Our trek to celebrate 30 years of St Giles Hospice is now over, we returned in the early hours of Saturday morning. What a fantastic experience that was, to be able to experience first hand North Vietnamese urban and rural lifestyle was something we will never forget. There is a complete contrast between the congested, busy, crowded lifestyle of urban Hanoi and the quiet, self sufficient lifestyle of the country dwellers. When trekking in the countryside we stayed in homestays, basically people’s houses, always 2 storey with sleeping and cooking accommodation on the 1st floor and open areas for eating etc on the ground. The friendly attitude of these people whose homes we had invaded will not be forgotten. Our treks took us through a variety of terrain, from lowland paddy fields with complex irrigation systems for the growing rice and the crop being harvested by hand, to upland forest with steep, often muddy, tracks, sheer limestone cliffs and fantastic views down to the valleys below.
The trekking team, young and old, worked together to support each other when the going got tough and one or another of us was flagging or developing blisters and in need of support, just as we have during the months of fundraising that preceded the event itself.
Our thanks must go to the trek organisers, Skyline, and all those who have supported us by making donations or helped us to run events. We have currently raised over £8,000. We will continue to fundraise until the end of the year in the hope of adding to that amount. If you would like to support us and St Giles Hospice please go to www.justgiving.com/Debbie-and-David-Phillips
