the good life, a great field trip

Last Tuesday will go down, for me, as one of my greatest days at KOTO.

Having arrived in Sapa the previous night the field trip was underway.  A total of 79 people made the trip, including 64 trainees.

We had risen early.  Always watching the pennies we had hoped that the kids could walk in their sports shoes.  To put it midly the weather wasn't up to that.  It had been bucketing down. 

On the way up, rivers were overflowing and the buses had to avoid the mudslides. So after breakfast we set off to Sapa market to buy wellies for all. 

Meanwhile the kitchen trainees set to making over 150 sandwiches for the trip and bagging them up with a selection of fruit for the picnic.

And still the rain came.

There was no point waiting for a break in the weather.

I had taken care to quitely brief all the staff.  The only way through this was to out smile the trainees.  keep up morale in the face of the soggy elements. And so - umbrellas up and wellies pounding - we set off.

And the rain got harder.  it was touch and go for a while whether we could carry on.

But the kids for the most part were stars.

They trudged along in the torrential rain still smiling.  And for the kids finding it touch we laughed and joked.  Sung in the rain (with tap dance steps).

Those wellies were soon to be problematic. In no time started to rub and blisters were arriving quickly.

At one point a waterfall had formed on a cliff face.  The mass of water falling down threatened to wash away the people walking through below.  Maybe later in the day it would become impassable.  But we made it through.

We turned off the road onto mud tracks.  Now it was my time to find the going hard.  No wellies that fit me in Sapa.  I was in training shoes and looking like Bambi on ice on the thick downhill mud.

And then it started to brighten a little.  Letting up just as we stopped for lunch.  Picnics out, and sarnies being munched, the smiles continued.

In the afternoon it drizzled.  And the going got a little tougher.  The steps got heavier.  The blisters more painful. Our party snaked right up hillsides.  The fitter walkers at the front and staff bringing up the rear while motivating those that flagged.

And of course we made it.  To our evening stop that is.  We were staying in an ethnic minority village.

And as the kids realised that this wasn't just a rest break they visbly relaxed.  They found their beds.

Once they had kicked off their wellies and changed into dry clothes they organised themselves to start work on dinner.  They make some fantastic food at the KOTO restaurant with a commercial, if somewhat improvised and dilapidated kitchen, but here they were using more basic tools.

Martin our chef consultant came out to see me where I was taking a breather outside the hut.  "Have you seen the kichen?" he enquired.  I ducked in.  It was awesome.

In a little over an hour they had prepared and cooked food for every last one of us.  Tofu, stir fried beef, rice by the tonne, veg, eggs.  And more besides.

And as the weather calmed we settled down to eat together.  Morale was high and you could see the trainees were proud. I was proud too.  So proud of them all.

I sneaked off to enjoy a cigarette, alone with my reflections of the day. Our  KOTO entourage included two of my very best friends from home. 

Their trip to see me had accidentally coincided with the field trip.  The prospect of missing either was unthinkable so they came too. And again I was proud. 

Proud that they could see the kids give such a good account of themselves.  Proud of what I was involved with here.  And glad that they could see it too and understand why I love it here and love what I do.

So I reflected on my life in Vietnam and just how lucky am I. It had been, against all the odds, the most wonderful day. That evening we scrunched into two huts.  Boys in one and girls in the other. But not before the kids had sung, danced, and entertained us all long into the night.

And we woke, with aching limbs, on the Wednesday morning to bright blue skies and wonderful views.

When it does stop raining there can be few more beautiful places in the world than Sapa. After a bowl of noodles, the Vietnamese breakfast of champions, we set off again back to our hotel.  The wonderful line of KOTO kids once more snaking through the valley.

The day remained as beautiful as it started. Smiles everywhere.

The weather for the two days had turned out to be perfect.  Real hard work, teambuilding, sense-of-achievement stuff for the Tuesday.  And bask-in-the-glory Wednesday sunshine.

For the rest of the field trip the kids enjoyed free time, culminating in a laugh riot talent show. But nothing will beat that memory of the Tuesday in the rain.  Staff, kids and volunteers all pulling together against the elements.  A slick, smiling, mud plodging, creative cooking, KOTO machine. 

Once more I realise just how lucky I am to have this experience in my life.

And finally a word about the staff that helped out.  Somehow, by default I had found myself in charge.  I had already visited Sapa to check it out with a colleague.

Together we worked on fleshing out an itinerary and making it happen.

Before we set off I appointed three captains, all KOTO graduates to run the trip.

They were awesome.  So much so by halfway through the first day I was telling them: "You decide", when they asked me a question.  They'd get into a huddle come up with a plan and they got on with it.

These three, now working in front of house, training, and marketing, are the fututure of this organisation and they were amazing.  Very very gratifying.  The were the embodiment of the Know One Teach One motto.  Again, I was so very proud.

All the rest of the Sapa pics here.

Comments

[Rachie]

Wow - that place is jaw-droppingly beautiful. I also found this post very moving. It made me feel lucky and proud too, although I couldn't really tell you why! What an amazing experience.

[Jo]

It sounds like an awesome trip!

[Kathrine]

Amazing pics :) - looks like you had fun.

[Lady Librarian]

What an amazing account of an amazing trip! Fantastic photos & video. You are a lucky (and hard working!) man.

[Oanh]

Wow that trip sounds unreal. I wish I was there too! It only slightly rained the day we trekked around Sapa, I can only imagine how muddy, slippery and difficult it would have been walking amongst all the rocks. And for some of the kids to do it with blistered feet... good on them!

[omih]

Yeah it was beautiful. Walking as recreation is kind of strange to the Vietnamese mentality. In the end it was only 12ks but a few thought that it was asking too much.

In the end on that rainy night I was quite overwhelmed by it all. I was very emotional and its been a while since Vietnam and KOTO has done that to me.

I've three short months to go here and lots to achieve in that time. I want to see that new restaurant open and then I want to hand over the reins to someone else - some one new and fresh to see through the next stage of KOTO development.

Oanh, I hope you had a great trip. Judging by your blog you seemed to.

[Flora Fling]

You're lucky to have a fullfilling job.

[Nancye and Sophie Hicks]

It all sounds wonderful - except for the blisters! We find reading about it all inspirational here in Australia where it is all still so dry and we are praying for rain.