Visit to Maya's Orphanage and Vung Tau Orphanage

Our original plan was to spend two nights in Vung Tau city after visiting the school, but we ended up in Saigon after Aidan's health scare.  Fortunately Aidan was recovering but still had a fever.  We decided that Mike would stay with Aidan in Saigon and Maya and I would return to Vung Tau to visit her orphanage in Ba Ria and our sponsored child in Vung Tau City.  I wasn't feeling much like a return trip to Vung Tau after the long and scary trip the day before, but we couldn't leave Vietnam without a visit to Maya's orphanage, as this was the main reason we were here!  I also wanted to leave a donation in memory of Sharon at the Vung Tau orphanage.

After a few coffees and a big breakfast, I felt re-energized and Maya and I set off by private taxi to Vung Tau.  The hydrofoil tickets were all sold out.  We stopped in Ba Ria to buy a few treats for the kid and then stopped at her orphanage in Ba Ria.  While there were no nannies there that we recognized from when Maya was a baby, she was warmly received, hugged and kissed by the staff.  She was swarmed by the kids when she gave out the treats.  We were able to see the baby room and tour the orphanage.  The orphanage had been fixed up since my last visit.  Someone had built a new playground and painted the walls, so it wasn't so depressing any more.  Maya seemed happy to see her orphanage.  It was a positive experience.

Then on to Vung Tau city to visit our sponsored child, Ngoc Anh.  We had a little belated Christmas present for her and also for the student we are sponsoring.  I also wanted to drop a donation off in Sharon's memory.  Maya enjoyed playing tag with Ngoc And in the playground.

Here are some photos from our day:

Maya inside Ba Ria orphanage with man who works there

Maya in room where we met with the director when we adopted her

There was a new playground and the fence was painted 

Maya handing out treats

Maya's original baby room is an office but she saw a similar baby room

Maya looking at the kind of crib she used as a baby

Photo of Maya with kids and staff

Maya at the front gate.

Meeting Ngoc Anh at the orphanage in Vung Tau city

Meeting "pagoda" children, abandoned kids at a nearby pagoda who have been taken in.  They were a little wild!

Photo of me and Maya with Ngoc Anh and Anh Dao's mom (mother of student we are sponsoring)

Maya playing tag with Ngoc Anh

Maya with Ngoc Anh and others

Maya with Truyen, who showed us around the orphanage