2 Days Later.....

Well - I made it w/o incident to Danang around 10 pm on the 25th. It was a nice 24 hour journey. About 18 on 3 planes, the rest in airport and car. I had my first beer at hour 20 and damn did it taste good. It was at the airport in HoChiMinh - they don't have a/c in the airports so I had to have a cold drink!

My buddy Tuan made sure I was picked up in Danang and driven to the $10 per night hotel he booked for me. My friend Mai was waiting for me there! The hotel is great - just a room with queen size bed, small tv, wall unit, and bathroom with a large tub! Free internet is included. I think I can handle it for $10. It's on a noisy street but the traffic didn't start till late morning.

I'm meeting Mai (the masseuse) at 10:30 for coffee. Then she'll take me to get a phone. Not sure if it will be for local calls only or if I can also call home on it. Stay tuned.

---Got the phone. It cost about $45, then I paid $11 for a bunch of minutes (182,000 Vietnamese Dong worth!!). i think I'll get 1 min for 10 cents in country. Works great!

I went to a Vietnamese Wedding today!! Bride was in a beautiful traditional dress. (My friend Oahn's cousin was getting married and as I was sitting at the coffee shop by the beach in shorts flip flops and a T shirt, she said: 'Come with me!' Off I went. We drove to her house on the motorbike and took a free boat ride across the bay (Oahn's dad runs a boat once a week). The wedding was a lot like ours, lots of food, kids running amok, old ladies dressed in their finest clothes.

Earlier in the day I met two guys from Amsterdam. Since I have been here before, I was able to give them some sight-seeing advice! I don't really feel like a tourist - more like a local. People still look at me kind of funny when I'm the only American in a large group but they pour beer for me, peel my shrimp and even crack watermelon seeds for me! (I seem to always crush them!) Anyway - everyone is very friendly and helpful. I spent an hour with Oahn, reviewing her English homework and she helped me with my Vietnamese pronunciation. That's gonna be tough! Stay tuned....