The Mekong Delta is steeped in gratitude and affection.

"If we're going to fall, let's fall in the same direction."

During the journeyoperationIn western Nghe An province, we reporters from the Party newspaper always receive support and assistance from the Border Guard forces stationed in the border area. Therefore, even when wading through streams, crossing mountain passes, or traveling through the night to remote villages on winding, bumpy roads, we reporters feel much more secure. Each time we visit a border post, we are welcomed like honored guests and provided with all the necessary conditions to facilitate our work.

Reporter Khánh Ly patrols the border and border markers with Border Guard soldiers. Photo: HT

I remember after the heavy rain and storm, my female colleague and I borrowed a motorbike from the Ky Son District Party Committee to navigate the muddy road, mostly walking with the help of locals, to reach the Muong Ai Border Guard Post. After several days of reporting on the landslide situation, especially along the border patrol road, anticipating that we wouldn't be able to return to Ky Son town by motorbike, the Muong Ai Border Guard Post contacted a construction vehicle to send the reporters ahead. A week later, once the road was cleared, the post sent officers to deliver the motorbike back to the Ky Son District Party Committee.

The second time, when we contacted the station chief, Phan Hung, to report from Muong Ai, he immediately told us: "If you two journalists arrive in the town, stay put, someone will be there to pick you up," and sent two officers on motorbikes to take us there...

Reporter Hoài Thu interviews local residents participating in border protection. Photo: KL

On another occasion, we had a border patrol mission with the Nhon Mai Border Guard Post. Before setting off, we were fully equipped with hats, socks, camouflage clothing, sandals to protect against mosquitoes and leeches, as well as dried rations and drinking water. At first, my colleagues and I were quite excited, but by midday, things became more difficult when it started raining and many sections of the forest trails turned into muddy puddles. The oversized military sandals, even though they had been tightened to fit, refused to cooperate in the mud. Every time we stepped in, the sandals would get stuck in the mud. Despite the rain, we were sweating profusely.

A reporter from Nghe An Newspaper (in the middle) takes a break while patrolling the border and border markers with Nhon Mai Border Guard Post (Tuong Duong). (Photo courtesy of Nghe An Newspaper)

Finally, with the help of the officers and soldiers of the Nhon Mai Border Guard Post, we reached our destination and returned safely. Before we could even celebrate the end of our arduous journey, my colleague screamed and pointed to the fresh blood flowing down my calf, saying, "I think I was bitten by leeches in the forest."

Just then, the power went out, plunging everything into pitch darkness. Trembling, the two sisters used their phone flashlights to illuminate the area. Luckily, the leech, after its meal, had probably fallen somewhere. After being treated and reassured by the Border Guard medical personnel, we calmed down. Later, while working in border areas, we were bitten by leeches and fruit flies a few more times, sometimes our legs swelling for a month due to the venom, but we had become more accustomed to it…

A reporter from Nghe An Newspaper (in white shirt) visits the facility with officers from Tam Quang Border Guard Station (Tuong Duong). Photo: HT

It's impossible to recount all the memories of our trips to the forests and remote villages with the border guards; all I know is that the more I travel, the more I appreciate the soldiers on the border of our homeland. Now, whenever we sit behind the border guards' motorcycles on those treacherous roads, we've memorized the mantra, "If you fall, fall in the same direction!" That's just a saying, though; even though the journey is difficult and arduous, they always try their best to keep a steady hand on the handlebars so that the female journalists have to walk and climb as little as possible.

Accident

During our reporting trips to the rugged terrain of the Mekong Delta, we reporters are always mindful of "ensuring safety," but sometimes unexpected accidents are unavoidable.

A reporter from Nghe An Newspaper takes a photo with Mong women in Nam Can, Ky Son. Photo: Reporter.

Perhaps the most memorable incident for me was slipping and breaking my leg while reporting on a Hmong ginger plantation in Nam Can commune (Ky Son district). Thinking it was just a sprain or dislocation, my colleagues called a car to take me back to Vinh the next morning. Only after going to the hospital did I discover I had fractured my metatarsal bone, requiring a cast, meaning I had to use crutches for several months.

A reporter from Nghe An Newspaper is working in the western part of Nghe An province. Photo: Reporter

During that time, besides receiving encouragement and support from family, friends, and colleagues, I occasionally received inquiries from officials and people in the mountainous areas I met: "Has the journalist's leg healed yet? When it's completely healed, come visit our people again!" Some even sent medicinal herbs from the local people to my house so that "the journalist could heat them up and apply them to help the bone heal faster after the cast is removed."

Those heartwarming feelings motivate us reporters to continue our journeys to the Mekong Delta, to listen, feel, understand, and share.

A surprise birthday cake!

In late April 2021, my colleague and I went on a reporting trip to Thong Thu commune, Que Phong district, a border area, to cover a special feature on border guard party members assisting families in border areas and to report on the progress of the resettlement project for 33 households affected by landslides in Muong Phu and Muong Piet villages. The trip coincided with my colleague's birthday. Having worked in Thong Thu commune many times before, we were quite familiar with the officials and civil servants of this border commune.

That evening, we were invited to a villager's house, and upon arrival, we were pleasantly surprised to see a small, beautiful birthday cake with twinkling candles. Ms. Luong Thi Hong, Secretary of the Party Committee of Thong Thu commune, smiled and said, "Knowing it's the journalist's birthday, the officers of the Thong Thu Border Guard Post and the commune wanted to create a little surprise. This cake was made by the local people; Thong Thu commune has undergone many changes today..."

It was just a small cake with simple wishes, but my colleague was truly touched. She shared that it was the most memorable birthday of her life because it contained so much affection for a reporter from the Party newspaper.

Reporters from Nghe An Newspaper working in Que Phong district. (Photo: Archival image)

Having worked as a journalist for over 15 years, and having traveled extensively throughout the country, our reporting trips to the western part of Nghe An province have always brought us unforgettable emotions and memories.