Day 10: Much needed Cheese

     Today was probably the most relaxing day on the trip thus far. First off, we got to sleep in as the bus was not picking us up until 10:00. Then we entered a whole new world, literally a hotel named New World Saigon. This place was one of the first 5 star hotels in all of Vietnam and damn was it nice. We received a short cooking lesson and made some of our own spring rolls. I personally did not roll mine very well, but it still tasted pretty good. After the lesson, we got to eat at their buffet.
     This is the nicest hotel buffet that I have ever eaten at. First of all, I got to eat my first real cheese since I have been in America. My first course consisted entirely of a plate of bread with multiple kinds of cheese. Then they also had lots of fruit and different meats, I was in heaven. By the time I got to the dessert plate, which was also fantastic, I could barely eat any more. It is a little disappointing that Vietnamese cuisine does not utilize cheese more, because it's pretty great. I guess now I'll just have to wait for it at home when I get my nice, big, juicy cheeseburger that I have been craving for the past week. The food here has been great, but I am in need of some greasy, unhealthy American food.
     In the afternoon, we took our last company visit at Saigon Newport Corporation. They are one of the largest terminal operators in Vietnam that handles a large portion of Ho Chi Minh City's imports and exports. They showed us around the loading areas, which was packed with cargo crates. We also got to go into the control room where operators supervised all of the transportation of the ports goods. The visit was short compared to the other companies, but it was still worthwhile to see how their port system worked.

     Tonight in the lobby, our tailored suits arrived. I have to say, we all look pretty, damn good. A small group of us even decided to try them out on the town by taking a visit to the historic Rex Hotel. This was the hotel where the media stayed during the Vietnam War since it was right across the street from the US Army headquarters. I thought that it was pretty cool to stand in another place where so much history happened. Also, I got to look pretty good while doing it if I do say so myself.