trip to Bien Hoa

So this past weekend, we took a few buses over to Bien Hoa to visit our friends Steph and Brittany. I think the trip took a little over and hour and it wasn't bad. One lady threw up on the last bus and there was a bit of an altercation between the sick woman's friend and the ticket collector. We sat in the back of the bus and translated the conversation quietly as we thought it played out. The ticket guy apparently did not feel that it was his responsibility to clean up.


And it rained (of course).

We looked like a pack of skittles walking through the streets in our ponchos.







Their sink is very low. They have to lean over really far to wash dishes. It looks funny.





They borrowed bikes for us to ride around town there. They were pimp. I felt like i was in the movie 'Now and Then' riding down the street with the four of us with baskets on the front. The bikes sounded like they were about to collapse. I didn't have pedals and my chain came off once. Finally I reap the rewards of all that practice putting my chain back on all those times at home.





They have some sort of soccer stadium or park near their apartment. That spells another visit to Bien Hoa for me.
If you can't tell, that's me kicking the giant soccer ball out front.

They took us to the river for nườc mía (sugar cane juice) in a bag.

At the river, a little boy came and sat down next to me like we'd been friends for years, just made himself comfortable. He started talking to me, though I understood nothing. Then he just reached over and put his hand on my thigh. I brushed it off and he put it back. We think his goal was my nườc mía, but his method was to sweet talk it from me. He didn't get it from any of us and he got upset and stormed off.

We had some of the best barbeque chicken I've ever had. We celebrated a late birthday for Steph. Erica and I bought socks for her. And not just any socks, but flip-flop socks that everyone here wears. They have a section for your big toe, and a section for the rest of your toes. Like a mitten for your feet.