As I set foot for the first time on Vietnam soil (technically airport concrete flooring), I had a feeling inside that I was going to like it here. The tour bus picked us up and drove across streets and buildings towards our next destination. Traffic was heavy and motorcycles were coming from everywhere and every direction.We stopped by a checkpoint at Thong Xa Tax, which allowed students to convert their currencies and do a little shopping. However we had to cross a small road and this was our first challenge. Motorcycles were pouring in from every direction; there were no traffic lights, the cyclists did not show any signs of stopping or was there anyone to guide us across. Luckily, I had read up about this before my trip to Vietnam. On the topics I have read online, we were recommended to cross the road in groups as to increase visibility and were also advised not to stop abruptly nor run across the busy roads. Running across the road screaming at the top of your lungs were not mentioned at all in any of the articles (refers to the girls of the group).
My group ventured throughout the mall, discovering that the products they had were similar to that of Singapore’s (thus, not much shopping here although the prices were less costly).
We continued our journey to the Vietnam National University hostel, which was “conveniently” sitting far away from the city or areas to purchase our things. As we settled down in our rooms after exploring every nook and cranny of the place, we had to set off to Coopmart (a mall) to purchase any needed necessities and dinner for ourselves. Surprisingly, my first dinner in Vietnam turned out to be a two piece chicken meal in KFC.
Heading back home with bags of shampoo, soaps and food, we all had tired smiles on our faces as we were finally able to get some sleep after the long day.
PS. The internet connection here is terrible.
