Huge hotel charge
Today was the last day in Lang Son. We decided to check out of the hotel. Maybe because it was also a love hotel, they were very strict. Just being five minutes late checking out was charged about 700 yen. They also charged a high fee for laundry. I asked Toan and he said it was clearly wrong and offered to speak directly to the reception.
But there was something I did wrong. I handed over the money immediately when they presented the charge. If you don't agree, you shouldn't pay.
I gave them the money as soon as they told me. If I hadn't paid, it might have been negotiable, but getting a refund would probably be difficult. It was a lesson: if I'm not satisfied, I shouldn't pay right away.
The temple inside the cave
I decided to go to the cave with Toan. It's a tourist spot in Lang Son and apparently Chinese tourists and local Vietnamese people often come. We bought yogurt and water at a nearby yogurt shop and set off.
The cave entrance looked like a temple, and it felt like there was a temple inside the cave. Vietnamese temples are Buddhist but a little different. Japanese temples are quiet and have muted colors, but Vietnamese ones were bright red. Also, there was a deity or a Buddha statue—I couldn't tell—which had a beard.
I thought how Vietnam has been heavily influenced by China, precisely because it was ruled by China for over a thousand years.
The yogurt felt really heavy to carry, so we left it on the motorbike and went into the cave. The cave was like a limestone cave with some sparkling rocks, which was quite interesting.
But I thought that caves of this level don't fall short of Japanese limestone caves, and it's the sort of place that's worth visiting once. Still, having a temple inside the cave was really interesting and fascinating.
Climbing the stairs, you could see an opening in the cave with light streaming in. The light was truly beautiful—light illuminating the cave. It felt very sacred.
When we went outside, we could see the mountain scenery. A few Vietnamese people were enjoying the view. The temple here apparently predates the Vietnam War and didn't collapse even during air raids. It's truly ancient, and thinking that people from many years ago had been here stirred something up in me.
So we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves there. We talked about life and stories from when I was in Japan. It was really fun.
Toan's tea souvenir
We left the temple and went into a nearby souvenir shop. Toan bought tea as a gift for my family. Thank you. I thought about buying something too, but decided not to because it would have been extra luggage.
Outside there was a fixed weight scale, so I tried it. My weight got revealed (lol).
At the square in front of the Sheraton, discussing Cao Bang
Before checking into the hotel we walked around the square in front of the Sheraton with Toan. I shared a Vietnamese song I'm into. Toan said he'd heard it before at most, but he said, "That's great~." He's really good at praising everything, which I thought was amazing.
We were worried about going to Cao Bang tomorrow and were discussing whether we'd be able to find the bus properly. Then Toan contacted friends and acquaintances and told us what time the buses to Cao Bang ran and where they arrived and many other details. I was really grateful. It felt almost too much to ask for him to go this far.
Booking.comGoing there directly is cheaper
It got dark and we headed to the hotel. We had planned to take a night bus but I felt a little scared, so we decided to go in the morning. We stayed at a hotel in Lang Son that night.
We were choosing a hotel based on Google Maps ratings, but when I asked Toan he said it's cheaper to go there directly and ask "how much is it?" rather than booking through Booking.com, so we decided to do that.
With Toan's help we were able to book a hotel. It was about 500 yen cheaper. What Toan said was true.
Pineapple fried rice and way-too-spicy shrimp
After leaving our luggage in the room, we went to a nearby Thai restaurant. Toan ordered a spicy shrimp dish. I ordered pineapple fried rice and steak. The portions were small so I got hungry quickly and ate a lot.
Toan apparently likes shrimp, but I can't eat raw shrimp, so she ate it all. She likes spicy food, but she said what she ate this time was way too spicy (lol).
We talked a lot about the future, each other's values, and what plans we had. Being able to have these conversations was possible because I've known Toan since 2023. She also told me about various conflicts between future dreams and reality. We agreed to do our best. At the end she wrote a message in my notebook.
Drinking bubble tea outside is absolutely delicious
We went to a nearby bubble tea shop and drank bubble tea outside while talking until it closed. I thought how nice this kind of time is. Instead of chatting inside the store, we talked while enjoying the cool breeze and watching bikes and cars pass by.
There was a couple wearing matching outfits in front of us. Toan asked me if I liked couples wearing matching clothes, and I said I didn't. I think it's a waste because when they break up those clothes become trash. Even as a couple I wouldn't want to wear matching outfits; I think each person should wear what they like. That's my value.
We also talked about dating in Vietnam and Japan. I thought chatting about each other's love lives is really fun. When closing time came we rode our motorbikes home. Toan rode me back to the hotel, and we said goodbye, agreeing to meet again in a few years.
It was a great time! Thank you. (Actually I forgot my charger; she was supposed to send it, but the shipping cost was just too expensive, so we agreed she'll give it to me when we meet next time (lol)).
