Western tourists excited to join the "flood cleanup tour" in Thai Nguyen

(Dan Tri) - When receiving a message from Mr. Vu Ngoc Son, a tour guide and acquaintance, inviting them to go to Thai Nguyen to help clean up after the flood, Mr. Kai Johnson and Albert Maulabux happily accepted.

After traveling to Vietnam and falling in love with the country, Kai Johnson (American) decided to stay. He found a job and stayed in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Albert Maulabux (Dutch nationality) had been here before. Also because of his love for Vietnam, the Dutch tourist came back again. But what he did not expect was that this return trip coincided with the time when many northern provinces had to endure consecutive floods.

Two visitors from faraway lands shared a passion for exploring Vietnam. Here, they also had a friend in common: Mr. Vu Ngoc Son, a former tour guide.

Foreign visitors join the "flood cleanup tour" in Thai Nguyen (Photo: Provided by the character).

Mr. Son used to lead Kai and Albert to explore some famous destinations in the North and gradually they became friends. Not only does he take tourists to visit destinations, with each tour, Mr. Son also helps foreign friends understand more about the culture and customs of each locality by immersing themselves in the lives of the people.

During the recent floods, many northern provinces were severely affected, with Thai Nguyen being the most severely affected. Upon hearing that many places in Thai Nguyen city suffered great damage after the storm, Mr. Son texted Kai and Albert to come and help with the cleanup.

What Western tourists said when participating in the "flood cleanup tour" in Thai Nguyen (Video source: Character provided).

"I jokingly asked them if they wanted to join the flood cleanup tour. They both immediately arranged their time and happily accepted," Son shared.

Taking advantage of the weekend of October 12, the group arrived in Thai Nguyen city early in the morning. The area where the group was helping used to be a playground for children, but was now devastated by the floods.

The first impression of the two foreign guests when stepping inside was the desolate scene. Mud was still stuck on the walls and ceiling. Trash was everywhere, giving off a foul smell. All the equipment that had been invested in was now broken. Items that had been soaked in floodwaters could no longer be used.

Because the area inside was so large, the group had the support of four other people, and they started cleaning together early in the morning. At first, they were confused about where to start because the workload was so large.

The amount of work is so great that cleaning can take a whole week (Photo: Character provided).

During the cleanup, the group's main job was to collect items that could be washed and reused.

They collected the muddy waste outside and then cleaned up the inside part by part. Mr. Son said that because the area that needed to be cleaned up was so large, the post-flood cleanup work could take a whole week and required professional staff to assist.

Meanwhile, Mr. Albert expressed regret when witnessing with his own eyes the scene of the city, which was once bustling and clean, now being heavily affected. Mud and garbage were everywhere waiting to be processed.

He said that the group's one-day support was mainly to encourage the local people and hoped that they would soon regain their spirits and overcome the difficulties together.

Also due to the impact of continuous rain and floods, Mr. Son's job as a tour guide had to be continuously postponed, canceled, and have his schedule changed.

Mr. Son said that after many years of working, he realized that foreign tourists are no longer interested in crowded tourist spots, so he changed his direction to taking them to experience the lives of local people.

Western tourists can go to the market to buy groceries, cook rice, wash dishes and learn about people's daily lives (Photo cut from clip).

"Taking tourists on a post-flood clean-up tour is just a joke. But in reality, I want international friends to understand how Vietnamese people are struggling to overcome difficulties after the floods," said Mr. Son.

It is known that before that, this male tour guide had led tourists on a "visiting a woman after giving birth" tour, went to the market to buy chicken instead of taking a boat to visit Trang An (Ninh Binh), and led the group to the cemetery to learn about culture, customs, burial and reburial rituals in Vietnam.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/khach-tay-hao-hung-khi-tham-gia-tour-don-dep-sau-lu-o-thai-nguyen-20251015114331715.htm