It Takes a Village

February 12th, 2023 We arrived in Nha Trang from Da Nang early on a Sunday morning and took a three-hour private car to Tuy Hoa. Shortly after checking into the homestay, we walked to my Aunt (Di) Hanh's house for lunch, only 15 minutes away. Di Hanh had been working on a feast for a few days (the first of many), making dishes she knew we loved. Though it had been 10 years since my last visit, the atmosphere was familiar, and it was great to sit with everyone at her table. The food was excellent, and the company was even better. Di Hanh lives two houses down from my Uncle (Cau) Vinh. He lives in the home that they grew up in with my mom. They are my mom's two younger siblings. They each have two children, all married, and four grandkids in total. Di Hanh and Co Vinh live in an extended family home with one of their children's families. My other two cousins live on their own with their spouses and children – neither too far from their parents. Because of the proximity and the open-door style of living, my cousins and their children constantly flow back and forth between my Aunt and Uncle's homes. They regularly share meals, look out for each other's children, and generally do life together. You never quite know (or we don't, at least!) who will stop by to eat or to say hi, but there is constant chatter and a loving, welcoming environment. It is a true community. I do not believe I have ever seen my mom so happy and at home as she is here. Abby and Lincoln bonded with their Vietnamese cousins instantly, despite the language barrier and our kids being a few years younger. They have loved playing Bau Cua Ca Cop, a Vietnamese gambling game (no exchange of money or other goods has taken place!) that is popular during Tet. They have also built Legos, played ball out front, and ran around as kids do.
Well, Abby was running around… until Day 2 We loved our cycling time in Hoi An so much that we decided to buy bicycles here that we could leave as gifts for my mom's family. We asked for car seats at the shop, but they only had padded rear racks. Our biggest concern was the kids letting go, so we instructed them to hold on tight – which they did. But a few hours after our purchase, on the way to the beach, Abby had taken her foot off the pegs and placed it on the rear frame at a stop light. When Drew began peddling, not knowing what she did, her foot got pulled into the frame, and she started screaming. He stopped in the middle of the road and rushed her off to the sidewalk. I pulled over with Lincoln and ran to them. From what we could see, she had an extensive abrasion, with concern for a fracture. Luckily, without being asked, one of my cousins was leading us to the beach. Within minutes, Abby and I were on the back of his scooter on the way to the ER. Though the room was packed, the nurses brought her back quickly to clean her wound and bandage her. Over the next two hours, we received X-rays, saw a generalist, and then an orthopedic surgeon. She suffered a mild lateral ankle fracture and was placed in a custom splint. If all goes well, she will be fully mobile after three weeks. The situation was terrifying at the moment. I knew she would be okay, but it could have been much worse. And we have thanked the Lord daily it wasn't. We also thank God for the support we had that day and since. One cousin escorted us to the hospital, but the entire family met us there. They all left work as soon as possible - my Aunt, Uncle, his wife, and all of their children. They did not just meet us there but waited until we had a diagnosis, treatment, and medications and were in our cab on the way back to our homestay. They offered to help with the kids. They offered to bring us dinner. That show of love, time, and energy was more than I could have ever imagined. It really meant the world to us all.
Change of Plans Thanks to my mom's family (if only we had asked prior!), we were able to obtain car seats and use our wheels again to get around town to run simple errands. Otherwise, we have been laying low and spending time with the four of us or at my Aunt or Uncle's home. Our beach girl Abby, who was boogie boarding for the first time in Hoi An last week, has been a trooper despite knowing our water and sand activities are limited for a bit. The homestay we reserved in Tuy Hoa was advantageous in many ways – centrally located, with four bedrooms and friendly neighbors – but there were more critters than we had previously experienced. During our other stays this trip, we saw a few ants, if crumbs were left out, or one palmetto bug over the week. But the uninvited guests were more regular here. Also, the owner stays here when the house is not being rented, so it didn't have the clear, hotel-like feel we prefer for a short-term rental. That being said, it met our needs, and we planned to stay there the entire week. On our third night, however, Abby could not fall asleep. She wasn't in pain, but the splint was hard to adjust to. Finally, at about 2 am, she seemed to be in a deep sleep. Drew and I were hopeful she would get the needed rest. While we were chatting, I saw him looking over at the floor. He then got up as if ready to squash something. I said, "Bug?" He replied, "Yes, and not just any bug." I looked up and saw a giant black spider about three feet in front of the bed. Drew scared it into the hallway and tried to smash it with an ironing board, but it seemed to hop away. He grabbed some Raid, closed the bedroom door, and had a fierce mano y mano battle. I could see his silhouette through the fogged glass door, trying to squash it with anything he could find as it dodged him quickly. In the end, about 10 minutes later, Drew was victorious over the spider, which he described as the size of a 12-inch dinner plate while crawling on the walls. The thought still sends shivers down my spine! I heard him use more expletives that night (speaking to the spider, not me) than in our entire relationship. Within two hours of the incident, I booked a suite at a signature beachside hotel in town for the remainder of the week. At the elaborate intercontinental breakfasts the past few mornings, Drew has asked, "Why haven't we been doing this from the start?!". I have to laugh because we, especially with two young kids in tow, had yet to take the most convenient path during our first three weeks in Vietnam. We have walked through dark alleyways to find a homestay at 12 am, taken endless Navy showers due to tiny water heaters, and carried our laundry around like backpackers trying to find out where we could get a load done before the entire city shuts down for Tet! I tell Drew that though I love our current hotel, its luxuries, and its views, we would appreciate it much less if we began this way. It is a great treat, though - especially with one leg down! Due to how much we have enjoyed spending time with our Vietnam family, our new favorite stay in the country, and a great medical team that can continue Abby's care, we decided to book another 11 nights in Tuy Hoa at this hotel before we head home. Tomorrow, however, we have a long day of travel by land, air, and sea as we head to the island of Koh Chang, Thailand, for a week.