I felt much better today after a good rest and my appetite back. Officially, the tour had ended for me, so I had a free day to do whatever I wanted before leaving Ho Chi Min City this evening. I wanted to catch up and see what I had missed due to sickness yesterday so I gave myself a rough plan for the day.
For the morning, I walked around the river side and to the Opera building and admired the beautiful designer brand boutique area. It was pristine clean with wide roads and well dressed people walking around. I really stuck out like a sore thumb with my bum bag and camera around my neck, not to mention traveller clothes! It was nice stroll and I went back to stay in hotel for hottest part of the day.
Later that afternoon, I went to see the cathedral and sat inside. It was beautiful and I felt lucky to be able to appreciate it on Good Friday. Although I'm not a Catholic, I feel like I can go inside most places of worship for a few quiet moments. Next I passed the square and went into the Independence Palace. It was huge! The rooms were impressively decorated and well kept. For the last part of the afternoon, I went to the War Remnants Museum. I learnt many facts about the Vietnam war and also saw some disturbing pictures. It was full of information and I was impressed.
Shirley and I were getting a night train to Nha Trang this evening. I had to pack my things and say goodbye to all the friends I'd made on the tour. We'd been a family for three weeks, exploring everything together and country hopping on buses, trains, boats and planes! How would I cope without them! It was emotional goodbyes to both Shirley and I.
Once at the station, Shirley and I had something to eat and boarded our sleeper trains. They were two bunk beds per cabin, like the last one we took earlier on the trip. We had a good journey with a lovely young Vietnamese woman in our cabin.
