Morning in Bien Hoa

This morning I went back to the public swimming pool with Michael, Jimmy, & Harley. Michael was determined to get five laps in at the olympic-sized pool. The rest of us were content to splash around.

A Vietnamese man came up & started talking to us while we were at the pool. He said that he was a pilot & had studied English in Houston in the 60's. His English was very fluent, a rarity here. He must come from a privilaged family. Not many Vietnamese have enough money to travel outside the country, let alone to the US, & forget about becoming a pilot unless you have some serious cash.

After swimming, we went to a coffee shop for more sludge. I'm starting to get used to this gritty goo they call coffee. There is a coy pond at this coffee shop. Someone was throwing in pieces of bread & the fish boiled up into a frenzy over it, like pirhanas on a scuba diver.

Back near the hotel, Harley dropped me off at the market. I bought a plate & bowl for 22,000 Dong (= $1.25), plus some yummy ingredients for a bowl full of lunch. Cooked beans 3000 Dong = $0.17. One slice of tofu 1000 Dong = $0.06. A tomato 2000 Dong = $0.11. An avocado 3000 Dong = $0.17. I put it all in my new bowl with cilantro, green onions, & a little chili oil = YUM!