-^-for posterity-^-

after a long few weeks working with the bluffton group, heading home alone was an interesting change. for once i didn't have to worry about who was where and what we were doing next. i simply laid back in my seat and watched the odd scenery pass.

going home you have to pass a large bridge. it was a joint venture built with the help of the australian government. the bridge is mammoth and stands out as a human mountain in the otherwise flat mekong delta. it's towering poles are bright blue and it shoots up at least one hundred feet.

i wasn't too shocked by it at first. i have seen plenty of bridges in my time and this one was no different. the only oddity was watching it grow out of the horizon as you approach it. it seems very modern and that's a bit striking here.

i was talking to some people on the bus and they told me that many farmers come up to the top of the bridge and spend hours there. there are two small sidewalks that run on either side of the busy road and they're normally packed with people. sometimes families come up and bring a lunch. they stand and survey the landscape. they watch small boats struggling through the water under them. they can see further than they have ever seen.

i asked why people liked to come up on such a busy, relatively dirty bridge and spend a few hours. they said it's the highest point in the province. they said it was like stepping into another world. imagine never being higher than a coconut tree for your entire life and then being able to stand one hundred feet in the air and look down on the earth. what a shock that must be.

we slowly peaked the bridge and i saw people selling candy, gum and food. other people were standing by waiting to take pictures of people who didn't have cameras. they would then mail the pictures to them for a small fee. we rolled down the other side of the tourist bridge and i thought about perspective and experiences and smiled a bit. i've been quite a lucky camper.