May 10, 2007
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam -
Quote of the Day: “Good Morning Vietnam!”
Three plane rides and 24 hours later, the St. John’s volleyball
team arrived in Ho Chi Minh City for its extraordinary excursion
throughout Vietnam.
The Red Storm departed New York for the first leg of its trip
halfway around the world at 11:45 p.m. EST. Just a few short hours
later, the squad and its entourage arrived at Anchorage
International airport in Alaska early Wednesday for a brief
refueling stop.
The Red Storm once again boarded the China Airlines 747 for its
longest leg of the trip, a 13 hour stretch from Alaska to Taipei,
Taiwan. Most of the team opted to sleep the plane ride away, while
several split their time between sleep, a game or two of Sudoku and
the in-flight movies. The team arrived in Taipei early Thursday
morning and didn’t have much time to stretch as they had to get
quickly across the terminal to board their flight to Ho Chi Minh
City.
Four hours later, the Red Storm finally deplaned for good in
Vietnam. Throughout its three plane rides and layovers, the team
was greeted by many curious fans wondering where the team was going
and who they would be playing. After going through customs and
getting their passports stamped, the Red Storm received a warm
welcome from a group of students Hong Bang University before
boarding a bus for the hotel.
While driving to the hotel, the players and coaches marveled at
the amount of people using mopeds as a mode of transportation.
“We were really amazed how many mopeds are on the road,” said
Jenna Schweitzer. “The ride them everywhere and are not afraid to
weave around traffic with them.”
At the hotel, the Red Storm checked in to its rooms and then sat
down for its first official Vietnamese meal. The team enjoyed
a five course lunch at the hotel restaurant and got their first
glimpse of the competition as the Kazakhstan National team was
seated just a few tables away.
“It was great to try different foods,” said Patti Hardimon. “I
really enjoyed how the food is served family style. It helps with
the team bonding, all sharing from the same plate.”
After lunch, the team took the opportunity to settle into their
rooms that they will call home for the next eight days while
competing in the 2007 VTV International Women’s Cup. The Red Storm
concluded the day with a light practice at the competition facility
and dinner at the hotel.
Before calling it a night, freshman Ruisa Scheffel checked in
with RedStormSports.com to post the team’s first postcard from
Vietnam. To view her postcard,
click here.
Tomorrow the team will practice again in the morning and will
take a tour of Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon. Competition at
the 2007 VTV Cup begins on Saturday, May 12 when St. John’s faces
Zhong Cai (China) at 12 p.m.
chào buổi tối
(good night!)