Monday 2 February 2009

Miss Saigon!

Tears and Goodbyes


This email sees me sitting in my little Internet cafe for the last time, writing my final tales from Vietnam! Today is hot, as always, but perhaps that's because Ben and I have been running between home and Ben Thanh markets, dropping off souvenirs at our rooms and checking customs websites for regulations on what we can bring home. You know me, I do love a good shop :)

My final week in Saigon has been amazing, as have all my weeks here. No more sickness to speak of, except for the occasional upset tummy from some dodgy ice cube or what not, but something I have become used to as a traveller now. Julia left for Thailand this morning, so it is just Ben and I for the next few days. I will go into the orphanage tomorrow to say goodbye to my children, though I think I will be very upset. When Julia was saying her goodbyes on Friday, I was nearly tearing up, so I can only imagine what it will be like tomorrow! Then I am spending the afternoon at my "local" beauty parlour, a place Julia and I have haunted so frequently that the staff actually run at us and take our hands when we walk in. It's quite funny, we have been here in Saigon for so long now, that we are well known in Bui Vien and around - every time we walk past our local, Go2, Thong, the barman, runs out to tell us that it's Happy Hour AGAIN - it's always Happy Hour here! And the staff in the local businesses - our corner store, my favourite souvenir shop - know us too. We still keep seeing "Nourists" of course - new tourists - but we consider ourselves to be "Lourists" now - like locals but tourists.

During the week at the orphanage we met a lady called Le My and her husband - he is a doctor and they have two young sons. She was so impressed with our volunteer work that she invited us to her house for dinner on Friday night - her house was amazing, designed by her architect friend, and we had a traditional Vietnamese meal - chicken, thick rice cakes etc. Afterwards she invited us to go to karaoke with her and her family - and we went there on motorbikes through the city! It was so much fun, I wish I'd ridden a motorbike sooner - it was safe, really!

Yesterday we went to the Mekong Delta for the day - an early start saw us floating down the river at 10:30am and then going to have lunch, with bicycle riding through the country and traditional river "rafting" in the afternoon. It was a fantastic day and the perfect end to our touring. Ben is staying on for another two weeks at the orphanage and he will be visiting Cambodia next weekend, which will be fantastic for him.

I have had the most amazing time on this trip. I feel like I have been here for a really long time, and I feel so comfortable living in Saigon and making this place my "home". Of course, I can't wait to come back to my "HOME" and see all of you. It will be hard to leave, but I have had the time of my life...

Much much to you all and see you soon,
Signing off,
Miss Saigon xoxoxo

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