At so early in the morning, we could not find a taxi to bring us to the terminal. Then there were motorcycles. At last, I experienced a motorcycle ride in Vietnam! They brought us to the terminal, and in particular to that of a shuttle (sort of the FX here).
Here's Mon where we had our stopover...
...where we had this rice noodles I love...
...and where you could find these kinds of fruits and other fresh goods...
Approaching HCMC and going to the airport (or at least that mall near the airport), you could catch a glimpse of...
...Eden Garden...
...a man on this tri-bike with the nicely landscaped rotonda and a Vaseline billboard as a background...
...a busy street...
...tons of sugarcanes on that pedicab almost look-alike...
...a cab on a street with heavy traffic (tel. no. 35.12.12.12)...
...and another cab (tel. no. 38 111 111).
We had our lunch at that mall near the airport (Parkson Square)...
...where you could see the airport...
...and a light flow of traffic...
...while enjoying a soup at Coca...
...and another shake with cute straw...
...with a rice meal that does not forget vegetable side dishes...
...and a seafood meal that does not forget the leaves.
And that's me - tired, happy for being with Mon, but sad that I'd be going back to Manila away from him.
Before I forget, I bought a little notebook at Parkson Square in my attempt to study while waiting at the airport. Back then, I was about to take an assessment exam after a refresher course in economics and mathematics. Nice try. :)
And, more importantly, Parkson Square offers a free shuttle to and from the airport regularly (every hour, I think).
At the airport, while waiting for the check in time, Mon got to sit beside this young man, who looked like a Filipino and indeed he was one. Amazingly, Mon had an inkling that he was a Mapuan, and indeed he was. At that time, a fresh graduate and board passer who took up B.S. Chemical Engineering.
This is Michael. I guess where he is now and if he remembers the young (ahem) couple he met in 2009.
Some aerial shots as the plane took off:
May 8, 2009 - HCMC or near that city
May 8, 2009 - I wonder if this is still HCMC
Above the clouds...
...a peaceful view...
...with the airplane's wing...
...an attempt to catch the sunset, but the filter got in the way...
...and finally, the sun setting.
Back to Manila. Back to the Philippines.
That Vietnam trip was really a great experience. I bet it would have been better if I had already taken economic history under the dean when I got there - more appreciation of history, the people, landmarks, customs, and the little details. Yet, having taken that course would have meant less money for me to spend on trips such as this. Resource constraint, plus the many other places I wish to visit. Vietnam, meanwhile, remains on my list of the places to visit.
Up next, where? :)
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