THE SCOOTER

Back to the city for the last day and a half. Today I rented a scooter for 100.000.00 dong. Sound like a lot guys right. Well it actually was only $5.00 US dollars. At first the guy didn't want to do it as he wanted me to ride on the back with him for a tour. Told him me to big we don't both fit and I showed him my license which still allows me to operate motorcycle so after a little negotiation he allowed me to go . Two things when doing this first stay away from the circles as they can be hazardous to ones health. The second which may be more important when you have a flight the next day is to carry a card with the hotel name on it to show people so they can guide you back. I have never been so lost in my life, and those things don't have GPS.

 

 

 

There is no right of way, but I have not seen an accident yet

A little snake that crossed my path

 

One thing not different are kids

Interesting fact average income for people is 6-8 dollars a day. The people with the cars work for government or have family in the states who send back money. Lots of people have shops on the street and live behind the shops. Houses are narrow and long. Most people always eat out because there are no kitchen. Have seen 1 Starbucks, a Pizza Hut and pizza inn, and yes a baskin robins. For us we do not eat off the street our systems can not handle it.

Unlike in us when paying for something if you show the people money they take just enough and always want to give you change. Tips are no more than a dollar and if they really go out of ther way you can give them a $2 bill (I had brought 20 of them) which is looked upon as very special. The kids in the villages really liked the $1 gold coins that I would give to some of them after they showed me there village and where they lived.

Swim Fast today. HAKUNA MATATA. MIKE

 

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DON'T BE ONE AND DONE

As we get ready to swim this weekend don't forget to prepare the night before. Pack two of everything, plan a good night rest and a good breakfast. Make sure you arrive early to get checked in and get a good warm up. Don't forget that second warmup 15-20 minutes before you swim.
Get a good breakfast, stay hydrated and keep warm ups on to protect your muscles.
Don't forget our "two minute rule" if you have a bad swim you have two minutes to be upset and than we need to move on through the meet. Don't be the "one and done" swimmer who lets one swim determine the whole weekend. The same works in reverse if you have a great swim (and you will) be excited for two minutes and move on if you have more events.
HAKUNA MATATA GUYS
Starting next Tuesday I would like to see Jr./Sr. Champ and JO swimmers to wear tights or double suits and continue for the next couple of weeks as we move closer to our next phase for this year

The last two days I have spent traveling the Mekong river by boat. Here are some shots.

Rush hour in the Delta

Snack time. Sugar cane wine

Lunch time elephant fish tacos

Today we got on this girls boat to go to a floating market. How do you think your moms would do in this grocery store.

Bringing drinks to us by boat. They had everything.

Notice someone handing a watermelon through the window

Our boat. We made it without sinking.

HAKUNA MATATA TOMORROW AT THE MEET. GOOD LUCK MIKE

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HAKUNA MATATA

Did you all know that most of your races are won or lost before you even leave the blocks. Most of the time what determines whether you go fast or not happens between your ears. Think back to when you have had a good race, you probably had some of that positive "self talk" going on, or maybe there was little thinking going on and you hopped up dove in and raced. On the other hand what about those bad swims, was there some negative talk going on such as I'm tired, I have to lower my time, or maybe I don't feel good, or I don't like this lane, or I have to race that person. Remember those are the things you write on that index card and put them in a box and leave in your bedroom where they can't harm you. The little green monster that we have talked about that is always lurking around. Deal with him before you arrive at the meet.

Don't overthink things this weekend at the meet. Remember the song from THE LION KING "Hakuna Matata" which means worry free go ahead and listan to it a couple of times. The nervousness that you have before your races doesn't come from your opponent, or the conditions of the pool, or your coach which I guess is me. It all originates from one person YOU! Have you ever wondered why in your off events or distances you always have a pretty good result, it comes from the fact that you aren't expecting great things, where as in your events you believe you own them and have to go fast and you expect it. Shift your focus this weekend from having to get a certain time to racing, beating people and having fun. HAKUNA MATATA. Good luck and SWIM FAST and be happy. Mike

 

THE VILLAGE OF CU CHI KNOW AS THE IRON TRIANGLE

Today we went back into the country outside of Saigon to visit sites, and one of these sites was the Cu Chi tunnels. This is where the local people lived. They were sympathetic to the north and so they were know as the VC. This land is very dense with a magnificent tree cover and the people worked the land. The ground is red clay and looks and feels like concrete. The local people had a tunnel system under ground where they would live during the day and would only come out during the night to gather supplies, work the land and fight the Americans. These tunnels went to Saigon (20-30 miles away) and all the way to the river. West they extended into Cambodia and north all the way up along the Ho Chi Ming trail. They were 3 and 4 levels, with dining rooms, sleeping areas and even hospitals. Here are some pictures they were only big enough where even some of you would have trouble moving around. They made them a little wider so tourists could go through, but even so I had to crawl on my belly when going through.

The trail and landscape

 

 

The uniforms for men and woman made in tunnels a lot of times using materials off americans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traps along the path not to necessary kill but to mame people

 

Giant craters are all over the place left by our bombers. Couldn't tell hell deep they were so they had me crawl in one to give a better perspective, but after everyone got their pictures they left me there. Great

This is a normal meal they would have in the tunnel and yes I tried it and it wasn't steak and potatoes. Tasted like rubber. Maybe a little sauce would have helped. They also ate it to stay small and maneuver in the tunnels.

They would use these to poke guns out and ambush soliders

 

Left over American bombs

 

That's your lesson for today. Rember HAKUNA MATATA SWIM FAST AND HAVE FUN. MIKE

 

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Momma son and tootsie pops

Today we visited an American air base and helicopter base. After talking to a "mamma som" ( you don't talk to the men they don't remember and just say yes and lie) we found the site where one of the men served. I brought things over to give to the kids and they seem to like coins and today I broke open the tootsie pops but of course I had to teach them there was a surprise in the center. He was no different than you all are wanted one of each color. The pictures are the gides mama sun the base, a pieces of old sand bags from the bunkers , razor wire left from the fence, and her plantation.

 

 

This is the mama son who remembers the Americans putting her on a cart daily to go to school, giving her a kiss and some gum. She waited almost 50 years for another kiss and lots of packs of gum.

 

 

 

 

Now we are off to the tunnels of CU CHI

 

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