Monday, March 8, 2010

Day 1. 8th March. Monday

Arrived at the airport at 11.30am, we took photos together before we said goodbye to our friends and families. Then, we started our 3 weeks of OITP in Vietnam. Our departure time was 2.35pm and we arrived in Cambodia around 4pm to catch a transfer to Danang, Vietnam. At 5.50pm, we finally reached our destination, Da Nang, the local time was 4.50pm but the sky had already become half dark that looked like 7 pm for Singapore time. And also, the smell of Vietnam is different from Singapore, which was a bit drier. We took a long time to queue for our luggage due to the chaotic situation in the airport. After collecting our luggage, we received a warm welcome by the Dean (Mr Hoi An) of Duy Tan University’s (DTU) International school.

When we arrived at DTU, we chatted excitedly about the horror traffic stories we witnessed on our bus ride here. We quickly settled our logistics, took our keys and headed to our rooms to settle down. The rooms were not within our expectation - the beds are larger than a super single and surprisingly comfortable despite its thin mattress AND OUR PERSONAL TOILETS!!!!

After that, we went for a welcome dinner with Mr Hoi An. For many, this was our first taste of Vietnamese food. Despite some differences from the food fare in Singapore, our pallets were satisfied by the delicious meal. The authentic Vietnamese hot pot includes a large variety of vegetables like mint leaves, basil, bean sprouts and a few other kinds of vegetables we couldn’t put our finger on. There is very little meat consumed in their diet. We found the restaurant environment very lively and the locals love talking loudly as they enjoy their meal. That’s it for today. We will be looking forward to taste their coffee at breakfast….. Nights!

SP’s Finest

Transit @ Cambodia

Danang International Airport

Duy Tan University, Danang

Our bunk… Our home for the next 3 weeks

First taste of Vietnamese Food