Dropping off Linda

Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Travel: Taxis
Party: Linda, Vu & Family
Lodging: Sleeper Train

Linda and I arrived to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) around 5 am, where we got some help from Chi Be, a cousin on the maternal side, to get a hotel. We spend lunch with Chi Be, and a handful of other cousins, for some Pho, a brief tour of the city, and some coffee. After wards, Linda and I were able to go around and shop, buying trinkets, souvenir and gifts. We put on our great bargaining skills and got some great deals. However, it really seemed like we were setting a lower baseline of market value for each thing we buy. This would really help me get some nice deals on many other things for days to come. As the time approaches, we make our way to the airport. I had already purchased a train ticket which was scheduled about an hour after Linda's scheduled flight, since the stations were pretty close to each other...on paper.

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However, even leaving 3 hours prior to the flight from the hotel seemed like a bad idea, as the traffic was at its peak rush period. Only needing to drive around 2 km, it would take over an hour and a half, where we ended up in a stretch of 30 minutes sitting in the middle of an intersection. We would frequently see the driver walk out of the car just to see what was going on, and chat with other people. After a bittersweet departure, I would have to rush to the train station to take another sleeper back to Nha Trang. This time I got to meet someone in my room, and he happened to be part of an event which is taking place at my hotel in Nha Trang. Sweet, now I get to party.