My Birthday

Today is my birthday. I really don’t feel any older and rolled out of bed at 5:00 am to catch the Mekong Express bus to Ho Chi Minh City without too much of a problem. This was our second trip to Vietnam by bus and we knew what to expect. Or so we thought. It is the Khmer New Year and half of the population of Phnom Penh was leaving the city at the same time we were. Well, ok, a slight exaggeration. What we did not think about was how the Khmer people always start their holidays early. We were already aware of how many of the students attending English class were not coming because they were heading out to the provinces to be with their families. We didn’t connect that minor fact and how it would affect our travel plans of leaving the city Thursday and crossing the border. No real problem other than just not making good time. Well, besides the bus overheating and having to turn air-con off and open the windows. But all in all, a safe trip and arrival in HCMC. Doris, Emily and Betty were kind and took Rick and me out for dinner. We had already decided on an Italian restaurant called Santa Lucia. The food was delicious and the atmosphere so pleasant, it seemed like we had left Asia and was somewhere in Italy. They surprised me with a piece of Tiramisu cake with a candle. Afterwards we walked along the boulevard with the bright lights and cool breeze. What a wonderful birthday. Gail