Travel to Teach: Volunteer in Vietnam
"No mere metaphor is the fact that the traditional Vietnamese terms for "country" translate as "mountain and river" or simply "water"
Strung on a network of rivers between the mountains and the sea, Vietnam is a landscape of moody alpine fogs hovering over thatch-roofed villages nestled in forests of rain. Vast expanses of reflective paddy fields posturing rice stands through which gentle breezes eddy. Lacework deltas fretted with canals carrying fertile mud recently arrived from China, and boiling white beaches guarded by island sentinels.
Life forms evolved upon this land to husband the wealth of resources its nature provided. This social mirroring of the natural surroundings extended even into city life.
"Hanoi" means the "inside of the river" and the name "Saigon" may have been derived from "cay gon" which refers to the poles sunk in the alluvial mud upon which the houses were built.
Vietnam Volunteer Locations
Placed amongst a mosaic of lakes, Hanoi, the capital, still retains the red-tile-roofed French provincial ambience of years gone by amidst the surging urbane energy of a modern metropolis fused to a thousand-year history of Chinese cultural influence. A city to stroll in, to gawk at its market offerings, munch tropical fruits, sip delicate teas, Hanoi also has places to ponder ancient verities: the Temple of Literature, the One-Pillar Pagoda, the Lake of the Restored Sword.
Our second Vietnam volunteer location is in the beach side town of Nha Trang. Located in central Vietnam 442 km north of Saigon and far to the south of Hanoi, Nha Trang provides a perfect antidote to city life.
For more information visit our website
http://www.travel-to-teach.org
