After breakfast we moved our luggage to reception and spent our last few hours in the old town.
The market as usual was packed and busy. I purchased all kinds of special tools for making vegetable flowers.
Wine with Cobras and Scorpions were offered for sale. I didn’t buy any.
We stopped for egg coffee and watched people burning fake money and paper in the middle of the crowded road in front of their store. Motorbikes just drove around them. People go out and specifically buy fancy shiny metallic gold and coloured papers to do this. So much paper is burned this way. Tables with candies and dead chickens or pigs were also set up. I don’t think anyone eats them. They are offerings.
Packing had been a bit of a challenge since I am pretty well dead on the maximum capacity of luggage. I had to do some fancy clothing layering and weight distribution (including into my pockets). With a tshirt, money belt and three jackets, I was no fashion plate.
We headed back to our hotel where we were picked up and driven to the Da Nang Airport.
Our flight was a bit late and we landed in Saigon as the sun was setting. And what a difference in temperature. We went from 18-20 degrees in DaNang to over 30 degrees in Saigon. The traffic was worse than I remembered.
Back at the Duc Vuong Hotel, the street was alive and hopping. We crossed the street to the Five Oysters Restaurant for a delicious supper. I had jellyfish salad and octopus steamed in lemongrass.
Afterwards we checked out the nightlife. Our street was closed off to car and motorbike traffic and Saigon was rockin on this Saturday night. The street was packed with people of all ages, music blared from every bar, a live band was playing on the street and lights were flashing.
To relax ourselves so that we could get to sleep we went for an hour long deep (and I mean deep) hot stone massage. John and Cora’s masseuses has the giggles for some unknown reason.