John's traveling companions
This is Katie's blog. It has been and it will continue to be. However, Katie told me rather hopefully yesterday that I was welcome to add to the blog. There are several reasons it is best that Katie does the blogging, most particularly that she is far more observant and eloquent than her husband. However, there is one great reason for me to post - she's a whole lot more photogenic than I am. If I do the blogging I get to limit the number of John-looking-like-a-dork pictures that get posted.
Since we couldn't visit Lucy on Saturday, we decided to head out yesterday morning to see the largest market in Saigon, Ben Thanh. As we left the hotel we were greeted, as usual, by the ever-present cyclo drivers. They have a reputation for over-charging tourists, but hey, we couldn't leave without using them at least once, right? We hopped into two of them and asked them to take us the three blocks to the Ben Thanh market. And they did. After a 40 minute tour of Saigon. Mason was distinctly nervous about these guys, especially his driver whom he referred to as "fishy". Not nearly as fishy as the market, as he was about to see.
Katie and Mason were in heaven in the market. It is like an enormous TJMaxx, where everything is on clearance, anything can be custom-built or altered to fit, and what's more you get to shop to the overwhelmingly pungent odor of decaying/fermenting fish. I was ready to go within minutes. What a party pooper. Well, I lost and spent most of the day bargaining with merchants for their "authentic" goods. The jeweller, the tailor and the candlestickmaker were all whirring at their stations in our wake, encouraged by a 50% deposit and the hope a few more items on our return visit.

The most enjoyable moment was at the end of the day when Mason got to return to the shop (among many that did so) that sold junk welded together to look like combat figures, dinosaurs and motorcycles. He had been dying to get one "as a model" to work from so he could make a whole army of the same. Buying welded junk wasn't that remarkable to me: most of the items in the market were similar, just not welded. However, I had disconcerting visions of Mason's Christmas list this year, replete with welding tools and implements so we could finish the set. I said I was happy to buy him whichever piece of junk he wanted. He could just repay me when we got home. His interest in welded junk quickly receded and was replaced by a readiness for dinner. At last we were aligned. :-)
In all seriousness, this has been a wonderful trip for me so far. It has been wonderful to see Mason soak in another culture. He noted the other night that he has now visited 13 countries. I've been amazed at his lack of culture shock, but even more at his propensity to look for the beautiful. He has not mentioned the poverty. He has not mentioned the noise or the pollution. He's simply noted over and over again the positives of this land - its kind people, its interesting architecture and its love of art. What a great traveling companion.

And it was on of life's great moments to see Katie embrace Lucy for the first time, and to see Lucy return the embrace, grasping for fingers and clothes, snuggling deeper into our arms, as if to say, "You're finally here. Take me home." What a wonderful adventure.

Pssst. We're here Lucy, and we're going to take you home.