I woke up at 9:15 in the morning, still sleepy. I went to bed at 3 yesterday, so I only slept six hours. For me that’s a little short. I brushed my teeth, fixed my hair, and went for breakfast. Before that, I finished packing properly. I organized what to carry on and what to check in. Breakfast was pork, scrambled eggs, rice, and watermelon. I supplemented vitamins and minerals with supplements, following my intuition.
Back in the room I did final packing. I called a taxi at checkout. I was held at the front desk for about three minutes for a minibar check, but I’m glad it was done before leaving. It’s 530 pesos to the airport, about 1,250 yen. Iloilo's airport being far is a bit of a drawback. After arrival, check-in was quick. While I was organizing my backpack, a security guard stared at me. Maybe this style is unusual.
I still had time, so I went into an outdoor café, but gave up because the smell was strong. Reluctantly I went inside and found an unexpectedly comfortable café, where I spent time writing in my journal. The flight was 45 minutes delayed. On the sunlit benches there were a few Africans and Westerners. I had the vague impression that Filipinos avoid getting sunburned.
My flight was from seat 31F on the right side. Enjoying the view of the sky, I headed to Manila. After arriving at Terminal 2, my departure was from 3 so I took the airport bus. Bus drivers and staff repeatedly asked, "Which airline?" "Which terminal?" I felt a strong sense of security awareness.
Beside me was a girl who looked Russian, and to my right a Filipino who looked good in sunglasses. In front sat a Filipino and a French couple. During the trip I regretted a little that I didn't ask, "Where are you going?" But just wanting to ask felt like progress. From here on, I just need to keep taking small challenges.
I arrived at Terminal 3 and went to the Cebu Pacific counter. But the staff were cold, saying they couldn't give me a window or an aisle, so I ended up in the middle B seat. I felt somewhat mistreated.
At immigration I realized I'd queued up having forgotten that I was going to Vietnam, and panicked a bit. But it went fine, and I enjoyed one last Filipino meal and a San Miguel beer in the A lounge. Priority Pass really is a travel ally.
Upon arriving in Ho Chi Minh, I realized I hadn't bought a ticket to another city yet and suddenly panicked. The Wi‑Fi wouldn't connect, so I bought a SIM card at a nearby Viettel. 400,000 dong, about 2,000 yen. It was a miracle there was a shop; I was saved. I didn't have enough dong, so I withdrew with my WISE card. Thinking about not having that card sends a chill down my spine.
After getting the SIM, I issued a ticket from Da Nang to Bangkok. Then I went to immigration. While queuing, I was worried my luggage hadn't been collected, but it arrived safely. My bag had been left sitting outside the conveyor belt, but I'm glad it was okay.
So I called a taxi. On the way to the hotel I noticed new things. A year ago there were no light-blue taxis, but now a large number of identical light-blue taxis are running. I thought Vietnam's economic development is astonishingly fast. At the same time, coming to Vietnam makes me feel kind of happy.
That's because Vietnam was my first Southeast Asian travel destination, and I have some memorable stories: I had tetany at Narita Airport on the way to Vietnam and was taken away in an ambulance, and when leaving Vietnam I got heatstroke and had salt rushed into me—so I have rather interesting memories. This time I can only hope nothing happens.
I arrived at the hotel. The hotel's first floor was a café, open until 2 a.m., so it was crowded. After checking in, I decided to go to McDonald's for dinner. It took a while for the order to come, and I thought, 'I should've used delivery!'
McDonald's was 800 meters away, and on the walk I passed a nightlife red-light district, so it was a bit tiring for me who was already tired. After waiting about 20 minutes, I finally got my food. The staff looked extremely busy, but without getting angry they laughed and joked with each other as they hurriedly packed things into bags.
I realized Vietnam has a bright future. I returned from McDonald's, had dinner, and the day ended. It was a long day.
