Our Vietnam Chapter

On June 8th of 2007 we boarded a plane bound for Ho Chi Minh city Vietnam. After the LONG 12 hour flight we were tired but ready to go.

After a day of sightseeing we called the Orphanage on our own and, with the help of our wonderful Renaissance hotel staff calling and making arrangements, hopped in a cab with written Vietnamese directions and a driver that spoke no English. After having tea at a house we thought was the orphanage, our contact then took us on to the Catholic orphange... asking all the way about our little threesome and how many kids we wanted to take home. He was a little disappointed that we were just looking and that we wanted a baby (under 1)

There were no children under 5 or so, but we were impressed with the grounds and the children. All seemed to be well tended to and better than we thought - but we had to keep in mind that it was a very controled visit also.

After all the flights, strange foods to try, harrowing taxi rides (be sure to click on the video above) and even a motorbike ride around town after dark for Karen and I.... we still knew no more than the day we started.

We flew on to Cambodia the next day. Elephant rides, heat, amazing art, humidity, ruins in the jungle, beaming sun... and a massage that is best described as (thankfully) G rated but still very odd..... we decided that there was no need to go back to Vietnam for another day, so we stayed just one more day in Cambodia soaking up all we could, and shopping!

On our way back we stopped in Tokyo.... all smiles, much cooler and much more expensive but surprisingly we are looking forward to going back someday. We loved Japan for the day we were there.

All in all, a wonderful trip of dreams (ask us, we love to talk about it) but no baby and still no clue. Little "Ling Ling" (as she was affectionately called by most everyone who felt they already knew her) was no where to be found in Asia.

Upon getting home, hearing from others "in process of pickup" and various blogs and US adoption posts we decided to come up with a plan B. Our agency still maintains that the system is not shutting down in Vietnam, but little did we know then that in April of 2008 it would be announced that all adoptions would stop in September.

Thank goodness for our plan B ..... and what it would (in a round about way) bring.