Cao Lanh

Yesterday we got up early and got on the road. We headed to Western Vietnam and Cao Lanh. This is where many of Mr. Nguyen's business partners are located. We went to meet them and visit their area of the country. It was a 5-6 hour drive, but we did make a couple of stops on the way. One stop was at the Metro, which is a huge store that reminded me of a Sam's Club. You had to have a card to get in and only so many people can go in with the one with the card. Once again, they made an exception of that rule and let all eight of us go in together. They also have a height restriction (which Sarah Beth just made it over) to keep children out. As we were getting ready to go in, they stopped me and Tram and said something. Mr. Nguyen then took our purses. I thought he was going to take them to the car, but he came back holding them out and they had been sealed in a bag. Evidently they have a huge problem with shoplifting there. That store had everthing. We visited the candy aisle and the pastries, got some of their Vinamilk (which Sarah Beth is going to miss soooo much), and I got some chopsticks for us to take home. On the way in I had seen a coffee shop that looked sort of like a Starbucks and got excited. After we were finished shopping, Tram and I went back to the coffee shop and sure enough, white mocha was on the menu. I ordered one, but it just wasn't a Starbucks :(

We got back on the road and made it to the hotel around 5:00. Dinner was at 5:30 so we really didn't have very much time to rest. We were back in the car and headed to the office campus (for lack of a better word). They had set up a feast for us. They said it was five courses, but Tram and I counted at least seven and that was before they brought out the fruit for dessert. That is one thing about Vietnamese food, they feed you a lot. I don't know when I've ever eaten so much food. I have stayed full the whole time.

One sad thing on the way there yesterday, we saw an accident that I feel certain was a fatality. A motorbike go tied up with a truck. I saw it up ahead and had the girls turn their head. They don't have many accidents, but when they do, there's usually a fatality because of the motorbikes and bicycles going up against vehicles.

This morning we got up early again and met them downstairs for breakfast and then headed to an area where we went by boat to an area where you can do some birdwatching and there was a huge tower to climb and you could see over everything. This is the "countryside," and I decided if we got lost there, we'd never be found. It was so remote. The boat ride was peaceful. There was a woman in the back of each boat that did the paddling. There was another paddle if you wanted to help, but we seemed to get it going sideways when we "helped." The girls wanted me to paddle because I made us go fast and they were racing with Bao.

After the boat ride it was time again to eat -- what else? There was a cute little girl that was the daughter of one of the executives and she was the same age as Sarah Beth and they sat together at lunch. Her name was Ngi. There were also a couple of little boys that entertained us. Finally some of the spotlight off my girls. They seem to be a magnet in Vietnam. Everyone is attracked to them and particularly with Sarah Beth being young, they all want to touch her and have their picture made with them. When we were in large areas with a lot of people, Mrs. Nguyen felt it would be best if we didn't allow others to take a picture with her, but today she did have her picture made with the ladies that served us a snack (what else, more food) when we got back to the hotel after lunch. The girls have a favorite fruit that I'm going to have to try to find when we get back home. They ordered them two plates of it at the hotel because they kept eating it knowing this would be the last day they have to eat it.

We ate so many different things that we had never tasted before -- snails, bird (not chicken), but we drew the line on the eggs that had baby chickens partially formed. This is some kind of delicacy, but my allergy to eggs came in very handy and the girls smiled and said no, drawing the line there.

It's late and I'm too tired (and lazy) to go across the room to get the card reader and camera, so no photos tonight. Hopefully I'll have time tomorrow morning. We leave tomorrow to head to Ho Chi Minh for the day and then catch our flight at midnight. It will be another long day, but maybe we'll be so exhausted we'll be able to sleep some on the flights. We have 27 hours from the beginning of our flights until we land in Nashville! Can that be right? Maybe I need to redo the math after a good night's sleep.