Phu Quoc / Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon):July 4, 2007
N 10°46.071
E 106°41.665
Laura will be back in Ho Chi Minh City tomorrow evening. It has been strange not having her around the past week... we've been together 24x7 since January and this is the longest we've been apart. It has been hard! At the same time, I have extremely fond memories from Phu Quoc. (Pictures will follow soon, please be patient).
I spent 7 nights on the island in a very remote "resort" that had 7 very quaint bungalows ($8 per night); no hot water, electricity was sporadic at best, but the beer was always cool and the food was excellent. Best of all,
I made friends I will never forget. The most notable was Ha, a 23 year old Vietnamese girl who I tutored in English for about 3 hours per day.Over the course of the week we became very good friends. We spoke for hours about our families, friends, childhoods, dreams, religion, and of course our countries. She watched after me like I was her family and not a guest. I will be forever grateful for her friendship and extraordinary hospitality.
Below is my final story (Part III) from the time I spent on Phu Quoc:
A final cup of black coffee with with my friend.
The taste of saline as I hold back tears.
We both try to smile.
Memories of a rare friendship.
The clap of thunder breaks the silence.
Time to go.
No good-byes.
Just a quick hug, a sincere Thank You, and a treasured kiss on the neck.
The motorbike pulls away.
Tears in my eyes.
I force myself to look back.
A final snap-shot.
My friend stands alone, still waving.
See you soon.
2 comments:
Your blog has become one of my favorites. Can't wait to see more pictures.
Leigh Ann
Thank you very much. I know you have been reading for quite a while... I remember when you were commenting when we were in South America. I'm glad you enjoy. Have a wonderful 4th of July.
Marc
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