Destination: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
Today is the last day in Vietnam for this trip and there are no planned activities. 5 members are going on to Cambodia for a few more days and leave for the airport at 9.00am. Everyone came down to the foyer and waved them off on their additional journey. We then do our own thing, so Christine wants to spend some money so we go shopping. The humidity in Saigon is higher than other parts of the country we have been through, after 15 minutes you are wet with perspiration.
At 6.00pm Hilly arrives with the bus to take us to the airport for our flight back to Melbourne. We arrive back to a warm Melbourne at 9.35 am
Below are comments made by some of the participants.
CATHERINE:- It was really wonderful to see each person push themselves on the bike ride and be really proud of the results they achieved. Every single group member succeeded in their personal challenge!!
JANICE: - Exhilarating riding, especially the down hill runs.
CHRISTINE: - My first bike ride in the traffic in Hue was a frightening yet exciting experience, preparing me for the rest of the bike ride along Vietnam roads. I overcame my fear of riding a bike in traffic in Vietnam, so I should be able to ride a bike anywhere.
MAX: - I really enjoyed the bike ride and the bonding of the group.
BRENDAN: - I challenged and exceeded my personal expectations. I enjoyed seeing others exceed their expectations.
NAHID: - I was pleased to participate and complete the program.
CLAIRE: - I found the actual cycling within Vietnam exhilarating and thoroughly enjoyed the comradely of cycling with new friends through rice paddy fields, exchanging "hellos" from the local Vietnamese people, Hi 5s from the children practicing their English and seeing up close their unique environment - one so different from our own. Our tour guide "Hilly" or Chong was ever patient, informative and sensitive to all our needs as well as being a very capable and safety conscious cyclist. His energy, knowledge of Vietnamese history, culture and terrain was enthusiastically presented to us and his obvious love for his country was evident.
My personal "downs" were related to my inability to function at my best when the weather became overly humid and hot. This happened on most cycling days which limited my cycling in the middle of the day. However, I was always reassured that there was no shame in waving down the bus when I'd reached my limit for that time-always knowing that I could get back onto the bike a little later when the heat had settled.
I mostly enjoyed getting to know the fellow "challengers"- all of whom had a different reason for being there. In particular, as a General Practitioner with limited range of experience in treating Parkinson's disease, I enjoyed meeting those members of the group that suffered from the disease.
I intend to further expand my knowledge about Parkinson's disease and hopefully I am equipped to better manage my own patients.
The fellow cyclists of this Vietnam Challenge who suffer from Parkinson's disease have shown us all that one does not have to be defined by his/her illness. Each one of them has shown enormous dedication, patience and inner strength in battling through their own frustrating and fluctuating limitations - they are the true heroes of this Challenge.
FRED: - When I left for the trip, I was a little concerned that I would spend more time on the bus than the bike. I was much slower than the others and my Parkinson’s condition had worsened reducing my training program. Once we started riding in Vietnam, it somehow felt different; I often found something extra and managed to cover larger distances. There is no doubt I pushed my personal boundaries, but then that was what the challenge was about.
It was fantastic that Karyn, Brendan and I (3 Parkies) all performed beyond expectations and came away from the experience A much richer person. Our personal goals were well and truly broken. Yes we all struggled with our Parkinson’s during the trip but we talked and helped each other so that we COULD achieve what we did.
We have demonstrated that even with a chronic condition like Parkinson’s you can still go out and achieve what might seem otherwise impossible.
Trip highlights - there were so many: walking and riding in Vietnamese traffic; some of the historical sites and history of Vietnam; Vietnamese food; the Vietnamese children and the Vietnamese people.
I owe a lot of thanks to all members of Team Parkinson’s Challengers, Hilly (our Guide), sponsors and supporters, friends and relations and Parkinson’s Victoria. I want to especially thank Christine (my wife) who supports everything I do, this time she decided to be a challenger too, making us the only husband and wife team members. We did it together.
Thank You.
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