Returning to Vietnam. Coming Home to Manila.

May 7, 2009 by Janey

The dreaded bus ride back to Ho Chi Minh wasn’t as hard-hitting as the initial ride. It was basically the same 12-hour ride with at least 3 stopovers. We still went through the Cambodia immigration office for the exit stamp on our passport and Vietnam border for our entry stamp.

We stopped over at the same eateries. This time though we didn’t go down the bus –at least I didn’t. I stayed where I was seated by the window side and slept as much as I can. During the stops, I ate the KFC chicken we ordered for this exact purpose.

I was asleep for most of the ride. Thank God that this time the ride went by faster than the last one and I was at ease. No claustrophobic moment. No dizzy spells. No gagging.

There was a bit of heavy traffic we encountered in Ho Chi Minh, which made our arrival at 8pm instead of 7pm. Lea mentioned that she lodged at Hoang Minh hotel during her stay in Vietnam at USD 15 a night. Since we were only staying for a few more hours, we decided to go for her recommended hotel at almost half the price we paid for in A&EM hotel. The accommodation was worse but tolerable. My only qualm is that there was no elevator so we had to climb 4 flights of stairs to get to our room. Walking distance from our hotel, we decided to have dinner at Milwaukee Grill and Café.

Milwaukee Grill and Café

On the Table

Milwaukee Quesadilla USD 3.20 or Dong 50,000

Beef quesadilla with cheese and tomatoes

Chicken Sloppy Special USD 3.80 or Dong 60,000

Diced chicken breast in thick creamy sauce topped with lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber

The food was scrumptious, which really eased our tired soul from the whole day of traveling. After walking and checking the Pham Ngu Lao neighborhood, which is the backpacking district of Ho Chi Minh, we called it a night.

The following morning was an early start for us too but we already know the drill. We got to the airport just in time for our 2-hour pre-flight check-in and booked seats with legroom. We had time to buy pasalubong from Duty Free so I got something something for Francis and Madz.

We haven’t had breakfast so we ate brunch at Prima Taste at the second floor of the airport.

Prima Taste, True Singaporean Cuisine

The restaurant had a nice view of the airport runway. Bubba and I enjoyed the picturesque view while we wait for our food.

On the Table

Crispy Chicken Rice USD 8.00

Chicken fried with tantalizing spices and served with chicken fragrant rice and soup. This was Bubba’s order. I tried a few and liked Bubba’s Hainanese rice.

Indian Chicken Curry USD 8.00

Tender chicken pieces and potatoes in a rich curry enhanced with coconut milk. This was one delightful medium spiced curry that Bubba couldn’t help but share with my dish. The serving was good enough for two. The rich curry sauce was delectable and the chicken meat was moist and not rubbery, perfect for my cup of rice.

The plane took off at 10am and we arrived in Manila at 2pm. A lot of plane probably arrived at the same time, which explains the clog up at immigration and baggage area. Despite the airport bustle, I was happy that we touched down safe and sound.