I'm having a bit of trouble with blogger adding photos and comments, also with the tabs and links coming up in Vietnamese.  So pardon my lack of photos and lack of commenting back.  It is hit and miss...

Today didn't really get going until 1:30pm.  Tomorrow is going to be a BIG day so I wanted to cool things down a bit today.  We had a visit this morning though from a woman who works with TD who I am tagging along with tomorrow morning (with Trinh of course) to see the Long Hai Centre.  Possibly on the way back we will see my sponsored daughter, in another centre.  She will return me to my hotel where I will meet Loan for G&R (yeah!) and return to HCMC.

Back to today...we walked to the orphanage to say goodbye since tomorrow will be no time.  Also got some cream put on Trinh's scabbies by the nurse...wanted her to look at something on Trinh's head.  I'd been told I could go without an appointment or escort, best between 10 and noon or 2 and 4pm.  There didn't seem to be any concern with me wandering around so, while I felt weird to do it, I wandered.  I saw the children at desks with teachers doing work on the third floor.  I say boys folding laundry on the first floor and I was sung Happy Birthday to by 4 or 5 boys and girls in the courtyard.  I saw 4 children in 2 different locations just sitting and drawing or colouring.  And I saw the same babies and toddlers I played with when I was there on Sunday.  The Centre was calm and happy.

Trinh's main nanny was so very happy to see her.   It has to be hard to just say goodbye.  She insisted on preparing her a bottle and showing me how to feed her (with lots of loud singing and slapping) and also the water chaser the kids get.  That is why they each have 2 bottles.  Always after formula they give the kids a water bottle to clean their mouths.

After about half an hour there (time goes slow there for me) we headed out to the main street and grabbed a cab to Good Morning Vietnam (which is really not that far) and had a bit and an iced coffee.  Man, I love the coffee here!

The map I got of Vung Tau came in super handy today as I was able to walk from the restaurant to the Vung Tau Market, the Post Office, past several pagodas and ended up at the Imperial Plaza to get take out for supper from the food court.  Incidentally, there is a play area there for kids...like the McDonalds playland of Vietnam.  Good for up to about age 5 I guess.

The Market was exceptional.  It was stalls in a covered open building and seemed more spacious and definitely less hot, croweded and smelly than the market in HCMC.  It was also organized with all the kids clothes in one section, housewares in another etc etc.  I'm not sure why this isn't on the recommended sites that the hotel provided.

So we fit a lot into a short time, including a roadside formula feeding outside a pagoda.  I have never been more thankful for the backup bottle prep I tend to carry. 

So tomorrow is the big day...at last!