Xu as I walked out. They had already completed the test, and we were instructed to head to a diagnostics area. Xu is such a trooper. One of the most fearless children I’ve ever encountered. The only time she ever complains or cries, is when she doesn’t get what she wants. She always walks ahead of us, is the first one in the car, on the motorbike, or anything that we do. She’s the trailblazing little pioneer But ask her to do something she doesn’t want to do, and she’ll be quick to inform you that she is in fact, a baby, and it’s far beyond her age range to deal with.
We continued down the side road towards the children’s building. It was a small one story building on the north side of the main hospital. complete with an outdoor playground, and adjacent park. A small desk sat just inside it’s entrance. A nurse sat guard just inside administrating the area, and doing mild triage. Xu’s temperature was again recorded, and we sat in the row of steel chairs reminiscent of an airport terminal. Within only a few minutes a nurse came to retrieve Diem and Xu, but for safety reasons, I was asked to remain.
Skip the Hospital Pharmacy
After the brief visit, Diem and Xu emerged from the back. Diem clutching some documentation and a series of prescriptions. We were instructed to go to the main hospital to have the scripts filled. The interior looked more like a small airport terminal than a hospital lobby. We waited in line at one of the many pharmacies that lined the terminal. But when she saw the price we immediately left. Such a stickler for the negotiable deal, we headed to a pharmacy near our apartment. Apparently medicine at the hospital is far more expensive than at the pharmacy.
Within a few days Xu’s cough subsided and her fever ceased to be a problem. It was a rough few days though. Additionally, there had been an outbreak of head lice at Xu’s school. All in all we felt it best to keep her home for an extended time due to all of the conditions. She was still, in effect, a preschooler. Diem in her Vietnamese motherly standard, was sure to make her practice writing and reading in her absence.
Preparing for the Exodus
We are packing today as quickly as we can. In addition, we must hit the markets this afternoon to gather all of the candies, gifts, and holiday paraphernalia one must gather before going home to the countryside for the year’s largest celebration. We are taking the next available transport out, which should be within the next 24 hours. Looks like we’ll be seeing our transport driver Trieu Vi sooner than expected. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Things change so quickly in Vietnam when Covid is involved.
If we can get to An Lao, the worst scenario is that we remain isolated in the mountain district during any nationwide, or provincial lockdowns. That far out they don’t usually lockdown the villages, only limit movement in and out of them. I don’t want to be stuck inside our apartment again. At least in An Lao we can go for walks, tend the garden, eat in fresh abundance, explore the jungle, and most importantly, go fishing.
We’ll Talk Soon
I apologize to my most avid of readers. I’ve taken on a new job in the past month, which has taken much of my time. I have been preparing to go on more adventures and create more stories to tell, so I have been focusing on procuring the resources to make that happen. I’m not sure what is coming next, but I will keep everyone updated on what is unfolding here in the land of the Dragon. Keep looking for a regular post soon, I know I’ve neglected my duties of late. Take care out there, and we’ll see ya soon.
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Click here for some Covid news from the north.
