Notes From: Vietnam
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Our next destination was the largest city in Central Vietnam: Da Nang. Most people will visit the much larger cities in the North and South but we wanted something a little less touristy. We got it. (It backfired a little bit because when Sunday came, the closest worship services where we could partake of the sacrament was ten hours away…)
We did find a great house to stay in while here. After sharing beds in the last couple cities, the girls were happy to live like Vietnamese empresses.
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And of course it was even more appropriate because, in Jane’s words, “Even I’m a millionaire here in Vietnam.”
Currency Update
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Remember the last post with the money math? The math of Vietnam Dongs blew it out of the warm turquoise water. Will came up with this one. The math: Dong times 4 divided by 100,000.
1,000,000 Dong -> (times 4) 4,000,000 -> (/100k) -> $40
You can get used to the math when you use it everyday but really our approach was “If it’s under 500k dongs, just buy it.”
Like 6 rolled ice cream from this fine fellow. 180k dong total. Just buy it.
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Warm Weather Week
After a cold week in Japan and a cool week in China, we were happy to be back in the warm area. We spent a couple days at the beach with the jellyfish and the jungle mountains.
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When you grow up going to the Southern California beaches, it’s a little strange to sit at a beach and have jungle mountains and Lady Buddha in your peripheral view.
Vietnam Highlights
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- The build of most Vietnamese people is on the smaller end. I don’t usually feel like a big person but here I did.
- The family went for a massage. It was the first time for the kids so I just sat in the lobby in case one of the girls wanted to finish a little early. I ended up sitting by myself for the whole hour. They loved it even though they “had to hold in the laughs when they were working on our feet.”
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- Uber had no success in the city because Grab absolutely dominates. There are always inexpensive rides available. But even more delicious: you can order any kind of food and it quickly delivers on a moped and is so inexpensive. We had full spread meals to feed all six of us for under 500k dong. ($20) That’s dangerous for a snacky family but anything we can do to support the local economy…
- I’m grateful to have strong boys to haul the water home every night. Important to stay hydrated.
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Lights in Hoi An
One highlight of the week was releasing a lamp in Hoi An. Totally touristy. Totally simple. You just load the boat and float around in a little loop.
You’re supposed to light the lamp, place it in the water, and make a wish. For most of us though, the wish was immediately quenched out by another boat. (Luckily my wish was just a great night with my family so I won before I boarded.)
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Short Flights
It’s now back to the airport with our three suitcases. (We each have a backpack but we use just three shared suitcases which always confuses airport staff. Pack light. Move quickly.)
We’re going to stick around this part of the world for a while. It’s so nice to have short flights, no time zone adjustments, and a new culture to learn each week.
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“Notes From” is a series where I share observations from recent adventures. You can read more of these in the “Notes From” category.