9/22/10 (hoi an)
Jon Carr
Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City
I woke up early to capture the morning light along the river in Old Town Hoi An on our final morning before our flight to Saigon. When I returned to the hotel, I met Annie on the third floor for breakfast and we packed our belongings and checked out. The trip to the Danang airport took forty five minutes and we were at the airport with plenty of time to spare before our departure. The flight was half full and I coordinated a row to myself for the hour long trip to Ho Chi Minh (HCMC). When we arrived, we took a taxi to the address our friend Ross had provided in downtown HCMC.
Ross, Kate, and their four children are an Australian family we met in Siem Reap, Cambodia. We all stayed at the same guest house and became friends. Ross offered us a spare bedroom when we made it to HCMC. The accommodations turned out to be a penthouse suite on the twentieth floor complete with three stories and an epic rooftop deck overlooking the entire cityscape. We have been very fortunate along our travels and were once again living the life of luxury.
After settling in, we joined Kate on her way to the Majestic Hotel to meet Ross for some rooftop cocktails. I got a chance to admire the unique driving styles of the Vietnamese from far above during rush hour. A sea of motorbikes engaged in ”organized chaos,” as Ross affectionately calls it. After two drinks, we decided to have dinner at Ben Thanh Market for a somewhat authentic Vietnamese meal. The only way Ross can identify his preferred food stall is by spotting the two dangling frogs that hang out front. We were seated in the customary plastic red table and chairs and enjoyed steamed snapper, fried spring rolls, morning glory, rice, and Saigon Red beer. After a huge meal, the four us explored the local market trying our best to avoid the steady stream of motorbikes that squeezed through the narrow streets. The night was busier than usual with increased activity due to the full moon festivities.
After a fun evening we retired back to our very comfortable accommodations for a good night's sleep.
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