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2010 WCE Mercer Island HS Vietnam/Cambodia Trip
2/11/2010 Thursday Seattle Our 33 Member WCE MIHS Vietnam/Cambodia Student Delegation led by Mr. Curtis Johnston (MIHS Staff) and Mr. Dave Willecke (MIHS Staff) departed from Seattle (on two flights)
a little late, will arrive in Seoul (Incheon) nearly on time, transfer planes, and arrive in Hanoi as scheduled. Our Delegation will visit Hanoi, Danang (where our Students will present scholarships to
the Danang Street Children’s Orphanage), Hoi An, Vietnam and Siem Reap (where our Students will visit the unbelievable Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom Complex), Cambodia.
Visit this page for updates, emails, and pictures!
2/12/2010 Friday Hanoi (8:15 am Seattle 11:15 pm Hanoi) We have spoken with Mr. “Q” (Quoc) our exceptional guide in Vietnam and he has informed us that our delegation has arrived safely (both flights only
a few minutes late) in Hanoi. We also spoke with Mr. Johnston who informed us that everyone is happy, healthy, and very excited to be in Vietnam. Our Student Delegation is currently transferring to the
Melia Hotel where they will check in and enjoy a well deserved night of rest. Their adventure has begun. Tomorrow after an outstanding American Buffet Breakfast at the Melia Hotel, our Students will spend
the day touring in Hanoi and be the first MIHS Delegation to experience “Tet” in Vietnam. We have just received an update from Mr. Johnston, “Great flights! Although we were an extra hour delayed on our
first leg, we ultimately arrived exactly on time in Hanoi. Korean Air treated us well, and Mr. Willecke reports that his group LOVED Asiana Air. The larger group had the smoothest air of any trip I have
been on - mild turbulence for two minutes when we were only 200 miles out of Hanoi. Glass smooth besides that! Customs was a breeze and our ride to the hotel took us through early Tet New Year celebrations.
Everybody is festive and happy, We have a big day planned tomorrow to be a part of it. We have the regular activities scheduled during the day, with the Cyclo ride, temple visits, shopping, and exploration,
but then we get to start the Tet celebration with the country starting at 9 pm. The parades all day culminate in a huge fireworks display that starts at midnight! The kids are very excited. Everybody was
either asleep or close to it at bed check time tonight. Our rooms were upgraded to the executive floors. I have included some pics of the kids relaxing in the airports today. Great pics to come tomorrow!”
Continue to visit this page for updates, emails, and pictures!
2/13/2010 Saturday Hanoi (8:15 am Seattle 11:15 pm Hanoi) We have received another update from Mr. Johnston with more pictures! “Today we explored the island in Hoan Kiem Lake where the temple is and enjoyed
a cycle ride through Hanoi's Old Quarter. We worked in an hour of shopping. We had a superb lunch of shrimp and soup and then visited the Hanoi Hilton. In celebration of Tet, they had the entire grounds open
for exploration. That is not typical! We toured one of the national post office/banks today and bought post cards and stamps. We will send our post cards tonight, although they will not arrive until after we
get back. (Ha Ha.) In an hour we will go shopping in a different district and then off to dinner. After that, the Tet festivities go all night, culminating in the fireworks display. The fireworks cannon stand
was all ready to go, and from the amount of fireworks already stacked up to go, this should be a great show! More pics to come tomorrow!” Another update from Mr. Johnston, “The fireworks were amazing - 20 minutes
of non-stop bursts and booms. I think there were about half a million people in the streets, and we saw all of them as we walked to and from the fireworks. Tomorrow we go to see Ho Chi Mihn's tomb, and then the
Temple of Literature, and then we fly to Hoi An. Another great day in Vietnam!”
2/14/2010 Sunday Hoi An (8:45 am Seattle 11:45 pm Hoi An) We have received an update from Mr. Johnston in Hoi An, “This morning we saw Ho Chi Minh in his tomb and explored the Temple of Literature. That is the first time on any of my 5 trips that a group has toured
it, and it was great! The architecture and artifacts range from 200-1000 years old. After a great lunch (we definitely have to go to this place again in the future), we drove to the airport for a one hour flight
to Da Nang. We were met by Chan, our exceptional trip organizer in Vietnam, and took our bus out to the Golden Sand Resort, which we universally agree is amazing! Since the temperature here was 85 degrees and very
sunny, almost everybody went for a swim in the 450 feet long swimming pool. Dinner was so good that, for the first time in all of my trips, the kids ate every bit of food put on the table. Keep in mind that this
was a standard 7 course meal, and it ranged from pork, beef, shrimp to five different vegetables, rice and three sauces. After a meeting to plan our tour of Hoi An tomorrow, the whole group turned in early. Bed
checks were smooth again; this is really a great group of kids!
2/15/2010 Monday Hoi An (8:55 am Seattle 11:55 pm Hoi An) We have received another update from Mr. Johnston in Hoi An, “Today we took the walking tour downtown and spent some time at the Japanese Bridge and in the ancient
house. The shopping was great in that district. After an hour long boat ride and some great pics, we had lunch at a place we have used before. Lunch was very good - the clay pot fish and bbq pork was excellent. We toured
the silk factory, and they let us take pictures, even though it was against the rules normally. The kids impressed the staff there a lot, and they ended up giving us a couple things for free. That never happens! We split
into groups and shopped up and down the different streets for leather, lacquerware, woodworks, and shoes. Most of the kids had items made, and we will pick them up tomorrow. We have had a great time, and the two best activities have not even
happened yet. Tomorrow the bike ride, which is always a top two favorite. The orphanage visit is the next day, and that is the favorite. Everybody is healthy and doing great.”
2/16/2010 Tuesday Hoi An (8:55 am Seattle 11:55 pm Hoi An) It was a very busy day for our delegation. First they went for a 2 hour bicycle ride through the countryside where they observed shrimp beds, traditional Buddhist cemeteries,
rice paddies, a series of hamlets, and new rural road construction, a fascinating ride that further developed our students' love for Vietnam. After lunch in Hoi An everyone finalized their shopping in Hoi An and returned to the hotel to
prepare for their most important day visiting the Danang Street Children Program. Tomorrow our Students will visit the Danang Street Children Program in the morning and fly to Siem Reap in the late afternoon. Mr. Johnston has emailed
another update! “Today we biked out through the paddies and soaked up some great sun. The afternoon was free for swimming and relaxing. We put all the orphan items into individual bags for the kids, and tomorrow will visit the orphanage.
Chan told me that many of the kids left their extended families to be there for our visit; this is powerful because Tet puts an enormous amount of attention on family. We had a good dinner and then went for a downtown walk to see all the
lanterns and beautiful Tet decorations. Everybody is healthy and happy - I am keeping my fingers crossed!”
2/17/2010 Wednesday Siem Reap (6:55 am Seattle 9:55 pm Siem Reap) Our MIHS Delegation is now in Cambodia after the most memorable day of their visit to Vietnam. Mr. Johnston has sent us an updated, “Today we went shopping in Hoi An and
then drove to Da Nang and visited the orphanage. The kids had a great time handing out the bags of goodies for the orphans, especially since they contained some items we have never given out before, including girl scout patches and Beanie
Babies. The bags were bigger than in years past, and we all had a blast playing with the kids, nobody wanted us to leave. Our kids enjoyed the visit as much as theirs! The adults affiliated with the five orphanage families were very pleased
to receive the medical supplies in particular this year, as they are quite expensive and the five families have run very low on them. The orphans loved the art supplies and sports equipment this year. What pleased me the most this year was
seeing equipment and supplies we left last year; the sports equipment was pretty beat up, and they ran out of AA batteries for the Game Boys and multi-band radio, but they were all definitely used and much appreciated. Donated money from
last year helped build an addition to Family 4's building, so now the kids can play in an enclosed, safe place. There was previously a low brick wall that definitely did not protect them from the sun or dangerous strangers. The orphanage
had donated books from last year, and I noticed some clothing from last year and from the February Trip. I am relieved and ecstatic that our donations stretch so far! After a pho lunch, we flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia on Silk Airlines,
and the flight was very smooth. The Cambodian Consul to the United States, who normally is stationed in Seattle, met us at the airport to pick up all the duffel bags full of medicine. He brought the Minister of Charitable Donations
(I am not sure of her official title) and she told us where the items are going. To make sure that no corruption happens with the dispensing of items, she takes them directly to the centers herself. The Consul Huoth was flying out
to the funeral of the wife of the vice-president of Cambodia, who died in a car accident yesterday, and after introducing himself to our tour guide left him with the business card of the consul's cousin, who in his words, would be
"keeping close attention to the care of our guests from the United States." Our guide was more than impressed! Every single traveler is healthy and we are getting up at 4 am to go watch the sun rise from one of the temple locations.
The next day we will explore several temples in what will be a long but spectacular day!
2/18/2010 Thursday Siem Reap (8:30 am Seattle Time 11:30 pm Siem Reap Time) We have received another update from Mr. Johnston! “Watched the sun rise at Angkor Wat at 5 am and stayed around until 7 am. Came back to hotel for breakfast,
and then almost everybody went back to bed. Left at noon for Angkor Wat again and toured the temple for four hours. The upper part was just opened a month ago, for the first time in three years, so we were able to access the amazing
360 view of the temple and the surrounding acres! We did some light shopping around the temple, with the majority of purchases coming from the artwork tent and of course scarves. We drove a short distance and climbed the mountain to
watch the sun set. We ate dinner and then stopped at a supermarket, where the kids bought food that was both familiar and unfamiliar. Shopping there was a blast. The kids were pretty worn out at 9 pm when we got back to the hotel,
so after a quick dip in the pool, most went off to bed. We are out at 9 am tomorrow at another temple complex, and then have several temples and other places to investigate. We are having a great time!”
2/19/2010 Friday Siem Reap (8:30 am Seattle Time 11:30 pm Siem Reap Time) We have received another update from Mr. Johnston, "Today was another great day. This morning we started with a tour of Bayon temple in the Angkor Thom complex,
and also rode the elephants! Our guide loves Bayon, having spent almost every day there in his youth, and his passion for it made the temple come alive. The elephant rides took half the group around Bayon while half of the group tripped
out to the front of the temple complex. We saw monkeys on the way, too. After Bayon, we lunched at a classic Khmer restaurant that the kids really liked. I did too, since one of the main dishes was shrimp in curry sauce. After a stop
at the post office, we headed out to the Tomb Raider temple, called Ta Prohm, for a shockingly beautiful exploration. The Banyon trees grow and wrap right over the huge blocks that form the temple. The design and construction materials
of Ta Prohm are different from all the other temples, and we really enjoyed exploring both the majority of the temple that is standing, and also the massive piles of ruins. We later spent a couple hours at one of the two major markets,
where the kids picked up more gifts for family members. The kids were excited when for dinner we went to a buffet that served Chinese, Japanese, Khmer, French and American food. Tomorrow we are headed out to see the Banteay Srei Temple
(The Citadel of the Woman).”
2/20/2010 Saturday Siem Reap (8:00 am Seattle Time 11:00 pm Siem Reap Time) We have received another update from Mr. Johnston, "Today was great! We started with a drive to the Citadel of the Woman, which was the smallest of the temples we
have seen, but definitely contained the most ornate patterns. It is also made out of red clay/rock, giving it a pink color in places, and a reddish color everywhere else. It was a very popular destination, and we are definitely adding it
to the itinerary. One of the highlights of the entire trip was a last-second stop at a random country house. Amazing opportunity! We checked out the house and field and watched the mom make sugar cubes from Palm oil. The family's kids
posed for pictures with us and even though we did not stay long, that visit added more to the trip than any new activity we could have planned. We shopped at the other market and ate a good lunch before coming back to beat the heat by
swimming for awhile. The group started packing and after a great dinner we had our final group meeting to lay out tomorrow's plans. Even though we leave at 10:30 pm for the airport; we are going on a boat cruise, then to a place that
trains country people and handicapped people to be artisans (last year's visit there showed us some very high quality items). See you in a couple days!"
2/21/2010 Sunday Siem Reap (7:00 am Seattle Time 10:00 pm Siem Reap Time) We have received another update from Mr. Johnston, "Last update....Today we went on the boat cruise to see the floating village. The poverty was horrific, but
honestly, the Cambodians seem just as happy as the Vietnamese - always looking at the now and future. 10,000 people live on the huge lake, with about 50% Cambodian, 45% Vietnamese, and 5% from Muslim countries. We toured the artisan
training center and stopped by the market for last second gifts. Dinner was a buffet at our hotel, which made the kids very happy, since it was a combination of different ethnic foods, including some American food. We are off the
airport soon and will be headed to Korea."
2/22/2010 Monday Seattle - Welcome Home!
2010 WCE Mercer Island HS Vietnam Trip Pictures
2010 WCE/SCHS Florida Trip
2/14/2010 Sunday Seattle (1:15 pm Seattle 4:15 pm Fort Lauderdale) Our 19 Member SCHS Science Club Delegation led by Mr. Vince Santo Pietro (Shorecrest HS) and Mrs. Nadine Santo Pietro (Shoreline School District)
departed for Miami, Cocoa Beach, and Orlando, Florida. Our delegation will visit the Everglades National Park (including a boat tour), the Kennedy Space Center (including the “NASA Up Close Tour”),
and SeaWorld (feeds 35,000 lbs. of restaurant fish to the animals each day). Pictures and emails will be posted on this page during the trip. (7:40 pm Seattle Time 10:40 pm Fort Lauderdale) We have
just spoken with Mr. Santo Pietro. Our Students have arrived in Miami and are on the Bus headed to the Hampton Inn Cypress Creek Fort Lauderdale. Tomorrow they will visit the Everglades National Park!
We have received an update from Mr. Santo Pietro, "As you heard yesterday, the flight and transport to Miami went flawlessly. As did the transfer to our hotel. Everyone arrived in good spirits and healthy.
The bus driver is great! The hotel is very nice and accommodating.”
2/15/2010 Monday Fort Lauderdale (2:30 pm Seattle 5:30 pm Everglades) Our 19 Member SCHS Science Club Delegation is exploring the Everglades National Park today (including a two hour boat tour). We have received
our first pictures from Mrs. Nadine Santo Pietro. (7:00 pm Seattle 10:00 pm Fort Lauderdale) We have received another update from Mr. Santo Pietro, “It was a stellar day, warm and sunny 70's. All the animals were
out!!! I mean as soon as we hit the road near the Everglades we had quite the wildlife show. The Boat ride at Everglades city was excellent and Ranger Pat was very knowledgeable. So much wildlife to see! After
lunch we went out to Big Cypress Bend and continued to see incredible wildlife and enjoyed warm temperatures. There was even an alligator sunning on an embankment so we all got to see a great view. Following that
we went to the Oasis Visitor Center - still in Everglades National Park - and there was a great bunch of alligators sunning as well as some lovely birds. Got a real close view of a Great Blue Heron. We could not
have picked a better day to be here. Everyone was very pleased. We headed back to the hotel via a shopping mall food court for dinner and as I write this Nadine is supervising the pool for some swimming. Tomorrow
off to Cocoa Beach at 9 am."
2/16/2010 Tuesday Cocoa Beach (2:30 pm Seattle 5:30 pm Cocoa Beach) Traveling to Cocoa Beach and the Kennedy Space Center! We received an email update from Mrs. Nadine Santo Pietro, “We are in Cocoa Beach and all is well.
Weather is sunny, Atlantic is beautiful, and now enjoying some free time. More tomorrow.” We also spoke with Mr. Vince Santro Pietro and he is very pleased with their first two exceptional days of touring and looking forward
to visiting the Kennedy Space Center tomorrow!
2/17/2010 Wednesday Cocoa Beach (2:30 pm Seattle 5:30 pm Cocoa Beach) Touring Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral! We have received pictures and an update from Mrs. Nadine Santo Pietro, "We toured the original launch
pads where the first U.S. Astronauts were sent into space! More later tonight!" (7:15 PM Seattle 10:15 pm Cocoa Beach) We have received another update from Mr. Vince Santo Pietro, “Fantastic day at Kennedy Space Center and
Cape Canaveral. Much to see and learn and the weather, while chilly, was sunny. The Cape then and now tour was extraordinary and the guides were great. We got to visit historic locations such as where the first Americans
were lifted into space. And we stood in the very same room that many of the early pioneers once worked. It was a full day and the group thoroughly enjoyed it. The group is doing well and having a good time.”
2/18/2010 Thursday Orlando (2:30 pm Seattle 5:30 pm Orlando) Our delegation has transferred to Orlando! We have received another update from Mr. Santo Pietro, “Safely in Orlando and checked into the All Star Resort.
Since we have 6 adults the students have many options to see what they want. All are now off to the parks. Will send more pictures and details hopefully tomorrow.”
2/19/2010 Friday Orlando (2:30 pm Seattle 5:30 pm Orlando) Day two in Orlando! An update may arrive later today! (7:30 pm Seattle 10:30 pm Orlando) We have received another update from Mr. Santo Pietro, “All remains great!
Today we split up the group again to allow people to see what they are interested in (and because we have six adults). Everyone has great stories and adventures and is well. Sorry no photos today. Will get some tomorrow when
we have the group together at Seaworld."
2/20/2010 Saturday Orlando (2:30 pm Seattle 5:30 pm Orlando) Today our Students visit SeaWorld! They have a special "Rescue and Rehab" Tour. Mr. Santo Pietro will update us later in the day! (7:30 pm Seattle 10:30 pm Orlando)
We have received another update from Mr. Vince Santo Pietro and pictures from Mrs. Nadine Santo Pietro, "We are sending a picture of our corner of the All Star Movies Resort and three pictures from our day at SeaWorld. Our behind
the scenes tour of the animal rescue program was excellent! We had a great day!” We have received more information from Mr. Vince Santo Pietro, “Today was a great day. The entire group made their way to Sea World where we met with
our guide (Angela) for a tour of the rescue and rehabilitation program. Sea World does a lot to rescue sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, birds, and much more. We went behind the scenes to view the veterinary and animal care facilities.
It was very interesting and the students had some great questions. After we finished the tour the group split up into groups and explored the rest of Sea World. We returned to our hotel at dinner time for food and some downtime
(some plan to explore Downtown Disney - a dining and shopping area of the resort). Tomorrow is our last day to explore the Disney parks and the plan is to split up into groups to allow people to see what they want. So I will not
send photos tomorrow as we will be split up. But here are some photos from today and the past few days. Everyone is well, albeit tired. The parents have been a big help and we are grateful. Students very respectful and all following
our rules for the trip. A great group.”
2/21/2010 Sunday Orlando (4:30 pm Seattle 7:30 pm Orlando) We have our final update from Mr. Santo Pietro, "This will be the last email. Today it is in the seventies and sunny! An excellent way to wrap up our trip. After the usual
morning meeting we were off to visit the parks with most heading to magic kingdom today. We again split into smaller groups to allow for more choices. Some groups have returned and taken advantage of the weather and pool. All are
having a great time and are well. It's been a good trip. All arrangements are (sadly) taken care of for the return home. Thanks to everyone who made this trip possible. A lot of good learning, balanced with fun, was had by all.
We'll see you soon."
2/22/2010 Monday Seattle - Welcome Home!
2010 WCE/SCHS Science Club Trip Pictures
WCE Reminder:
If you receive an exciting email or picture from one of our delegation members, please forward the email or picture to the
Washington Cultural Exchange Office and we will post it! Our email address is start@wce.org.
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