On the road again
-Willie Nelson
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again
Time To Move
The day has finally come. After major restrictions on travel began in early March we have waited patiently for this day to come. On Thursday the major lockdown restrictions on businesses expired. On Friday transportation began to open back up as well. We called the local immigration office and I, as a foreigner, was cleared to leave Da Nang. We also called the party head in An Lao, he approved my transit into the district high in the hills of central Vietnam.
Securing Safe Passage
There was some question as to whether I would be quarantined as my in-laws were concerned I would be contained. Again we reached out to the party head in An Lao district, I had been in Da Nang since March 11, in a self-imposed quarantined and then a government mandated one. I have been in country for 45 days with little to no interaction with anyone at all, much less anyone infected. I was finally to be treated as a local. No quarantine would be required. I was free to enter the beautiful sleepy village at my leisure.
Diem wasted no time in booking transport. We had one day to prepare. It was extra special. We, through circumstances beyond our control, have been separated from all four of our children for almost two full months. Our smallest munchkin, Xu, the little girl who stole my heart last year in the countryside. Was turning 5.
A Little Birthday Shopping
Saturday, the 25th, was incredibly eventful. After partly cloudy skies, warm weather, and mild conditions during lockdown, It has rained every day since the easing of restrictions. Life in the jungle city must go on. It quickly became packing day and shopping day simultaneously. Diem was in a hurry to get to the girls and I understood her desire. We all make sacrifices in these unfortunate times.
We awoke relatively early Saturday and Diem had only one thing on her mind. The collective noun that we have created to describe the girls, SuXu, or soosoo. We descended the staircase that fills the center of our apartment building to the bottom floor. The rain was increasing and we mounted our motorbike. It hasn’t rained the entire lockdown, save for maybe a few hours one day. With the lockdown lifted the clouds cried, God definitely has a sense of humor. We only had one poncho. Diem had asked if I would go and now was questioning my decision. I was going. I gave her the poncho, as she was always the driver, and assured her I was fine.
We have been locked in an apartment for almost two months. It’s warm outside, the rain is refreshing, bring it on. I’ve hit the Appalachian trail in spring with worse weather and on foot with a 50 pound backpack. Bring it on Vietnam. To the Mike Patricks, Jamie Nowaks’ and Pete Lewis’ that took those hikes with me. I always imagined, when we donned those ponchos, hiked those switchbacks in the pouring rain, that somehow we were in Southeast Asia. Trudging through the wilderness. I always felt like that was a part of what soldiers dealt with in the field. Now here I am.
But I digress, so we headed south into the main part of the city. Diem in her poncho cut the wind and rain, myself behind her catching whatever glimpse of life in a newly open world I could catch. Ducking here and there, crossing the most impressive Dragon Bridge and settling down on a side street and to a newly reopened toy shop. Diem in her infinite frugality picked out a few balloons, a happy birthday banner, and not much else. We looked at the toys and she continually said, “too expensive”.
The Toy Store
I stopped her short, these were also my children now and nephews and nieces. We gathered toys for every child that was family in the village. I would have it no other way. Diem protested at every step, but the gross disparity was humbling. I could provide balloons, banners, party favors and toys to more than one birthday party for less than $50 usd. it was a moment that was monumental. Diem tried to buy a girl toy for our nephew Duong. you’ve seen him before, I pushed for a slightly more appropriate and slighly more expensive Batman toy.
The toy store had modest fare, nothing massive or to exciting to my thought. A few small Play-Doh accessories and individual small tubs, but no kits. Crayola packs no larger than say 24, blank artist pads and a few small Lego sets. The few small popular western brands, like crayola and Lego, were so expensive from importation they made the prices back home look reasonable. It really puts the excess and fortunes of even modest families in America into perspective.
Diem has spent her entire life struggling and being as frugal as she can. I can’t tell you how hard it is to get her to compromise. The preservation of resources is always at the top of her priorities. Even purchasing the children a modest birthday party was difficult, but I am also stubborn.
So after much persuasion, I convinced Diem to give the three children, the collective soosoo and Duong, something special this time. They have sat isolated in the village, dealing with the uncertainties of life in this world at such a young age, let us go to An Lao the bearers of good tidings. We loaded the toys and party favors. Wrapped everything in multiple layers of plastic and climbed on the two wheel steed as the rain increased.
On the way back to the apartment Diem kept asking, “Are you OK?”. I responded, “I have never felt so alive.” I took the heavily plastic laden toy doll house for Xu and held it as a shield as we crisscrossed the streets and alley ways. It was exhilarating. We were headed home to pack. Life, living, it has never been so amazing. An Lao, then Saigon, and who knows from there. The Constant Epicurean is on the move again.
Click Here for a video of us out on the rainy streets
or Click Here for stories from An Lao
