Hello, Saigon!

Reasons why today was awesome:

• Seeing my mom
• Getting a sanitary, professional, respectful western-style massage at my [BEAUTIFUL!] hotel without a fear of ending up in a brothel
• Went in the steam-bath and then the sauna
• Finally finished F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise. While I realized a little after halfway through that I didn't love the book and that it dragged on for a bit, I was being stubborn and didn't want to give in and have wasted my time reading the first half. Now I am finally done and can move on to better and more exciting reads!
• Chatted with various people in Vietnamese about myself, as well as the merits of cu do cakes in Ha Tinh over cu do cakes from Vinh. (All Vietnamese people who know anything know that the ones in Ha Tinh are better!)
• Went to the gorgeous, fully-equipped gym at my hotel and used an Elliptical. Oh, and the gym was air-conditioned. And had western TV!
• Napping.
• Eating fabulous food and not worrying (too much) about the price because I'm not paying for once! (Thanks, Mom!)
• Receiving special deliveries from home- brand new digital camera to replace my worn and battered one? Yes! Extra warm clothes for winter? Fabulous! Candy and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese? HELL YEAH. Tom's of Maine all-natural hippie deodorant? Well, duh.
• Wireless internet with a very strong signal!
• Hotel beds with soft mattresses, and NO ants in sight.
• Chocolate on my pillow before bed.
• The Coffee Bean. No, I did not go in, but the prospect of walking inside, ordering an iced tea latte, and knowing that it will taste exactly the same as it does in Los Angeles is incredibly comforting.
• Speaking English.

Tomorrow we depart on a 3-day river cruise up the Mekong River. I plan to lounge in the sun, read a lot, and eat some good food. Pretty ambitious goals, but I think I can accomplish them.

Goodnight to all!