DAY 14: Southeast Asia: Wonders of Cambodia, Vietnam & the Mekong
Today began with another visit to the lavish hotel breakfast, still astonishing in its variety. So many choices that are beautifully prepared.
After breakfast, we decided to purchase two-day tickets for the hop-on, hop-off bus and managed one full loop on both the red and blue lines. The blue line took us through Chinatown, offering a glimpse into yet another layer of the city. We hopped off to visit the War Remnants Museum, a sobering stop that reinforced much of what we’ve been learning about Vietnam’s history.
Later, we got off near the Backpack District along the red line and stopped for lunch at a small sidewalk café. Chris ordered a berry shake, a cheeseburger and French fries. The burger… not great. It was mystery meat at best, but the shake was excellent. I ordered a banana shake and a club sandwich with turkey, egg, cheese, lettuce and tomato. It was so good that Chris and I ended up sharing it.
A quick bathroom stop turned into a small adventure, the restroom was barely larger than a closet, and I noticed a lizard clinging to the wall behind me. I said a quick prayer that it wouldn’t jump on me and finished as quickly as possible!
From there, we walked about a mile to a coffee shop across from our hotel. It was warm but enjoyable, and walking gave us a chance to really observe the city at street level. Along the way, people tried to sell us souvenirs, shine our shoes or invite us into spas — constant but mostly friendly invitations.
Back at the hotel, we spent some time at the pool, swimming and reading. A few familiar faces from the cruise appeared there too, which felt comforting and familiar. Afterward, we returned to the room to relax and decided on a quiet night in. After nearly two weeks of nonstop activity, it felt good to slow down. We watched TV, read and ordered a salad via room service.
Tomorrow brings something special: we’ll finally see Nhi in the morning!
As always, the motorbikes continued to amaze us throughout the day. Among the things we saw carried on bikes: what looked like 100 cartons of eggs, dogs perched calmly on riders’ laps, children and babies sleeping as they rode tucked under an adult, at least twenty large bags of ice, and even a passenger carrying crutches. The balance, creativity and confidence on two wheels never cease to surprise us.