We knew going in that our Southeast Asia vacation had energy-wiping potential. Instead of kicking back on a beach at an all inclusive resort for three weeks, we opted to bounce around in an attempt to cover as much ground as possible. All told we would board 8 separate flights totaling 19 and a half hours on top of 23 combined hours of layover time. During our time on the ground and out of airports, over 42 hours were spent riding in 9 different buses or vans. During the 23 day excursion we slept in 9 different beds.
The itinerary was even more daunting for Sami who, at the time, was in the middle of her first trimester of pregnancy. This new development forced us to fall into a fuel stretching routine. Morning was the most energetic time and we responded by rising early, dining on breakfast typically provided by whatever hotel we were staying in and heading out on our designated mission. Lunch was usually early and when we could manage it, a mid afternoon rest, cleanup for dinner and in bed by eight or nine. When Sami slept I usually found something to watch online. I think I watched Black Swan early in the trip and the NFL playoffs were on during this time as well.
Eating was also a problem. Sami would get nauseous when her stomach was empty, but certain foods would make it worse. Every meal was a gamble- would it stay down or no? Would it leave a disgusting aftertaste no toothpaste could conceal? Our plan of attack was to order small amounts of as much food as possible. If she liked it, she ate much as she could stomach, and I polished off the rest. If she couldn't, I ate it all. Sami tended to crave the kind of foods she was familiar with and indulged in growing up- pizza, pasta, fries. After one or two bites, she would give up. I would pick up the slack on the hard hitting greasy foods, but I was still insistent on trying all of the local cuisine, so between feedings I would indulge in a street food treat. I ended up a fat and hating myself (but secretly happy).
When our bus finally did arrive back in Ho Chi Minh City, it was nearing our bedtime. I would have been content calling it a day, full from days of eating for two. However, Sami was feeling as woozy as she had all trip and insisted we find a place to eat. She led us to a well lit restaurant with a diner quality. We sat in the front, flanked by the street and open air. Further inside sat a loud group of six young tourists. The three couples let a Filipino man do most of the talking. He waxed poetic about his home country's culinary reputation and I listened carefully to his descriptions of fried pork and greasy concoctions knowing our time in The Philippines lay a mere two weeks ahead.
Sami had a bowl of Pho and (victory!) ate it all. We shared a rice flour crepe filled with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts which was served with a sweet chili dipping sauce. I also ordered chicken wings with fish sauce. I love fish sauce and I hear that there is a restaurant in Portland known for such wings, so I couldn't pass it up. They were perfect, not too salty, and I can't wait to get back to Oregon to compare.
Let it be known that the conclusion of this meal marked the exact moment when her craving for fruit and sweets began and would last for the duration of the trip. This is what we ordered:
While we waited for dessert, a young peddler came to our table and showed off her briefcase of cigars. We found that the peddlers in Vietnam had more of a sense of humor than those in Cambodia. To Sami's horror, I inquired as to the price of each item. I am not a smoker, but hey I'm on vacation. I asked the price of a tin of Dutch coffee cigarellos and was told 200,000 Dong (about $10 US).
"Too much," I said. "100" (meaning 100 thousand)
"No, sir," she replied. "150 ok you buy now"
"No, no, no. Sorry 100 or nothing." I had been burned too many times and now I was standing my ground. After a few minutes which were fun to me, but agonizing to Sami, our new friend came up with an idea.
"Ok, we play game. You know rock, paper, scissors? If I win you pay 150, if you win 100."
I laughed, charmed by her creativeness, but was determined to hold my ground. After an impossibly long and uncomfortable silence, she finally relented.
"Ok, 100."
"Deal."
The next morning while walking outside near our hotel I saw the same brand of cigars in a convenience store being sold for 60.
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