Left Cuchi early the next morning and headed back to Ho Chi Minh City. That day I got to talk to Nam's very old grandfather whose dad migrated from China and had lived through the Vietnam war. To my pleasant surprise he was able to speak mandarin. We chatted for awhile and I asked him how it was like to live through the Vietnam war. It was amazing to talk to someone with such experiences. I left him to have his afternoon nap after that. Vietnam is an amazing country. Despite the pollution, the not so polished culture, the people were very warm and friendly. I could learn to live in Vietnam. I would find out later that the culture varies as you travel between South and North Vietnam.
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| Dinner at a Jap restaurant |
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| The hot topic was beautiful Vietnamese women |
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| năm giác |
I went to book my train ticket to Hanoi in the afternoon and conveniently purchased a few postcards. I did not know it at that time but that would be the most agonizing train ride I would have. That night I met up with Nam's friends again and we had our dinner at a Japanese restaurant. We had a great time laughing and talking about everything under the sun. As usual, the hot topic was women. And by this time I agreed with them whole heartedly that Vietnamese women are gorgeous. After that we went back to Nam's house and we had năm giác. Fertilized duck egg with a nearly developed embryo. I had to psyched myself up to eat that. Looks disgusting abut taste awesome. It is banned in Singapore by the way. It was bitter sweet as we spent the last night together. I was ready to move on from Saigon to Hanoi and I was sad to say goodbye.
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| My last breakfast in Saigon |
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| Saying goodbye to the meathouse |
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| Sending off by the motorcycle gang |
Packing my backpack, saying goodbyes to my hosts was a bitter sweet affair. I have grown to love my hosts and the culture in Saigon. The crazy roads where crossing the streets required skills. You had to continue moving the moment you stepped out on the road and motorbikes would just weave their way around you as you make your way to the other side. The warmth, the openness of the people in Saigon.We had a breakfast with Nam's friends and I was ready to go. I was told that Hanoi was going to be very different. I said goodbye to Nam's mum, his aunts, grandparents and all the relatives. I still can't get over how warm they are. His mum wished me good luck in Vietnamese and I hopped on to Nam's bike and took off to the train station. My train was supposedly going to leave at 12.30pm but I was there almost 2 hours earlier as Nam and the rest were going to a water themed park that day. To my pleasant surprise, I was met by Nam's friends who sent me off at the train station. We made a point to continue to keep in touch. My friend would meet me in Hanoi but he would leave 1 day later and would be flying. I chose train because it was cheaper and I wanted to see the scenery from Saigon to Hanoi. It was going to be an experience I would never forget.
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