We arrived in Vietnam flying into the typhoon Wutip.
I remember sitting at Tan Son Nhat airport with Khanh and Tho, the sky was dark and menacing, waiting for our plane to Hue, wondering if we would be in time to fly
into Hue before the typhoon hits this region,
Then two weeks later Tho and me sat in Danang airport, the sky dark and menacing again, wild winds blowing over the region, wondering if we would be in time to fly out of Danang before typhoon
Nari would hit land,
Both times we managed to fly into the storm and out of the storm just in time…but what a strange feeling of being at the mercy of the elements.
A strong wind is something totally different than a typhoon
or a cyclone or a hurricane !
These winds are so powerful and so devastating that as a human being one feels totally vulnerable and small,
During and after the storm all we can do is pray, trying to protect ourselves,
our beloved ones and ones belongings and then waiting…then cleaning, reparing, … and waiting for the next one…
In TTg (www.eurasia.org.vn or www.Tinhtrucgia.ch
) the team spent hours securing roofs, trees, windows, flowerpots, the construction sites…all this under pouring rain and ghastly winds.
And yes we are happy to say that almost no damage was done .
Sometimes when people visit
TTG they wonder : woaw this is built so solidly, but it is so important to think of these yearly storms while building, as in more simple buildings the roofs fly off easily, the gates are torn down etc…
During typhoon Wutip
, Mr Tu and Mr Hung where still in India so it was Mrs Trinh like a captain on a ship guiding the preparations for the storm…sandbags of some roofs, cutting branches from trees, securing electricity poles, trees, all sorts of material that could fly
away ! It was impressive !!!!
Tho and me had left Hue just before typhoon Nari…wanting to take a week end of rest before going back to Bhutan,
The two weeks in Hue were so intense in work, meetings, planing new
projects, training courses etc that we felt a bit in need of digesting, and resting.
We had planed a BIG Eurasia event on the 12th but because of the funeral and national mourning for General Giap, this event was cancelled so we thought,
let’s have some rest instead !
Tho hardly had any days of rest since 1 year !!!! May be 1 week hollidays this year ?
On the Saturday 12th afternoon it was still nice weather, but suddely on Sunday the winds
got stronger and stronger and the hotel we stayed in announced the typhoon Nari will hit with 150km/h winds and ghusts of 200km/h Hoi An…so we decided to leave and luckily found seats on the almost last plane to leave Danang.
Later we heard Hoi
An was totally flooded, many hotels partly destroyed, for 3 days no one could leave Hoi An ….180.000 people brought to shelters…Danang airport was closed a few days…
I pray for all those who lost someone (yes some
people died and quite a few were injured) and for all the damage that was done…
Sometimes I think my colleagues in Hue have a very strong character, but I guess this comes from facing these yearly floods and storms, having to start
all over again and again…
Tho and me have safely arrived in Bhutan . Here too the cyclone Paiilin has brought heavy rains and the road from the airport is partly covered by stones and rubble from the aftereffect of the heavy rains…
Nature is strong if she awakens with anger and despair !