30-June: Shopping, Swimming, and Nha Hang Com Ngon Restaurant...

Yes, we had one last breakfast at SOZO. Today, the electricity was out so the menu was slightly limited. Also, the kids were disappointed that they couldn't use the computers while waiting for their food. After breakfast, we shared a taxi.

Ivy and I were dropped off at the Tax Market while Sandy and Olivia continued back to the hotel to check out and receive Ivy's ao dai which was to be hand delivered at 1 PM. Ivy and I shopped until we had spent our last dong, then walked back to the hotel. We had lunch together at the nearby Pho 24 and said "goodbye" to our favorite waiter there, talk about a friendly and cheerful young man!

Sandy and Olivia returned to the Tax market with us for more shopping. We walked there from Pho 24, stopping in shops along the way. We kept Olivia's interest in our final shopping foray by giving her the camera to take photos. Luan joined us at the Tax Market after seeing us enter from his post near the Rex Hotel. He and Sandy had coffee at the Highlands there and then we had the chance for a final farewell. It is hard to say goodbye to Luan for it is a symbol for me of saying goodbye to Vietnam. Also, we don't know when, or if, we will ever see him again.

The kids returned to the hotel with Sandy for a final swim in the rooftop pool. I joined them after one last stop at Ben Thanh market for a candy purchase. They have coconut (dua) and tamarind (quả me) candy at the reception desk of the Renaissance Riverside Saigon Hotel and I learned that it is available for purchase at Ben Thanh market. I purchased 2 kg of each flavor and realized afterwards that I must have missed out on a bargaining opportunity when they returned some of my money to me for a 'discount.'

After our last swim at the hotel, we tried a new restaurant for dinner. I now have a new favorite restaurant in HCMC, Nha Hang Com Ngon. This huge colonial-style restaurant serves street vendor food in an airy, tropical restaurant-setting. I loved the extremely tall shutters open to the evening rain and banana tree, oasis outside. My green papaya salad was delicious. The favorite of my THREE desserts was the sticky rice ball in ginger syrup (wish I knew the exact name). It was heavenly! The durian ice cream and Longan Bean Che were also tasty. It was my desperate attempt to try the Vietnamese dishes still unexplored by me all in my one, last night in Saigon. Impossible, but I put forth a worthy effort!

Goodbye delicious, exotic foods.
Goodbye hot, sweaty, tropical beauty.
Goodbye stimulating, in-your-face working and living.
Goodbye salty, South China Sea.
Goodbye aggressive, desperate street vendors.
Goodbye friendly waiters.
Goodbye high-heeled, stylish ladies on scooters.
Goodbye wild, scooter-filled streets.
Goodbye diverse, adventurous, tourists.
Goodbye combination taxi driver and vietnamese language instructors.
Goodbye Luan, Hien, and Thao.
Goodbye orphanage children and staff.
Goodbye to the birth country of my beautiful daughters.
Goodbye Vietnam.

29-June: Cholon Tay Binh Market, scooter date with Thao, and Mandarine memories...

Sandy started the day early with a scooter tour of the city and suburbs with Luan. He took tons of photographs with his new camera. I haven't had a chance to sort through those photos yet. He enjoyed coffee with Luan at his favorite Vietnam coffee shop, Highlands Coffee.

After walking to meet us for another delicious, late breakfast at SOZO, we decided to head to Cholon (the chinatown of Saigon). We went to Cho Binh Tay, the main market in Cholon. It seemed like the prices were much better here than at Ben Thanh market (after bargaining of course). Ivy had a pair of wooden sandals made on the spot for $70,000 VND ($3.50 USD). Olivia found a stuffed toy heart pillow for her new bear, Pinkie.

The real treasure of the day was an ao dai (traditional vietnamese dress) made-to-order for Ivy. We had ao dais made in Hoi An for the girls, but they were surprisingly expensive since our adoption trips. In 2001, I had two ao dais made for myself for a total price of $40 USD. This trip they had wanted $280 USD in Hoi An to make an ao dai for me. I didn't have one made, but we had two ao dais made for the girls at a shop recommended in our guide book (Thu Thuy) for a total price of $75 USD. They were silk, but otherwise very plain and sleeveless and Ivy's didn't fit correctly for two daily fittings in a row (not to mention the stain that appeared for the first fitting). At the Binh Tay market in Cholon, Ivy had an ao dai made with ao dai fabric (meaning a special bead and sequin designed material just for ao dais) for $23.50 USD. There was no time for a fitting as it was ready just in time the next day for us to depart HCMC, but no fitting was necessary as it fits her perfectly! I'll post photos the next time I get her to try it on again. I was tempted to have one made for myself, but chickened out after my previous disappointment in Hoi An (lots of effort to choose fabric, design, and measurements for a non-shopper like me). Now, I regret it!

We returned to the hotel after shopping so the girls could meet Thao for their scooter/ice cream date. Thao was the lady that translated for us during orphanage visits and arranged for our visits to Olivia's orphanage, hospital, and also to a second orphanage in Binh Thuan province (Olivia's primary caregiver is now working as a caregiver at a different orphanage). She had invited them to go out for ice cream with her. They had been looking forward to this our whole trip. They had even insisted on shopping for special masks to where on their faces for the scooter ride. It was nice that we had spent enough time with Thao that they feel connected with her! It was, however, difficult to send them off on a scooter ride without us. We witnessed a scooter crash outside a restaurant in Hoi An and saw two tourists with scooter injuries during our travels. Thao had child-size helmets she borrowed from her nieces and/or nephews and everything went smoothly!

Later that night, we went for dinner at Mandarin restaurant on Ngo Van Nam street. We had eaten dinner at this restaurant on all of our previous trips to Vietnam. It has changed a little (expanded into the building next door), but still reminded us of earlier days when we were 'young', new parents. It's fascinating how places can do this. I felt so emotional by the time we left the restaurant, especially knowing that we were leaving Vietnam soon (late tomorrow night). The atmosphere is beautiful and elegant, the food is delicious and artistically presented, the wait staff is friendly and attentive, and the traditional vietnamese music is so calming. The girls enjoyed the fancy ice cream desserts (yes, more ice cream) and I enjoyed the tasty creme brulee.