The Vietnam Experience – by Ruth David

It was my first time to go on an out-of-the-country OTS with my husband at that. During my probationary period in the Club, we were not allowed to bring a companion, except for that one in Batanes, where the Board allowed my daughter to join me.

I did not regret signing up for the Vietnam OTS because I got to know some of the CCP members much better.

Patrick and Evelyn are the perfect travel agents! They were able to pick a very cheap but clean and friendly hotel for us to stay in. The Duc Vuong Hotel gives us value for our money – $30 a day with free breakfast and dinner! Patrick and Evelyn also arranged for our out-of-the-city trips to the Mekong River and to the Sand Dunes in Mui Ne. Add to that, they took care of ordering dishes for our meals. I can’t forget the fresh shrimps we ate by the sea! It’s easy to see why Patrick is a successful wedding photographer; he is able to pose the couples with ease like he is taking their pre-nup photos. Thanks, Patrick and Evelyn for all the effort to make the trip a success!

Tony (Lilles) is our walking tour guide. He thinks everybody is like him – a triathlete who can walk the whole day! We tried our best to keep up with him in the heat of the sun. He is also brave enough to stand in the middle of the road to take pictures of the myriad motorcycles and bicycles. Manette was able to capture him in that setting like a true-blue photographer. I also realized that Tony is such a loving husband and father. He is always in touch with Marlyn starting from the airport and anywhere we go. He always says “Sayang, wala si Marlyn. She would have loved this!” Tony is also a good shopper. He is able to locate shops where we can haggle for cheap bags and watches. Talo kaming mga girls!
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Gino and Manette are enjoyable companions especially when it comes to food. They are adventurous and ready to sample anything that we saw in the sidewalk. We tried the crepes and the barbecue along the street. Yummy! They are also a very funny and fun-loving couple, always ribbing and joking with each other. You can see that they really enjoy each other’s company.

You cannot miss Joey and Charit because they are like twins, wearing similar shirts from previous OTS. I admire their devotion to each other, never wanting to leave the other whether it was to take pictures or to buy T-shirts and pasalubong. I knew that Joey wasn’t feeling well that day but he didn’t leave Charit by herself going back to the hotel. What a sweet couple.

Nesty and Atet are also a very handsome and loving couple. As well as Armand and Rita. You can see that they have been travelling together before and the tend to look out for each other. I really feel lucky that we are in their company because I can feel the love that the couples have for each other.

But the best part of the OTS is seeing up close how the “Masters” prepare and take photos. Rey (Ortiz), Mang Rudy and Mang Narcing are always ahead of the pack. They always seem to know what is it that they want to shoot. They are not like us beginners who just shoot away, hoping that one of the pictures will turn up okay. They seem to really think very hard before they push that button. You would know that Mang Narcing is a veteran in this thing because he just goes off on his own very early and when we see him during breakfast, he has with him a lot of food items – mais, guava – that he bourght along the way and always shared with everybody.

I did not realize that Mang Rudy can be very talkative! All the way to the sand dunes, I could hear him talking to the driver, begging him to drive faster! Nabugbog talaga ung driver sa comments ni Mang Rudy.

But I would like to commend Oli, the only probee who accompanied us in our group. At his “youthful” age of 91, he gamely takes behind-the-scene shots of the members. You would never hear him complain even if we know that he had difficulty keeping up with us. I was also surprised that he was such a “shopaholic”! Every stop we went to, he will leave with a shopping bag or two that our guide carried for him. In the bee farm where we had merienda, he bought all the royal jelly bottles they offered to him. And you can’t fool him. He was able to buy them at half the original price they offered him. Galing, Oli!!

I look forward to the next OTS out of the country. And I hope that I will have more chances to get to know the rest of the members. I can see that such trips are what makes the CCP bond strong.