Landing in Saigon.
Brawn & Brains was closed this morning :( So we left Singapore.
Our trip between Singapore and Saigon was another smooth trip for us. We arrived at the airport early to explore for a bit since it is one of the best ranked airports in the world. We got a quick bite to eat and then were off to Vietnam!
We arrived in Saigon in the early afternoon. We received a very warm welcome from a few of Yvonne's family members who were there to pick us up and take us back to their home. Yvonne got to catch up with her relatives that she hadn't seen since 2001. We arrived at their place and found that it is 5 stories tall. They made a room for us on the fourth floor with a fantastic view of the city. Then they immediately offered us fresh local fruits, cherimoyas or soursops, and a type of lychee. They were delicious.
Half of each story in the house is converted into a classroom. Kids would pile into their home from 6-9pm for additional classes on top of their normal schoolwork. They were very surprised to see Dan, and a few were brave enough (or coerced by teachers) to ask him questions in Vietnamese. However, many were in shock and awe when they discovered he worked on animated films, with one teenage girl covering her face muttering "oh my god" over and over. One kid even got Dan's autograph, but she is still confused that "Golembeski" is a last name.
For dinner we had a feast of banh xeo, chao, and goi cuon, or Vietnamese crepes, rice porridge, and fresh spring rolls. They kept piling food onto our plates despite repeated protests.
We spent the evening hanging with Yvonne's cousin Hiep as we jammed to some English songs he knew on keyboard. He offered to take is for a quick walk around his district, which is just off the central area of Saigon. We are starting our day early tomorrow: 7am for some pho. We're off to a great start in Vietnam!
View from the roof.
On the roof.
This was taken after the two of us were eating for an hour... Still so much to eat!
Meeting Ong, one of Yvonne's maternal grand uncles. He is 96 years old! He gave us his blessing for a long and healthy marriage.
Even more good food on the street!