The Forum for Welfare of Senior Citizens GK-2 planned its eighth excursion to Vietnam. In all 35 senior citizens joined and traveled, with ladies outnumbering the men folk. While the oldest member who traveled was 90+ years, there were many octogenarians as well.
The group assembled at the IGI Airport on the 23rd October ’23 night. Vietnam Airlines showed enough hospitality. The first stop was at Hanoi, where the local guide welcomed us. We went to Halong Bay and embarked on a cruise, with one night stay. During the cruise, we saw fascinating rock formations. There are kissing rocks, which have seen erosion due to vessels sailing too close to the rocks. There was a stop at a beach. The Sung Sot cave excursion was an enjoyable experience. The programme included a water puppet show, which included scenes from rural life. This item was unique. On the 26th October, we came to Danang and visited the Cham Museum, which included a collection of sculptures of the ancient kingdom of Champa. Marble Mountain was very fascinating. There were numerous items made of marble in a big store.
Bana Hills on the 27th October ’23 was a wonderful experience too. This place was first developed by the French in the 1920s. The top of the hill, which is connected by cable car, provides a view of thick jungle and waterfalls that run below. The cable car traverses a distance of 5042 meters, which is a record in the world. At Ho Chi Minh, a journey of about 75 kms, took us to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which were constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the French and American wars.
The Delta of the Mekong River was also included. The Mango Cruise gives a good view of Delta scenery at the River. At the Mango House Restaurant, we were given a five course Vietnamese lunch, which quite a few members found more delicious compared to the Indian lunch served during the trip. Above all, we found Vietnam to be very clean with well-maintained parks and public spaces. We can definitely emulate their example in maintaining aesthetics and cleanliness.
On our return flight to Delhi, we had a pleasant surprise, as we had the Indian team of 14 players- men and women – of KORFBALL returning from Taiwan, where they participated in the world championship. The Group returned to Delhi on the 30th October ’23. The trip was a wonderful experience and we would cherish these memories for a long time.
