DEALING WITH THE PAST . . . "On our way out of HCMC in the morning along Route 1 to Bien Hoa, Long Binh Long Thanh and Ba Ria it was a never-ending sea of human flesh attached to all manner of two and three wheeled bikes. We in Australia just can't comprehend the word 'crowded'. The people are warm and friendly. Poverty is heart breaking. Everywhere you look you see poverty. Beggars abound, becoming a business enterprise for some. There is no length a human will go to in this area. Parents holding deformed children up to you - amputees abound. At our breakfast stop, as we were leaving, a woman held a baby up to the window next to Allan. He slipped the woman some money and she was visibly moved by it. Tracey commented that when the woman received the money she broke down and cried. We knew that her tears were genuine and that she would be able to feed herself and her child for a month. The day was filled to overflowing - different - unexpected things – highly emo tive - complicated yet satisfying ." Saturday, 28th October, 1995 Allan and I got game and had ham and eggs for breakfast. Wish we hadn't. We both came down with stomach trouble. Fortunately, I came prepared and was able to keep the bug at bay. I really felt crook and became woozy and lightheaded as my bowel became irritated. I took a couple of Immodium capsules to calm things down. Spent the day in the hotel whilst the others went off to purchase an abundance of clothes for the orphans we were to visit. Sunday, 29th October, 95 Spent the day and evening visiting with the locals. …more…