As the rain began to fall more heavily, the students’ notebooks were nearly soaked, yet their footsteps never faltered. “As long as we walk together, nothing is too difficult,” one of them spoke up. We all stopped for a moment, looking at each other with radiant smiles.
Son Tra in the Rain: A Poetic and Fascinating Journey
On June 27, Son Tra Peninsula welcomed over 60 students and teachers from UK Academy International School (UKA) Da Nang for a field trip marked by sudden, passing thunderstorms.
First and second graders huddled close to their teachers as they navigated the wet, slippery paths toward each stop. Meanwhile, the older students moved with excitement, seemingly welcoming the afternoon rain. After a few moments of surprise at the shifting weather, the children quickly resumed their journey of discovery, fueled by their innocent curiosity and thousands of questions.
The students caught sight of monkeys perched high in the trees foraging for food at Vọng Cảnh Hill. They watched the afternoon rain veil a corner of the city. As the sky cleared and the clouds began to lift, they witnessed the foot of Hai Van Pass and the Bach Ma mountain range emerge in the late afternoon light, as beautiful as a painting.
A teacher walking around the area brought back a special gift for the little ones. She had discovered ripe red raspberries along the path and let her students taste them, leading to a burst of excitement for many experiencing it for the “first time.”
The highlight of the trip, however, was the group’s great fortune in encountering families of Red-shanked Douc Langurs twice. As the rain ebbed and flowed, the children were guided by the HiVOOC team to observe these “Queens” foraging for food. The colorful fur of the Son Tra Queens, dusted with raindrops, appeared even more mystical.
Walking Together Through the Rain
After the thunderstorms, Son Tra was left with a poetic landscape of thin, drifting mist. The forests, freshly washed, revealed a deep, silent green. Despite the rain, the children’s footsteps continued along the trails as they learned about various plant species and listened to the songs of cicadas and birds.
Many students, eager to complete their assignments, actively questioned the HiVOOC experts and took on the challenge of being blindfolded to sense plants using their other senses. One student was not only able to sketch the plant but even identified it correctly through smell, noting, “This leaf smells like medicine.” The entire group was amazed by such remarkable memory and attentiveness.
And during that journey, at times when the adults in the group worried the children might be afraid of the rain, the wind, or the long walk, it was the students themselves who became a tremendous source of motivation.
“I’m really scared of going into the forest, teacher—I’m afraid of snakes. But I’m still going today because I have you and my friends,” one child shared.
“Nothing can stop us when we walk together,” another child added, causing the entire group to pause in surprise. Everyone looked at one another, smiling in admiration and agreeing, “That was wonderful.”
These were natural, innocent reflections, yet they carried a powerful conviction. The afternoon rain that day left many children with soaked hats, damp assignments, and wet shoes. However, that very rain—alongside the journey with friends, every place they visited, every birdsong, the flutter of a butterfly’s wings, and the peculiar scent of the forest drenched in rain—will all be etched into their senses and their pure, youthful souls.
Life is full of fears—much like that student’s fear of the forest and snakes. But when we have companions by our side, equipped with knowledge and a ready mindset, nothing can hold us back, let alone a bit of rain!
Additional images from the journey:
THÙY TRANG